Kos Local products

Discover the local products of Kos! Kos is the third largest of the Dodecanese islands with a a total area of 290 square kilometers. Most of its land is verdant and fertile, creating the ideal conditions for the production of many different local goods famous worldwide for their high quality.

Food

Olive groves are spread throughout the island and produce a flavorful extra virgin olive oil packed with health benefits, antioxidants, and Vitamin E. The olive varieties of hamades, a type of green crushed olive, and throumba, a wrinkled olive you can eat straight off the branch, are also among the island’s tastiest contributions. The honey produced in Kos is rich in flavor and aromas and is used in many different local dishes. Honey production is abundant in the villages of Kefalos and Antimachia. The cheese of possia, or krasotyri is a white cheese made of sheep’s or goat’s milk and matured for at least one month in wine lees.

Various delicious dishes can be tasted in Kos. Some of the highlights include pork cooked with cracked wheat, baked beef with chickpeas, stuffed vegetables, wild rabbit with onions, zucchini flowers stuffed with rice as well as local meat, fish, and shellfish. The evreiko, an omelet with tomato and onions is also a must-not-miss, as are the many selections of pasta, such as aspittaridia.

Sweets

A wide variety of traditional Greek sweets can be found in Kos, such as the famous baklava, loukoumades (sort of honey puffs), halva with honey, and kourabiedes (shortbread biscuits with almonds and castor-sugar). Local sweets such as sarsoumades with honey, fruits in syrup and xerotigana (fried pastry) are also worth trying. So are the mouth-watering tomato spoon sweet and the popular lambropites (cheese pies) with mizithra cheese.

Wine

The wine of Kos has held great cultural significance since ancient times. The island’s vineyards have been cultivated for centuries and produce many types of grapes, including the local Malagousia, Athiri, and Assyrtiko. The wine made from these grapes is internationally regarded as some of the best tasting in all of Greece and comes in resinated, white, or sweet red.

Handmade Fine Art

The island of Kos produces fine porcelains, ceramics, jewelry, and weaving. The villages of Antimachia and Asfendiou specialize in handmade weaving.

Herbs and Spices

Various tasty spices and herbs with an incredible aroma can be found in Kos, such as chamomile, mint, sage, cinnamon, and oregano.