Food Odyssey, A Historical Culinary Tour of Chania

Travel off the beaten tourist path on this 4 hour delicious culinary adventure with an experimental archaeologist- food historian, Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner. Get a glimpse of Chania gastronomy and society and satisfy your appetite for fascinating food history, food politics and culture with delectable tastings.

Following the trails 'carved' by the Arabs, Jews, Venetians, Ottomans, Greeks from Asia Minor and other immigrants who have passed through Chania, adding their flavors to the local cuisine, you will experience a multisensory food event and  delicacies from one-of-a-kind specialty food shops while enjoying the opportunity to understand better the culinary history of the city and how the locals eat.

Discover a side of Chania that only the locals know about. Learn how Chania's cuisine has developed over Crete’s long history. Experience over 15 different foods during your day– enough to fill your belly to the brim with all the amazing flavours that make up Cretan cuisine!

Meat up with your guide in front of Chania Town Hall. As you walk to a local coffee shop, learn from her about the food history of the area.

Start your food adventure with  olives, handcrafted cheese made according to ancient Greek information, homemade bread made according to Byzantine baking method and sip on herbal tea the way that Cretans enjoy it .

Move  on to delighting your taste buds with some  kalitsounia, the famous Cretan small pies which are filled with cheese or wild greens or a combination or them.

Savour  the most delightful bougatsa in the city and learn about the  food consumption and the skills of the cooks in the Ottoman Crete.

Visit the Central Market of the city, discover a whole world made of cheese, cured meat, fish, vegetables, bread, rusks, pies, olive oil and honey and sample some of the best products.

Your next stop will be in one of Chania’ oldest patisseries, where we will buy classic desserts for the sweet finale of the tour.

From there make your way to the Venetian harbour, get in touch with the food traditions of Venetian Crete (13th -17th century), taste some Venetian sailor's biscuits and experience a multisensory event. 

Dive into the distant past. Visit an  archaeological site  to learn about the Minoan cooking methods.

Your final stop will be in a local taverna, where you will have a chance to enjoy a short lesson in ancient cooking and you will be treated to  fine delicacies of traditional and historic Cretan cuisine.