Skip to main content Skip to footer 
Gastronomy Tours International Award by IGCAT
The IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism) aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of preserving and promoting each European region’s unique gastronomy, culture, arts, and sustainable tourism elements.
Every year, it awards 10 innovative platforms that showcase these regions’ gastronomic wealth and culture through activities and experiences. Crete, one such region among others in Europe, participated in the “Top Websites for Foodie Travelers 2025” competition, presenting platforms highlighting Crete.
Gastronomy Tours participated in this competition and was recognized among the top 10 websites for 2025. It promotes gastronomic tourism not only in Crete but throughout Greece.
The award ceremony is hosted each year in a different European region. This year, the event occurred on February 6 in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania.
Read the article from “Kathimerini” in Greek about Gastronomy Tours here.
Read the English article from “Greece Is” magazine about Gastronomy Tours here.
The Lenten Period (Sarakosti)
Dear Gastronomy Tours friends,
On the occasion of Lent (Sarakosti), this special period of fasting, we invite you on a small journey dedicated to traditional flavours, with recommendations from our partner, Chef Giorgos Grigoriadis, and with the customs that connect us to the Greek cultural heritage.
Lent is a period of fasting and spiritual preparation leading up to Easter in the Orthodox Church. Known as the Great Lent, it lasts 40 days, from Clean Monday to Lazarus Saturday, and continues through Holy Week until the Resurrection.
The Lenten fast imitates Christ’s 40-day fast in the desert and serves as a time of prayer, self-restraint, and repentance. The faithful are called to purify their bodies and souls, focusing on charity, self-awareness, and humility.
Lent and Greek Traditions
- Clean Monday: The beginning of Lent with fasting foods (lagana bread, taramasalata, halva) and the tradition of flying kites.
- Kyra Sarakosti: A paper or dough figure of a woman with seven legs, representing the seven weeks of Lent. One leg is removed weekly, with the last taken off on Holy Saturday.
- Lenten Dietary Rules: Fasting traditions require abstinence from meat and dairy, but Greek cuisine offers many delicious alternatives:
Allowed Foods:
✔ Vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seafood, olives, and halva
✔ Seafood (octopus, squid, shrimp)
✔ Olive oil and wine (only on Saturdays and Sundays)
✔ Fish (only on the feasts of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday)
✔ Taramosalata, lagana, and halva
Avoided Foods:
✖ Meat, dairy, and eggs
✖ Fish (except on the two exceptions)
✖ Olive oil and alcohol (on weekdays)
Below, our partner, chef Giorgos Grigoriadis, with years of experience in the kitchen, shares his recipes for some of the most classic Lenten dishes.
TRADITIONAL LAGANA
Lagana is the traditional unleavened bread consumed on Clean Monday, marking the beginning of Great Lent. Its origins trace back to antiquity and the early years of Christianity.
The word comes from the ancient Greek laganon, referring to a thin, unleavened flatbread. References to lagana can be found in Aristophanes’ comedies and the writings of Athenaeus. Early Christians preserved this tradition, as unleavened bread symbolizes purity and abstinence from indulgences during fasting.
Lagana is primarily eaten on Clean Monday, accompanying fasting foods such as taramasalata, olives, halva, and pickles. It is said that the fluffier and crispier the lagana, the more auspicious the Lenten period will be. Today, lagana remains essential to Clean Monday, keeping a millennia-old tradition alive. Each region adds variations, such as lagana with olives, sesame seeds, or nuts.
👉 Read the classic traditional Lagana recipe by our partner, Giorgos Grigoriadis, as featured on Taste Local Greece.
Taramasalata and lagana are, without a doubt, the queens of Clean Monday—a perfect duo complemented by the classic “bakali” halva, the kind you can never stop at just one bite. Traditional taramasalata varies by region; some make it the classic way with bread, while others prefer the potato-based version.
More gourmet versions have emerged in recent years, such as tarama foams and mousses, winning over refined palates and earning awards and stars. However, we, the everyday people, following in our grandmothers’ footsteps, remain loyal to the classic flavors to savor them to the fullest.
With lagana and taramasalata, this magical Lenten duo, most of us travel back to childhood memories, when everything was different. In my home, taramasalata, as I learned it from my mother, was always made with homemade bread, white tarama, and the finest extra virgin olive oil, which arrived in the classic tin container from my father’s cousin in Kyparissia.
👉 Read the traditional taramosalata white tarama recipe by our partner Giorgos Grigoriadis, as featured on Taste Local Greece.
Sifnos Revithada (Chickpea Stew)
Revithada is one of the most classic and beloved Lenten dishes in Greek and Cycladic cuisine. It is deeply connected to the island’s tradition and local gastronomic heritage. This slow-cooked dish features chickpeas baked overnight in a wood-fired oven inside a covered clay pot, known as skepastaria or tserepa.
On Saturday night, women take their revithades to nearby wood-fired ovens for baking—a ritual. By Sunday noon, after church, everyone has a warm meal ready for the traditional Sunday table.
👉 Read the recipe for the traditional Sifnos revithada by our partner Giorgos Grigoriadis, as featured on Taste Local Greece.
Chickpeas stew in Tomato Sauce with Xinohondros and Cumin
Chickpeas cooked in a rich tomato sauce with Cretan xinohondros (the Cretan trahanas) and cumin may not be the most traditional dish. Still, it’s worth adding to your Lenten recipes as a creative alternative!
This dish is both hearty and nutritious. Chickpeas and xinohondros generously provide all the essential nutrients, making it a perfect meal for the whole family.
👉 Read the recipe for chickpeas with xinohondros by our partner Giorgos Grigoriadis, as featured on Taste Local Greece.
Semolina Halva with Prunes
Semolina halva is one of Greece’s most traditional desserts. It is loved for its simplicity, sweet flavor, and connection to fasting periods, especially Lent.
The origins of halva trace back to Arabic countries and the Middle East, where the word halva means “sweet.” Semolina halva, also known as halva 1-2-3-4, is believed to have arrived in Greece via the Ottomans. You’ll understand the reason behind its name when you read the recipe!
Greeks adapted the recipe using olive oil instead of butter to make it Lenten-friendly, adding aromatic spices like cinnamon and cloves. In villages, it was considered a “poor man’s dessert,” as it required only simple and inexpensive ingredients: semolina, sugar, oil, and water.
👉 Try this creative twist on semolina halva with prunes by our partner Giorgos Grigoriadis, as featured on Taste Local Greece.
