Skyros is the largest and southernmost island of the Northern Sporades. Its inhabitants engage in farming, livestock raising, fishing, craftwork and the collection of resin.
Skyros is renowned for its local breed of wild ponies, marble, and animal products, as well as its characteristic Skyrian handicrafts. Embroidery is used to decorate household clothing and Skyrian costumes and it produces artful furniture, the most characteristic of which is the Skyrian stool, the product of Skyrian wood carving, which looks like a miniature chair.
Local dishes – Local products
Among the local flavours are the ladopita, tiganopsomo (fried risen dough with cheese or honey), trahanopita (pita stuffed with trahana), octopus with caper leaves and raki, as well as the famous astakomakaronada.
Featured in most meals are wild goats, local fava, snails, honey (thyme- or pine-based), and dairy products in general. It is known for its fresh mizithra, its xinotiri and its spicy graviera, which is the perfect meze for tsipouro or wine. In olden times, a special method was used for maturing and preserving graviera on the island. The block of graviera was placed in a special clay jar that was then buried in the earth. Thyme was then spread over the surface of the cheese, on top of which another layer of cheese was placed, a process continued until the jar was filled to the top. The jar was then sealed and covered with soil and left there in the spring and then opened in December to be enjoyed during the Christmas holidays.
