“You will put on some kilos, and you’ll be back,” taxi driver Yiannis warns us, as he drops us off at the Doma Hotel in Chania. This bodes well, as I’m in Crete’s second-largest city for a short break to discover the flavours and people that make up the island’s unique food culture.
Sisters Irene Valyraki and Ioanna Koutsoudaki, who own the Doma, welcome me and my husband with some homemade lemonade that immediately relieves our fatigue. We take a bright yellow Soviet-era lift – which makes us feel as though we’re on a Wes Anderson filmset – to a comfortable and charmingly dated room in the 19th-century building, which was purchased by their grandmother in the 1930s.
A cup of Greek coffee later, we meet our Sunvil representative, Chrissy Pound, an expat who enthusiastically helps us plan our off-the-beaten-track itinerary. She understands immediately that, as a chef and food writer, my priorities are food and wine, and suggests restaurants beloved of locals. She’s even organised an epic wine tasting at the Dourakis winery, where delicious glasses are accompanied by sweeping vistas.
If you are looking for a more tranquil getaway outside of the busy tourist season, you’ll find year-round pleasant weather here. Crete, one of the most southerly points in Europe, remains warm well into October, and even in January the temperature rarely dips below 15C, making it perfect for an off-season escape. There are wild landscapes, transparent waters, quiet coves and unhurried villages to be found among rugged mountain terrain.
Chrissy guides us to the picturesque town of Vamos, where we are introduced to cookery teacher Koula Barykadis. There, we whip up a Cretan banquet, including stuffed vine leaves, courgette fritters and braised cockerel with hilopites – a local pasta.
Afterwards, as we tuck into our creations with a few glasses of local wine, Koula regales us with tales of Cretan family life and her passion to preserve maternal recipes.
At a farmers’ market the following day, we poll locals as to where we should go for dinner. The resounding answer is Chrisostomos – and a great deal of the fresh produce we see at the market is on the menu. We try stamnagathi – a wild strain of chicory – cooked with olive oil and served with an assertive wedge of lemon. Next comes dakos – Crete’s answer to a Tuscan panzanella, with rusks of dried bread smeared with ripe tomato pulp, oregano and crumbly mizithra cheese.
We also squeeze in staka, an impossibly rich roux made from ewe’s cream and flour, and excellent kalitsounia – regional fried cheese or spinach pies that make an excellent case for vegetarianism – all washed down with local raki.
The highlight of the trip, however, is Ntounias, a remote mountain restaurant at which chef Stelios Trilyrakis cooks simple, rustic food, such as goat stewed in wine, snails, and boureki [pastries], using homegrown meat, milk and vegetables – and no electricity. We leave the taverna full and inspired by the sustainable life Stelios has built for himself.
The Venetian harbour of Chania
Crete is the mecca of Greek food, abundant with centuries-old recipes, local flavours and family secrets that preserve its traditional cuisine; and, with Sunvil’s local knowledge and support, we feel we have fully indulged in all its moreish delights. Safe to say, I am already planning my next pilgrimage.
Sunvil’s tailored holidays provide itineraries and local expertise for all kinds of adventures, whether you’re seeking a path well-travelled or an off-piste Greek experience such as Ravinder’s. Call Sunvil on 020 8232 9788 or visit sunvil.co.uk/greece to see the full range of itineraries on offer
