Volos, the capital of Magnesia, lies in the foothills of Pelion, the mountain of the Centaurs according to mythology. This is a heavenly mountain which has been revered even in modern works of literature.
Dominating the gastronomy of Volos are the meze which accompany tsipouro in a great variety of tastes. Tsipouro is the main accompaniment for these meze in Volos, which is renowned for its mezedopolia (restaurants serving primarily different kinds of meze), especially along the harbour. As is the case throughout Thessaly, each serving of tsipouro is accompanied by a different selection of meze.
Seafood dishes include fried kolitsiano (a type of sea anemone, floured and fried), basko tails (floured and fried monkfish tails), fouskes (a type of shellfish, eaten raw), and fried anchovy served in vinegar.
Vegetable dishes include tsitsiravla (pickled wild vegetables) served when tsipouro is first poured, wild asparagus (boiled or in an omelette), wild fried greens with egg, and, of course, wild mushrooms which are plentiful in Pelion (king oyster mushroom, Cantharellus, Caesar’s mushroom, etc.).
Vegetable dishes include tsitsiravla (pickled wild vegetables) served when tsipouro is first poured, wild asparagus (boiled or in an omelette), wild fried greens with egg, and, of course, wild mushrooms which are plentiful in Pelion (king oyster mushroom, Cantharellus, Caesar’s mushroom, etc.).
Meat dishes include spentzofai from the word ‘spentza’ (hot pepper) consisting of fried peppers, tomatoes, spices and traditional Volos sausage. Then there’s boubari (sheep intestines stuffed with finely chopped liver, rice, minced meat, spices, onion and oregano), reminiscent of a stuffed spleen dish in other parts of Greece. Plus trahana with sausage, veal with quince and chestnut, and cockerel in red sauce with hilopites.
Another speciality from the villages of Pelion is kolokithokorfades. Flowering zucchini are picked early in the morning, stuffed with minced meat and rice, boiled, then served with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce). Additionally in a few villages, fern tips are either boiled with olive oil and lemon or made into keftedes. Also in Pinakates and Vyzitsa, you will find riganokeftedes made from fresh oregano which is gathered at the very start of spring.
The pita of Pelion are amazing: kolokythopita at the end of summer, hortopita made in spring from whatever wild greens and herbs nature offers.
Cheeses include feta, kaseri, manouri, kefalotiri, anthotiro, mizithra, galotiri.
Wines:
The vineyards of Anhialos, close to Volos, are situated along the coastline of Pagassitikos bay just at 100-200 metres above the sea level, the Roditis variety produces the fine, white P.D.O Anhialos, which is particularly pleasant when drunk fresh.
Other regional products include Zagori apples, firikia (small wild apples), quince, chestnuts, walnuts, figs, blackberries, raspberries, etc. The fruits and nuts are used to make spoon sweet, especially in the village cooperatives of Pelion.
