Aliki (meaning ‘salt pan’) is a beautiful fishing village with a picturesque port located on the south side of Paros. The village got its name from the salt pan just outside the village. Its picturesque tavernas offer fresh fish and the traditional gouna (sun-dried mackerel).
On the eve of the event, a fish festival is held at the beach of Piso Aliki, where the white pebbles and tamarisk trees reach where the waves break. This celebration is a tribute to the sea and the fish that feed the local families. All residents as well as numerous visitors participate with religious solemnity to the festivals of Paros, attending vespers and, following the divine liturgy, contribute in their own way to the feast. Some bring the traditional alcoholic beverage, souma, or wine while others bring pies, revithada, or other delicacies they have prepared before at home and the festival culminates with feasting, dancing and singing that goes on for many hours.
The most famous Parian dishes are the kakavia, gouna (salted sun-dried fish), salatouri, kolokythokeftedes, tomatokeftedes, chickpeas in the oven, ambelofassoula, fava, karavoli, kalfa with skordalia. The cheeses are also exceptional. Xinomizithra, ladotiri, brine cheese, touloumisio and mizithra, combined with paximadi, and kritharokouloures. Housewives make spoon sweet, rafiolia, mizithropitakia, lambrokouloura, lazarakia, petimezenia (cookies using petimezi instead of sugar) and skaltsounia as well as the traditional alcoholic beverage souma.
Photo: aboutparos.gr
