Ikaria: Nature’s Best

Alexia Amvrazi | September 13th, 2016

Ikaria, famous for the longevity of its inhabitants, is also home to delicious delicacies that inspire the palate

Fresh, seasonal, organic produce is a common fact of life on Ikaria. We discover some of the island's best products.

One of the key factors in the by-now famous longevity of its people is Ikaria’s pure and abundant natural bounty, and the fact that around 80 percent of the island’s households sustain themselves at least in part from the delicious organic produce that they grow in their own back yards. A spirit of self-sufficiency reigns supreme across the island, with locals preferring to buy homemade products such as olive oil, honey, dairy and herbs from friends and neighbors, or to trade for them using their own goods in barter. Here we showcase some of the best products and how to find them.

BEST OF IKARIA’S FOOD PRODUCTS

HONEY
Called the “Panacea of Ikaria”, the island’s honey makes for a pricelessly healthy and delectable purchase. There is honey produced from arbutus (or “strawberry”) trees, from thyme flowers or from white heather (reiki, considered the most beneficial, as well as pine tree honey, which is made from the honeydew secretions of the giant pine scale. One must-buy is the organic honey from Yannis Kochylas under the label Meli Ikarias; his are multi-award-winning honeys (with numerous top prizes in international competitions) noted for their exceptional flavor and for his dedication – several times a year, Kochylas, the “Odysseus of Honey,” travels for six and a half hours on his little kaiki, often in tempestuous winds, to a tiny island near Patmos to harvest his luscious honey – his toffee-like Anama is especially dreamy.

Yannis Kochylas, the beekeeper behind the award-winning Meli Ikarias

© Katerina Kampiti

Kochylas travels to his beehives on a small island several times a year

© Katerina Kampiti

The herbs on the island result in very aromatic and flavorful honey

© Katerina Kampiti

KATHOURA CHEESE
The local Kathoura cheese, a spongy, fresh goat-milk cheese very reminiscent of mozzarella in its texture and subtle taste, accompanies almost every local meal, and can also be used for stuffing vegetables or for putting on toast drizzled with honey. Goat herder Antonis (affectionately called ‘Antoine’ by locals) is a gentle giant who makes excellent fresh Kathoura in his tiny kitchen; it can be ordered from his German wife Silke, who is a member of the Raches Women’s Cooperative.

HERBS
Abundant local herbs, including pennyroyal (fliskouni), oregano, sage, savory (throumba), thyme, St. John’s Wort (valsamo) and mint, grow wild on the island under purely organic conditions, with the help of nothing more than bold sunshine, rare rain and oxygen-rich air. It is recommended that you keep your Ikarian spirit up even after leaving the island by taking home several of these medicinal goodies for seasoning or brewing. Local herbs can be bought across the island at various grocery stores like Melia Handmade Products, supermarkets, as well as online via the Ikaria Mag website.

The island has some 1,100 indigenous species of plants, something you can learn about from local guide Lefteris Trikiriotis, who left Athens behind to return to his native island and enjoy a major “quality of life” improvement. Here, he combines his love for the island, its people and its abundant nature with an environmentally friendly lifestyle, helping to maintain the ancient paths with the local mountaineering club and offering his services as a self-taught treasure-trove of information. He leads a variety of botanical and foraging walks along natural trails and also does good business gathering wild rock samphire, known locally as kritamo Ikarias. Recently, he created the travel agency Discover Ikaria, which offers adventure holiday experiences to visitors.

INFO

COOPERATIVE OF RACHES
(also for Antonis’ Kathoura cheese)
Christos, Raches
Tel. (+30) 22750.41.076

YANNIS KOCHYLAS’ HONEY
Tel. (+30) 6973.422.888

KRITAMO IKARIAS
Online at Ikariastore
In Athens at Katalochou store, Tel. (+30) 210.361.3851

KARIMALIS WINERY
Website: www.ikarianwine.gr
Tel. (+30) 22750.31.151 and (+30) 6944.920.934

AFIANES WINES
Website: www.afianeswines.gr
Tel. (+30) 22750.40.008 / 41556.

TSANTIRIS WINERY
Website: www.tsantiriswines.gr 
Tel. (+30) 22750.22.710 and (+30) 210.988.6170

The island has some 1,100 indigenous species of plants, and local guide Lefteris Trikiriotis can teach you about them

© Katerina Kampiti

Thyme, oregano, sage and mint are some of the herbs which grow wild across Ikaria

© Katerina Kampiti

HOMEMADE FOODS
The seven members of the self-funded Women’s Cooperative of Raches work hard on their fantastic products throughout the year, and have set up an old-fashioned boutique-style store selling traditional classics such as preserves (from walnuts in honey to Indian fig jam) and original concoctions such as a delightful fennel pesto, pumpkin chutney and a 7-Herbs liqueur – one of their 20 or so fruit, spice and herb liqueurs. Boasting a charming cafe with comfortable seating and soothing shade, the co-op makes for a lovely and reviving stop where you can enjoy a glass of iced herb tea, espresso and truly mouthwatering homemade cakes or pies – the fluffy, rich chocolate brownie with cream cheese will reign supreme in your memory.

WINE
Wine, with all its Dionysian connotations, plays an integral part in Ikarian life. It is chiefly available in the form of a strongly-flavored, dark red, 15% alcohol hima (that is, unbottled) wine that can be sipped for endless hours in greenery-enshrouded courtyards, in busy village squares or at loud local fairs under the stars. All Ikarian wine is guaranteed to provide enormous pleasure (mysteriously, often without a trace of a hangover the following day), but for the best possible experience, opt for a quality label from one of the island’s three wineries.

FOR ONLINE IKARIAN SHOPPING

IKARIA MAG WEBSITE
www.ikariamag.gr

VISIT IKARIA
www.visitikaria.gr

ICARIA PURE 
www.icariapure.com

The ladies from the Women's Cooperative of Raches create delicious products all year round

© Katerina Kampiti

Aromatic vinegar by the women's cooperative

© Katerina Kampiti

Learn about the ancient winemaking methods at the Karimanlis Winery

© Katerina Kampiti

KARIMALIS
Replete with its own wine museum, in which you can learn about the ancient winemaking methods, the Karimanlis Winery on a hilltop in Pygi is wonderful to visit: its vineyards roll down towards a gorgeous vista of the sea; there’s a guesthouse where you can stay, and a fabulous kitchen run (by the contagiously passionate Eleni Karimalis) that serves food from its own garden and where cooking classes are held. The winery produces a bold, rich red called Pramnian Odyssey that’s made from archaic indigenous vines and a sparkly white wine called Euphoria.

George and Eleni Karimalis, the team behind the winery

© Katerina Kampiti

The winery has a kitchen where food from their own garden is served

© Katerina Kampiti

AFIANES
With a white wine called Begleri – from the grape that produces it – that got a 86/100 rating from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and 89/100 from Wine Spectator (with a review that concluded by saying: “drink now”), as well as several other noteworthy labels, including Icarus and Tama, the Afianes Winery in Profitis Ilias in Raches regularly welcomes guests who come to explore its winemaking facilities, view its small but interesting folklore museum themed on the island’s winemaking tradition and take advantage of a scenic area set aside for tasting the winery’s various products.

TSANTIRIS
Also making the best out of the local Fokiano, Begleri and Mandilaria grapes is the highly respected Tsantiris Winery, right on the edge of the Chararis Gorge in the village of Ano Proespera in northwestern Ikaria. Their certified, all-organic wines include a Begleri white, a rosé and two red wines, as well as the distinctive Melisandy dessert wine which has hints of dried fig, raisins and nuts.