Lonely Planet lauds Greek island of Lemnos and its delicious food

A recent article on Lemnos and its delicious cuisine was featured on Lonely Planet, the well-known travel guide’s website. While those of us familiar with the island in the northern Aegean Sea, already know about the wonderful food and drink of Lemnos, Lonely Planet noted that it’s “the Greek foodie paradise you’ve never heard of” where visitors “can sample some of Greece’s finest produce, minus the crowds.”

In Lemnos’ capital, Myrina, the Lonely Planet writer visits the restaurant O Platanos, and enjoys yemista, grilled octopus, salad, tzatziki, fresh bread, and flomaria pasta, a specialty of the island made with tomato sauce and slow-roasted beef.

“Lemnos’ diverse terrain and mineral-rich soil provide ideal conditions for crops like wheat, but in recent years the island has become known for its cheese, olives, and spirits – the Greek holy trinity,” Lonely Planet reported.

Of course, seafood is a highlight of the island’s cuisine served at waterfront tavernas, but Lonely Planet also recommends rabbit stifado at Mantella Taverna and pork souvlaki at Grammophono.

Unique cheeses from Lemnos include melichloro, made with goat and sheep milk, and kalathaki, a white brine cheese, Lonely Planet reported, adding that “much like the rest of Greece, you’re never far from a good feta.”

Classic Greek desserts like kourabiedes and bougatsa are also available on Lemnos, as well as halva and samsades, the pastry made with layers of phyllo and nuts dipped in syrup, honey or petimezi. Lonely Planet suggests a visit to Axni & Kanella in Myrina for delectable pastries.

Lemnos is also well-known for its honey including a wide variety of flavors, though the most popular is thyme honey. Honey Hasapis in the town of Moudros has won awards for its honey, Lonely Planet noted.

With volcanic soil and Mediterranean climate, Lemnos has been known for its wine going back to antiquity. Lonely Planet reported that “so ancient are its roots that Lemnian wine was praised in Homer’s Iliad, where it was said to delight the Achaeans during the Trojan War.”

“Interestingly, geography plays a major role in the quality of Lemnian krasi (wine),” Lonely Planet reported, adding that “wind caused by the island’s low-lying land is thought to counteract the intensity of the Greek sun, prolonging the growing period and allowing grapes to develop deeper flavors,” and “the most popular Lemnian whites are made of Moshato Alexandrias grapes from the Muscat family; they’re typically light and aromatic, served chilled. Kalambaki is the island’s indigenous red variety, and one of the oldest cultivated grapes in Greece.”

Lonely Planet noted that “wine tourism in Lemnos is still in its infancy and tastings are typically in Greek,” adding that “for budding sommeliers, family-owned Taste Lemnos run English cheese and wine-tasting tours, introducing visitors to the finest pairings the island has to offer.”

Lemnos’ ouzo is “made in distilleries known locally as lakaria,” Lonely Planet reported and advised visitors to “drink with caution” since the “alcohol content is typically north of 40 percent.”

“With the requisite golden beaches, history, and hospitality, Lemnos may be Greece’s best-kept secret,” Lonely Planet reported, adding that “the country’s eighth-largest island boasts all the hallmarks of a tourist destination, yet its relative remoteness has kept it out of the spotlight. Even at the height of summer, its coastline remains largely uncrowded.”

Lemnos is only a one-hour flight from Athens, the report noted, with “the cobbled streets of Myrina, a fishing-port capital in the shadow of a castle, to fertile plains, rolling sand dunes, and volcanic formations,” just a few of the highlights not to be missed. The popular beaches at Thanos and Plati are also highlights of Lemnos mentioned in Lonely Planet which also recommends activities like windsurfing in Keros Bay, hiking to the chapel of Panagia Kakaviotissa, visiting the ruins of Myrina Castle, and Poliohni, the Aegean’s first prehistoric settlement.