The good cuisine of Corfu

Olive oil, kumquats and wild vegetables such as chard and dandelion are just three of the typical ingredients in Corfu's local cuisine. As the majority of the island's population lives in farming conditions, Corfiot cuisine is based on ingredients that are cultivated in large numbers or grow in the wild on the island. Kumquats in particular have been a part of Corfu since English rule and are processed into liqueurs, jams and candied fruit. The oil from the olive trees, whose groves cover half of the island, is also an important ingredient - and it is impossible to imagine a typical Corfiot dish without it. When travelling around the island in search of local specialities, you should definitely stop off at small tavernas in the mountain and coastal villages, as traditional dishes are still served here.

Local specialities on Corfu:

Appetisers

Agriolachana: Wild vegetables grown on the island are served in their own broth, flavoured with lemon juice, wine and oil.

🌿 Boutsoúnia: This is a Corfiot starter consisting of aubergines in a tomato sauce with plenty of garlic.

Feta: Feta is always on the menu in Greece - but is spicier in Corfu than you would traditionally expect. When it comes to cheese, a distinction is made between manouri (semi-soft cheese made from goat's or sheep's milk), kefalotiri (also known as "Greek Parmensan"), corfou (hard, strong-smelling white cheese) and tirokafteri (spreadable cheese made from feta).

Horiatiki: The classic Greek salad made from tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions, black olives and feta with oil and dost can be found on menus under "Horiatiki". Salads with potatoes, wild vegetables or beans are also popular.

Kefalotiri: A hard, dry cheese that is also known as "Greek Parmesan", as it is grated over many pasta dishes.

Noumboulo: Traditionally, noumboulo is served as an appetiser on Christmas and New Year's Day. The dish, made from pork fillets cured with salt and spices and marinated in wine, can also be found on many menus all year round. Refined with sage, bay leaf, thyme, terebinth and myrtle, the sausage is served thinly sliced with fresh bread.

🌿 Omira: Omira is an algae that looks very similar to fennel. It is served in many fish taverns as a salad, flavoured with lemon juice and oil.

🌿 Tsijareli: Wild vegetables sautéed with garlic and hot red pepper.

🌿 Melitzanosalata: Melitzanosalata consists of oven-cooked aubergines, which are later made into a dip with lemons, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. The dip tastes wonderful with flatbread, grilled vegetables or meat.

Taramosalata: A cold appetiser for which red fish roe, bread, lemon juice and olive oil are whipped into a creamy paste. The cream is often eaten during Lent, when meat and fish dishes are forbidden.

Tiropitakia: Greek pita with feta, for which filo pastry is filled with ripe, savoury feta and shaped into small crescents or triangles. Not only popular as a starter, but also as a snack!

Main courses

Avgolemono: Avgolemono is actually a Greek sauce made from eggs, lemon and warm chicken stock. The sauce is often used to thicken soups or to flavour roasted vegetables or fish dishes - but can also be served as a soup with chicken strips as a garnish.

🐟 Bianco: A fish dish that is usually made by cooking hake or mullet in a pan with wine, lemon juice, garlic and pepper.

🐟 Bourdetto: A typical island fish is scorpion fish, which is served as a stew cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. Rockfish, hake or squid are also often used for this recipe.

Pastitsada: A very traditional dish for which young rooster is cooked with cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar and deglazed with red wine. It is served with thick macaroni.

Pastitsio tis Nonnas: A sumptuous version of the classic lasagne, which contains hard-boiled eggs, ham, salami and (even more) meat in addition to the typical ingredients. The Corfiot lasagne is topped with grated cheese, pepper and breadcrumbs.

🐟 Savuri: A baked fish that is served in a sauce of garlic, rosemary, fennel, vinegar or sultanas, depending on the region.

Sofrito: For sofrito, veal is fried in a pan and served with a sauce made from wine, garlic, parsley and white wine vinegar. Potatoes (or mashed potatoes) or pasta are served as a side dish.

Desserts

Pandespania: Pandespania are small, originally Spanish sponge cakes that are dusted with icing sugar.

Loukumades: The "Greek donuts" are hazelnut-sized balls of dough that are fried in oil and dipped in a syrup made from honey, cinnamon and lemon juice.

Bougatsa: A pastry made from puff pastry and semolina cream or pudding, sprinkled with cinnamon or icing sugar. Bougatsa are eaten as a dessert, but also for breakfast.

Tsaletia: Tsaletias are the Corfiot version of pancakes - but the batter consists of cornflour, orange juice and grated orange peel, sultanas, sugar and water and is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar after frying.

Drinks

Greek coffee: After meals, Corfotes also like to order the typical Greek coffee, which has to be drunk slowly so that the coffee grounds settle in the cup. You can choose between a bitter (pikrò), averagely sweetened (mètrio) or sweet (glikò) coffee.

Koum Kouat: A liqueur made from the island's typical kumquats - with a sweet, fruity flavour and 20 - 25% alcohol. It is drunk neat or with ice and is also often used in the local cuisine to flavour desserts and sweet dishes.

Tsitsibira: A ginger beer typical of Corfu.

Wines: Corfu has small fertile valleys in the north where mainly red grape varieties are grown - Mavrodaphne and Petrokoritho. White wines such as Kakotrygis, Kozanitis, Moschato and Rebola come from the south.

Ouzo: Of course, ouzo is also a must on Corfu: The aniseed schnapps is typically served neat with ice or as a long drink with a shot of chilled water with mezédes (small appetisers).