Why go
Food offers a useful way to connect the island's coast with its farms and villages. Seafood such as squid, octopus and mussels shares the table with lamb, goat, vegetables, olives and local wine. The island's named pastries and sweets give you a more specific question to ask than simply ordering a generic Greek meal.
The full story
Rhodes has a long seafaring life, but its cooking also draws on cultivated land and livestock. The island produces olives and wine, while sheep and goats contribute to its cheeses and meat dishes. Seafood can include squid, octopus, mussels and other shellfish. What is actually fresh or available depends on the day and the kitchen, so ask rather than assume. Among the local names worth recognizing are pitaroudia, savory fritters, and melekouni, a sesame and honey sweet associated with Rhodian tradition. Other named dishes and sweets include avranies, pouggia, katimeria and fanouropita. Recipes and spellings vary, and a menu may feature only some of them. A meal in Rhodes city, Afandou or a village inland can reveal different sides of the same island: fishing, farming and a habit of gathering around the taverna table. Choose by the dishes offered and ask what is made locally or seasonally.
Useful to know
- Ask which seafood is fresh that day and which Rhodian dishes the kitchen makes.
- Use pitaroudia or melekouni as a starting point for exploring local specialties.