Santorini’s soil
+ what that means for your tastebuds
Santorini’s unique volcanic soil and climate contribute to the distinct flavor and quality of the produce. The island’s terroir, with its mineral-rich soil and ample sunshine, plays a role in their exceptional taste of the produce. Being an island, Santorini boasts an abundance of fresh seafood. Don’t miss the opportunity to savor dishes like grilled octopus, calamari, and locally caught fish.
The cuisine of Santorini was based on agricultural products such as the white eggplant, the split pea, or fava, the Santorini tomato, the anhydrous cucumber, the miniature zucchini, and the caper, all grown under the glorious Cycladic sun and the Aegean’s sea salt.
THE TOMATOES
Santorini tomatoes are renowned; they are cherry tomatoes that are extremely tasty and sweet, and with an intensely red, staining color. Harvest begins in mid-July and by August which is perfect timing for the summer.
The dry land and the volcanic soil of Santorini give a great taste to all the agricultural products of the island. Santorini’s tomatoes are very tasty, especially in sauces or salads. They’re also really tasty when sun-dried. The Santorini Cherry Tomato grows in abundance in the favorable Santorini environment and has a characteristic flavor that derives from the volcanic soil.
You will likely have the opportunity to enjoy the tomatoes if you’re eating Greek cuisine while in Santorini. A few of my favorites that I always eat in Santorini are dakos, tomatokeftedes and tomato marmalade.
In the area of Vlychada there is actually a Tomato museum, where visitors can learn about the traditional methods of tomato cultivation and admire unique process.
DAKOS
Dakos is actually a traditional Cretan dish from the island of Crete. But it does so well in Santorini because the tomatoes are just so good. Dakos is often called “Greek bruschetta,” and is easy to make with few ingredients, barley rusk, chopped tomatoes, feta or mizithra cheese and olive oil topped with capers or olives.
TOMATOKEFTEDES
These tomato fritters are a tasty Santorinian treat. Made with local tomatoes, onions, and herbs, They are crispy on the outside and bursting with flavor on the inside.
This is definitely my favorite dish in Santorini. My Theia (Aunt) always makes these for me when I come to visit. They can be cooked by others but when she does it with her tomatoes (grown in my Uncle’s garden) it just tastes unlike any other tomato fritter. If I had to choose ONE food to eat for the whole week while in Santorini it would be these hands down — could never get sick of these delicious little things.
SANTORINIAN SALAD
Enjoy a Greek salad but with a Santorinian twist. This style features ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, capers, and creamy feta cheese drizzled with olive oil is a refreshing and quintessential dish on the island. This salad is a little different from a typical greek salad which hosts a more crumbled feta and katsoúni.
KATSOÚNI
Katsouni is the name of the cucumbers grown in Santorini. They tend to have less seeds and taste a bit sweeter than a normal cucumber. You might not even notice you are eating Katsouni but it will be served in Greek and Santorinan salads and is used to prepare fresh Tzatziki sauce.
WHITE EGGPLANTS
The white eggplants of Santorini are a rare agricultural product Santorini had proudly cultivated. There are multiple varieties of these white eggplants found throughout the world (primarily India and Asia), but none as sought after as the Santorini White Eggplant from Greece. They are mild, sweet, with very few seeds, thin skin and can even be eaten raw. They are typically in season during the summer months, from June to August, when they are at their freshest and most abundant.
These eggplants are a prominent ingredient in Santorinian cuisine. They are often used in traditional dishes like “Melitzanes Papoutsakia,” which are stuffed eggplants, and “Briam,” a Greek ratatouille-like dish.
MELANI (soupia)
Soupia is cuttlefish, a marine mollusk that is commonly sourced from the Mediterranean sea. These marine mollusks release a brownish ink. The cuttlefish meat is renowned for its flavor and texture. A traditional Greek dish cooked across many towns and cities close to the sea throughout Greece. You will find it cooked in a variety of ways, steamed, baked, fried and grilled. Usually served along springs greens or used in a variety of risotto and pasta dishes.
FAVA
Santorini “fava” is a purée made of the hulled, then sun-dried, then boiled legume Lathyrus clymenum – not from the yellow split pea as in the rest of Greece. A local specialty, you will see ‘fava Santorinis’ on the menu meaning it is prepared in a typical fashion, a creamy yellow split pea purée topped with capers, onions, and olive oil. It’s a delicious and nutritious appetizer that showcases the island’s culinary heritage.
CAPERS
Enjoy the authentic natural taste of the unique caper/Kapari of Santorini. It grows on the steep slopes of the Caldera, on the stone walls, the traditional “terraces” of the island. Additionally, from the wild caper, cultivators collect the flower and the leaves, which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that have a very delicate spicy taste! There are few places in the world you can find caper leafs, and almost none as delicious as in Santorini
CHLOROTIRI
the cheese
As you travel the Greek islands you may notice that each island has their own traditional cheese. The traditional local cheese of Santorini is called “Chlorotiri” it is produced from goat’s or sheep’s milk in very small quantities by local producers. It is deliciously creamy and slightly sour. It is difficult to find outside of Santorini and sometimes even on the island, if you’re lucky you may see it served on salad, dakos, or perfectly combined with the white eggplant of Santorini.
WINE
The island of Santorini is home to a small, but flourishing, wine industry, made from the indigenous grape varieties.
White wines are predominantly made from 3 grapes: Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri. These white wines are fresh, a little acidic, with a hint of salinity.
Red wines are made from Mavrotragano and Mandelaria grapes. These are often aged in oak and have deep, rich flavor profiles that can include those of licorice and cinnamon.
Santorini’s unique volcanic soils contain ash, basalt, granite, obsidian and pumice. Due to the high content of silica oxides and metals these soils are acidic, and impart low pH and a pleasant mineral taste to wines. One of the unique features of the grape vines you will notice is how they are shaped into a basket. This is done because island provides little protection from sunlight and strong winds so locals use a method called “kouloura” (translates to basket) to train the vines. In this way the vines are coiled and lay low so that the grapes can grow inside protected. The vines are extremely old and resistant to phylloxera (an insect pest of grapevines).
