The Peloponnese has a long gastronomic history. Many regions and their products were widely famous from antiquity, like the vineyards of Nemea, the olive oil of Messenia, the aromatic plants and herbs of Arcadia, the vegetables of Corinth, as well as Sparta’s dark broth. Due to the enormous extent and diversity of its soil, the Peloponnese is richly endowed with products and flavours. Also highly developed are livestock farming and fisheries. There is also much cultivation of fruits and vegetables, as well as grains that yield pasta of high quality.
Many of these products have a distinctive flavour. Among them are the Tsakonian eggplant, pears of the Krystalli variety, spoon sweets, olive oil, Messinian olives, regional wines, balsamic vinegar, tsipouro, chestnuts, almonds and nuts from the Kynouria mountain region, salted pork, Kalavryta formaela, Valtessiniko onions, Menalo honey, singlino from the Mani, dairy products from Laconia, Arcadia and Messinia, Vatika onions, pasteli and dried figs from Messinia, melons from Argos, strawberries and watermelons from Elis. These are just some of the local products with designations of origin offered by the Peloponnesian earth…
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) products:
Product | Designation of Origine or Geographical indication | Prefecture |
Olive oil | Krokees (PDO) | Laconia |
Olive oil | Petrina (PDO) | Laconia |
Olive oil | Foiniki (PDO) | Laconia |
Olive oil | Laconia (PDO) | Laconia |
Olive oil | Olympia (PDO) | Ilia |
Olive oil | Kranidi (PDO) | Argolis |
Olive oil | Lygourio (PDO) | Argolis |
Olive oil | Kalamata (PDO) | Messinia |
Olives | Kalamata (PDO) | Messinia |
Fruits and vegetables | Tsakoniki eggplant of Leonidio (PDO) | Arcadia |
Fruits and vegetables | Apples delicious of Pilafa (PDO) | Arcadia |
Fruits and vegetables | Vanilla beans of Feneos (PGI) | Corinthia |
Fruits and vegetables | Fava of Feneos (PGI) | Corinthia |
Fruits and vegetables | Artichoke Irion (PGI) | Argolis |
Fruits and vegetables | Corinthian raisins (PGI) | Achaia |
Fruits and vegetables | Raisins of Ilia (PGI) | Ilia |
Cheese | Feta (PDO) | Messinia, Laconia, Arcadia, Argolis, Ilia, Corinthia, Achaia |
Cheese | Sfela (PDO) | Messinia, Laconia |
Other animal origins | Fir honey of Menalo (PDO) | Arcadia |
Other animal origins | Patras (PDO) | Achaia |
Wine | Patras (PDO) | Achaia |
Wine | Nemea (PDO) | Corinthia |
Wine | Monembasia-Malvasia (PDO) | Laconia |
Wine | Muscat of Patras (PDO) | Achaia |
Wine | Muscat of Rio / Patras (PDO) | Achaia |
Wine | Mavrodaphne of Patras (PDO) | Achaia |
Wine | Mantinia (PDO) | Arcadia |
Wine | Arkadia (PDO) | Arcadia |
Wine | Peloponnissos (PGI) | Peloponnese |
Wine | Argolis (PGI) | Argolis |
Wine | Achaia (PGI) | Achaia |
Wine | Ilia (PGI) | Ilia |
Wine | Korinthia (PGI) | Corinthia |
Wine | Lakonia (PGI) | Laconia |
Wine | Messinia (PGI) | Messinia |
Wine | Klimenti (PGI) | Corinthia |
Wine | Letrina (PGI) | Ilia |
Wine | Pisatis (PGI) | Ilia |
Wine | Slopes of Aegialia (PGI) | Achaia |
Wine | Slopes of Petrotou (PGI) | Achaia |
Wine | Pylia (PGI) | Messinia |
Wine | Tegea (PGI) | Arcadia |
Wine | Triffilia (PGI) | Messinia |