With its mountains, gorges and ample water supply, the Peloponnese features extremely fertile valleys full of olive groves, orange groves, fig trees, prickly pears, and grape vine cultivations and a huge variety of herbs.

The olive tree is the emblematic tree of the Peloponnese. The olive oil from Messenia is considered to be the best in Greece and it is this that goes in the saucepan first. In these oil-producing regions the oil is eaten raw as a snack on crusty bread with oregano and salt. Let me tell you that even though I’m not from southern Greece, since I was a child this was my favourite snack and still is. This oil from the Peloponnese has become famous all over the world with its bright green colour and fruity aroma.

In this part of Greece, we find the cultivation of grape vines, the most famous from Nemea and Mantinea. Wine is considered an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, and has been known in this area for thousands of years and continues to blossom to this day. Besides the Agiorgitiko that is produced in Nemea – the deep red wine that took its name from the village Agios Georgios, the centre of its production since 1820 – and the wines of Mantinea, there are now wines being produced in Messenia, Laconia and Argolida.

These two components, olive oil and wine, continue to fill the Peloponnesian kitchens with aromas.

Homes produce their own olive oil and their own wine, which was and is stored in what is called in Greek κατώγια, the bottom part of the house that was cool and served as storage for food for the whole year. In the past other food was stored there, for example in Mani they stored the σύγκλινο (sigklino), the emblem of Mani cuisine which is made in all of the southern Peloponnese. It’s salted pork, dried and smoked for many hours. After it has been smoked, it is boiled in water and oil together with oranges cut in halves then is stored in containers and covered with olive oil. In the past it was covered with pork fat; this helps to preserve it for a long period of time.

In winter around the villages of Parnona Mountain, wild weeds are picked and desiccated and are used for food in the summer. Amongst them is the wild lupin (λούπινο) which has been known for its therapeutic properties since ancient times and was recorded by Pedanius Dioscourides (40 – 90 AD) who wrote Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς, better known by its Latin name De Materia Medica and was used for the next the 1,500 years as a reference book for pharmaceuticals, making him the founder of modern pharmaceuticals.

In the basement they also keep the olives (Koroneiki, Matsolia, and Mavrolia) that are preserved in various ways in large clay jars; the olives accompany all meals all the year around.

The figs of Messenia have been savoured since ancient times. They are dried and tied in wreaths (τσαπέλες) in the summer, having plenty in the winter.
Sesame seed growing in Messenia has also created the tradition Παστέλι του Ζευγαλατιού (sesame bar from Zevgalato).
Sfela (Σφέλα) is a hard spicy feta from goats and ewe’s milk that is cut in strips before it is preserved in brine (in the local dialect sfela means ‘strips’) creating a supply all year round.
Other foods made and stored for the whole year are pastas (ζυμαρικά) such as trahanas (both sweet and sour) and hilopites. Who said that the Italians had the upper hand on pasta products?

In the region of Mani at Christmas time, lalagia (λαλάγγια) are made. A pastry that is made in strips and fried, looking very much like twisted pretzels, lalagia can be eaten as is or dusted with sugar. In the villages of Mount Taygetos, they are made on the eve of the Epiphany, filling many baskets, as it is customary to feed others, they are also made in religious shapes such as crosses and stars.

Honeyed diples are made all over the Peloponnese and are associated with all the joyful events of life.

On Easter Monday, the village outdoor ovens not only make the lamb but also the traditional galopita (γαλόπιτα), as this time of the year the milk and eggs are plentiful. In the same ovens, bread is made from wheat or barley or a combination of the two, made without eggs and milk for fasting and often enhanced in flavour with aniseed and other spices. Pites are made with spinach and other greens during fasting and with cheese once the fasting is over.

It is worth mentioning that there is wonderful local produce such as onions, melons, and we must never forget the citrus from Laconia, especially the oranges. The raisins from Corinth that are dried in the sun for 15 days in the August sun, the apples from Tripoli, chestnuts from Arkadia, artichokes from near Nafplio and last and not least the tsakones eggplants (τσακώνικες μελιτζάνες).

And we must not forget the honey from the Elafonisou area around Mani which is full of thyme and gives the bees the ideal environment.

We are told that the reason the Peloponnesian way of eating was and still is frugal is because it’s the way the ancient Spartans ate. The only significant change in the diet of this area of Greece since ancient times has been the (μέλας ζωμό) melas zomos, made from the blood of the pig and embellished with salt and vinegar. It was considered to be a tonic as it was rich in iron and proteins. Today this has been replaced by γουρουνοπασπαλά; pork meat and pig blood made into a traditional dish.

As I was researching this article I found one common thing between all regions of Greece in their food habit – pork fat has been replaced with olive oil, and for that we can thank the Greek gods.