The food of Crete - by a Masterchef winner

Many moons ago, during the long summer break from university, I visited the Greek islands for the first time.

With my head full of stories from my classical civilisation studies, I marvelled at the Parthenon in Athens and gazed in awe of the little villages perched on the top of the huge crater in Santorini, but it was in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, that the past really came to life for me.

The Minoan city of Knossos, near Heraklion, is dominated by the Palace of Minos, and with its colourful frescoes of animals, snake goddess figurines and rooms inlaid with beautiful mosaic floors, it truly is a magical place.

And in this impressive ancient city, it seems the Minoans lived a very good life. The giant pithoi used for storing wine, beans and olive oil found at Knossos shows us that the ancient Minoans ate and drank very well.

Why olive oil is "liquid gold"

And, today, that culinary legacy is carried on by Cretan chef Irini Tzortzoglou – the winner of the 2019 series of MasterChef. Born in a small Cretan village, chef Irini is no stranger to olive oil. But it was only in 2019 that she came across its medicinal properties for the first time, sparking a newfound appreciation for what she now hails as ‘liquid gold’.

Irini says the chemical compounds present in the skin of the olives - phenols - are rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

‘I remember my grandfather having two neat spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil every morning and he lived to a ripe old age. He did not know the scientific evidence, but clearly the anecdotal benefits had been passed down through the generations.’

Crete has four main regions: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi – all a little different but all with something wonderful to offer.

So, whether you’re looking for history and culture in the old town of Chania or the wild beauty of the Lasithi plateau with its mountainous villages, old windmills and underground caves, one thing is for certain, wherever you go on the island you’re sure to find some wonderful traditional Cretan cooking.

Join Irini this October for a week of cooking demos and excursions in the Greek sunshine.