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Santorini food - from and for Gods!
So, what can be said about the Greek food that hasn't been said already?
Well, probably not much, but what has been said most certainly deserves to be repeated.
Greek cooking is known around the world for its simple style and respect for the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Keeping it simple is the Greek way of life and it certainly reflects in their cooking, too.
Santorini is a unique island in many ways, and the traditional Santorini food and cuisine are no exceptions.
On this page we will do our best to share with you our passion for some of the traditional Santorini flavors.
Do yourself a favor and make sure you try as many as possible of these wonderful treats during your visit!
Santorini food highlights
Traditional Santorini food is mainly based on locally grown products. The combination of the highly fertile volcanic soil, plenty of sunshine, and a high local humidity packs the produce with extraordinarily tasteful flavors.
Some of the more important are grapes, cherry tomatoes, fava lentils, white eggplant and wild capers.
Grapes
By far the most common produce on the island is the grape, which is almost exclusively used for winemaking.
You cannot avoid seeing the typical grapevine fields anytime you venture outside the villages.
For more on Santorini grapes, wine and winemaking, see our Wine page.
Cherry tomatoes
Probably the best known of the local produce, besides grapes for winemaking, is the cherry tomato.
The Santorini cherry tomato gets its unique character and taste from a hard and thick skin and its high sugar content.
For hundreds of years the cherry tomato was the leading agricultural product with up to as many as 13 factories operating simultaneously in the 1950's.
Today, more economically rewarding growing of grapes for winemaking has almost completely superceded production of those delicious cherry tomatoes.
Don't fret though. There is still enough grown around the island to satisfy locals and visitors needs.
You can get local cherry tomatoes at most restaurants or buy them in shops all across the island.
Fava
The most important local produce after grapes and cherry tomatoes is fava. It is a yellow lentil, although often erroneously referred to as fava bean.
The name confusion has a historical origin as the ancient Santorini fava dish was made from fava beans (also known as 'broad beans'), a different legume altogether.
Santorini yellow lentil fava has become famous due to its distinctive taste compared to fava from other regions, again owing to the special soil and microclimate of the island.
You may find fava to be more expensive than what you would expect for a simple lentil. This is due to its limited production on the island.
Fava can be prepared in various ways, and for the locals it really is a basic food, much like pasta, rice or potatoes.
When out at a restaurant and looking for that genuine Santorini food experience, try ordering the fava dip, a smooth paste of boiled fava lentils, onion and olive oil. Delicious!
White eggplant
Here's another delicious Santorini food specialty that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else.
Sometimes referred to as 'the apple of love', because of its suggested effect as an aphrodisiac, the Santorini white eggplant has a sweet and juicy character.
Don't miss out on the fried white eggplant while you're here.
Wild capers
Wild caper shrubs grow in volcanic ash soil on the steep cliffsides of Santorini and are famous for their excellent quality of both fruits and leaves.
The Greeks are actually quite unique in that they harvest not only the fruit, but also the caper leaves.
The caper leaves are either pickled or boiled and used as a tasty addition to salads and fish dishes.
Learn more about Greek food
To find out more about Santorini food and other Greek food then check out Greek Food at About.com.
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