The Cretan diet is regarded as one of the healthiest diets in the world.Based on simple techniques, it’s the variety of local produce that distinguishes the dishes. The history of the Cretan Diet and Cretan Cuisine is lost in the mists of time.It was associated with the frugality of agricultural life, and even with the privations that accompanied Cretan society for many centuries, and were due, primarily, to the complex paths of history, to wars and to the consecutive conquests by foreign powers. It is a sequence of a tradition that come down to us from Minoan era.
American dieticians came to Crete to explore the reasons of longevity among the local population. Olive oil was found to be the reason. Consumed on a daily basis, it is the foundation of the Cretan diet and it has been medically proven to be heart healthy as well as combat numerous diseases. Vegetables,wild greens, fruits, legumes, bread and barley rusks, are also widely consumed in Crete thanks to the fertile terrain.
Crete is home to hundreds of herbs, some of which have been used as medicine since ancient times. Grown on the steep sloped mountains, herbs are collected and naturally dried under the beaming sun.
Honey is another Cretan staple. Since prehistoric times, the Cretans were extremely skilled in harvesting honey which over the centuries was known as the only sweetener.
The highlight of the Cretan diet is the moderate consumption of spectacular Cretan wine and the famous local alcoholic drink raki which ranks among the best three traditional alcoholic beverages worldwide

The spirit of genuine Greek hospitality is something you will encounter on your travels to Crete.