The magic ingredient in the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet

Plant-based may be today’s wellness buzzword but it has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet for centuries. Think vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, with dairy and fish in moderation. But the magic ingredient? Olive oil or, as Homer called it, liquid gold. And Crete is where it is at. Boasting millions of olive trees that flourish from the rich, fertile soil, Greece’s biggest island produces some of the best olive oil in the world.

Olive trees in Crete, where some of the world’s best olive oil is produced.

In the 1950s, US clinical trials found that, thanks to the amount of olive oil they consumed, Cretans had lower mortality rates and fewer diseases compared to other countries. More a style of eating than a rigorous regimen, this unofficially became what we now know as the Mediterranean diet. It was what Hippocrates had been telling people all along, when he called olive oil “the great healer”. But while moussaka and dolmades may feed the stomach, moderate hedonism feeds the soul. Cretans couple gastronomy with slow starts, afternoon lie-ins and late-night dining. They may just have the secret to a long and happy life.

They were doing farm-to-table before it was even a thing and even now, they eat only what they grow. It means that you’re never far from a fresh, healthy meal. Exploring the island’s culinary heart means ditching the all-day beach bars for a more wholesome experience.

Metohi Kindelis is an intimate hotel and a picturesque orchard just three kilometres from town.

One of the first organic farms in Greece, Metohi Kindelis, is an intimate hotel and a picturesque orchard just three kilometres from the town of Chania, but the lush location feels light years away. The estate has been in the same family for over a century, and the 17th century Venetian farmhouse (the family still lives there) also has three charming guesthouses. It is stylish, sustainable luxury at its finest, but with warm, approachable hospitality (co-owner and manager Danai Kindeli leads a small team and personally greets all guests).

They grow creamy avocados and seasonal fruits that are sold in weekly provisions boxes in Athens and at the fantastic health food store in town. Nothing is served, though: guests are provided with recipes and fresh ingredients to use in their own private kitchen. The catch? Metohi Kindelis is for guests only. But it is totally worth the splurge.

Unmissable: kalitsounia, mini cheese pies drizzled with honey.

Cretans are the original paddock-to-plate pioneers and not much time elapses before the cheesemakers and fishmongers deliver their bounty from the farm and the sea to the kitchen. The Venetian port and Old Town of Chania is a web of narrow alleys filled with coffee shops, restaurants and tavernas serving up meals made with just milked, caught, picked or grown ingredients.

Crete has its own regional dishes with punchy flavours made using aromatic herbs and wild leafy greens, one of the most popular being dakos, a barley rusk topped with tomato and creamy mizithra cheese. Kalitsounia, mini cheese pies drizzled with honey, are also unmissable.

But Crete really is all about olive oil. Lots of mills cater to visitors, but no trip would be complete without a visit to the village of Ano Vouves to see the oldest olive tree in the world. Despite its hollow trunk and gnarled branches that date back about 3000 years, it is remarkably still fruitful.

Locals take production very seriously (there’s an emerging community of olive oil sommeliers) and there are hundreds of tours available. There’s lots of buzz around sixth generation producers, Biolea, who specialise in stone-milled cold-pressed organic olive oil — a more labour-intensive process but one that produces super results. On their Astrikas Estate, they use both a traditional stone mill and a hydraulic press for ultra-modern experimental cold extraction. It is a fascinating operation worth seeing in harvest time. Their restaurant can be booked for casual food and olive oil pairings, but they also offer a spectacular sunset tour that includes dinner overlooking ancient Rokka Gorge with vistas out to the sprawling groves.

Dining at Manousakis Winery. Cretans are the original paddock-to-plate pioneers.

Crete’s viniculture traditions date back more than 4000 years. The island offers plenty for oenophiles and many distilleries are charming, family-owned businesses. Manousakis Winery is run by Alexandra Manousakis, who has re-energised her father’s winery after years living in New York. It is one of the most successful boutique wineries on the island, and visitors are invited to experience the vinification process and the tasting terrace with a panoramic view to the olive trees and orange groves of Crete.

DETAILS

Tours
The family-owned Biolea in the Astrikas Estate offers everything from guided tours of the olive mill for €5 to a sunset tour and dinner for €80. For options and dates, see biolea.gr

Wine, dine and eat at Manousakis in Chania. Book ahead in advance manousakiswinery.com

Stay
For a luxury, boutique stay that’s also sustainable, reserve a guesthouse at Metohi Kindelis — each one comes with a private pool. See metohi-kindelis.gr

Isla Brown Chania Resort has just been scrubbed up with an impressive new renovation that’s relaxed and for families. See brownhotels.com/chania