Top 3 Cretan Salads

Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of a dry barley rusk called paximadi that is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a few generous splashes of high-quality olive oil. It's recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. If available, kritamo (sea fennel) is also sometimes added to dakos. The dish is usually served as a meze or light dinner.Expand

This simple Cretan dish is prepared with the bulbs of Leopoldia comosa, a plant that typically grows in wild, mountainous areas. When collected, the bulbs are thoroughly cleaned and can be cooked, stewed, pickled, or served fresh, usually dressed up with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar. The salad version of the dish is mainly enjoyed as a meze or an accompaniment to various meat dishes.Expand

Aginares salata is a traditional salad originating from Crete. Although there are variations, the salad is usually made with a combination of young and tender artichokes, lemon, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. The artichokes are trimmed and boiled in a mixture of water and lemon juice. The artichokes are quartered and cut in half, rubbed with lemon, and placed on a platter. A dressing consisting of lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and garlic is then poured over the artichokes, and the salad is sprinkled with chopped dill, seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed, and served immediately. Aginares salata can be found only in the early spring, on the first days of Lent, when it's typically served with taramosalata and rengosalata as an appetizer.Expand