From our gardens, kitchens & sea
Food, glorious food! These are some of my favourite island flavours, with the photographs and family memories that made me want to share them in the first place.
Leros has some wonderful food. Here I share the fruit, cheese, fish, honey and traditional treats I have enjoyed, and I hope you get the chance to discover some of them when you visit.
The original photographs and personal recollections remain at the heart of this page. Ask local producers and tavernas what is in season and available when you are there.
Four flavours from the original page
A little sweetness, a little salt, and plenty of memories. These were the first four foods I chose for this guide.
First on my list are gavafes, the guavas so closely associated with Leros. Their perfume, flavour and texture have stayed with me, even after tasting guavas on my travels in Asia.
This photograph shows fruit in my father’s garden. For me, it captures something very special about the island: a familiar flavour growing just outside the door.
My second favourite is myzithra, written as “mytzithra” in my original guide. The salty, firm version is wonderful grated over pasta, while fresh myzithra has its own character.
The cheese I remember had such a powerful flavour that I compared it to Parmesan with the volume turned up. Get ready for a little explosion of taste!
My mother sent me the piece in this photograph. The tomato and basil came from my very own little garden. Very little, I should add.
Our culinary journey continues with pasto psari, salt-cured fish. My particular favourite is pasto kolio, cured mackerel.
In my original notes, I wrote about sea salt gathered around the nearby islands of Agia Kyriaki and Piganousa, and the knowledge passed through fishing families. Producing a good batch takes experience.
This was Dimitris’s own batch, and it came out very well. I remember it as a lovely accompaniment to fasolada, the traditional Greek bean soup.
Lerian honey is another taste worth looking out for. I used to buy mine in Kamara and would also look for it in the shops around Alinda and Platanos.
Ask a local producer about honeycomb, called kyrithra in my original notes. I have always thought honey tastes even better straight from the comb, although perhaps that is just my imagination.
Check with local shops and beekeepers for what they have available during your visit.
Celebrations, family kitchens & sweet memories
These names appeared in my original guide. Some belong to weddings, some to Easter, and some need very little excuse at all.
Almond sweets traditionally associated with weddings. A little taste of Lerian celebration, and one of the treats I would ask about at a local sweet shop.
They may remind you of loukoumades, but I remember the Lerian version as particularly soft and light, with a texture of its own.
Also written as “kserotiana” in my old notes, these traditional fried pastries belong to the island’s sweet repertoire. Simple dough becomes something worth seeking out.
An Easter bread from my original list. I remember noting that making it properly could take up to two days. Some traditions ask for time as well as ingredients.
For more island food traditions, explore the LerosIsland.gr gastronomy guide, in Greek .
Flavours of the Aegean
Fish and seafood feature strongly in my memories of Leros. These descriptions preserve those memories, while availability depends on the season and the catch.
Fouskes are sea squirts, with a dark exterior and vivid yellow or orange flesh. I find their flavour irresistible, although some English friends I persuaded to try them were less enthusiastic!
Spinialo is a traditional preserved seafood preparation associated with neighbouring Kalymnos. My little motto was “Spinialo thelo ki allo”, meaning “I want more spinialo”.
Sea urchins appeared in the original page as “axinous”. I remember their tiny orange portions as a remarkable salty and sweet taste of the Mediterranean.
A distinctive flavour from my island food memories.
Another shellfish from my original list. I remember comparing its flavour with mussels, but with a sweeter taste and firmer texture.
Local names are part of the pleasure of discovering the island’s food traditions.
Ask your taverna what has been caught locally and what is available that day. With calamari, it is worth asking whether it is fresh or frozen, rather than assuming. I still remember how special squid from around Leros could taste.
My favourite taverna
The original food page linked to Dimitris Ouzeri, our family’s restaurant. Over the years it became Karaflas Taverna, and with Dimitris’s son joining him, Karaflas Dimitris & Son.
The name has changed, but this is the same continuing family story. Dimitris and his food have a very special place in my Leros.
Read the story of Dimitris, Karaflas and the next generation →
A conversation with a producer, shopkeeper or taverna can lead you to a flavour you might otherwise miss.
Fruit, fish and traditional celebration foods are not always available. Ask what is at its best during your stay.
Found a Lerian food tradition or family recipe worth adding? Let me know. I would love this guide to keep growing.
Share your favourite dishes, photographs and island memories with the Leros Greece Facebook community.