THE GARDEN AND THE RESTAURANT ARE OPEN
Food served till 6pm
Admission:
Adults 8€
Ages 6 to 12 4€
Ages 6 and less, free (with parents).
Last entrance two hours before sunset.
THE GARDEN AND THE RESTAURANT ARE CLOSED

Thank you very much.
We will be ready to welcome
you again by early March of 2025.
How to come
Book a Table
el
MENU
el
MENU
el
MENU

Τhe Cretan Diet: The 6 fundamental elements of the Cretan dietary model

The six core elements of the Cretan dietary


The Cretan diet is a time-tested successful model that promises longevity and good health. The six core elements of the Cretan dietary model form the heart of one of the most studied and esteemed dietary patterns worldwide. Rooted in the island's rich culinary traditions, these elements highlight the importance of consuming whole, minimally processed foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and using olive oil as the main fat source. Specifically:

Olive Oil: Cretans consume a significant amount of olive oil daily, unique globally for its high olive oil intake. Studies show an average Cretan consumes about 25 liters of olive oil annually.

Wild Greens, Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes: These foods form the diet's foundation. The island's biodiversity allows almost universal consumption of wild greens, cooked in various ways and enriched with olive oil. Remarkably, Cretans know how to distinguish poisonous from edible wild greens, knowledge passed down through generations.

Locality and Seasonality: Especially in villages, more than in cities, people following the Cretan diet philosophy are aware of local and seasonal produce, adjusting their diet accordingly, aligning with this rationale.

No Fixed Recipes: There are no fixed recipes for many reasons. After the Minoan period, due to various dominations over Crete through centuries—Roman, Arab, Venetian, and finally Ottoman—Cretans primarily focused on survival. Though Crete joined modern Greece about a century ago, its residents remained economically challenged, emphasizing primary needs over culinary experimentation. Adaptation to local and seasonal availability was necessary; for example, the abundance of wild greens due to the island's rich biodiversity became the preferred choice.

Wine: An accompaniment to lunch and sometimes dinner. The historical bond between Cretans and wine production dates back to Minoan times, making wine an irreplaceable part of the Cretan diet.

Daily Walking: The average Cretan walks 10-15 km per day, embodying the diet's philosophy: olive oil, local and seasonal ingredients, vegetables, legumes, fruits, wild greens, no strict recipes, a glass of wine, and daily walking. Meat wasn't always a dietary staple, even historically, and many families today still consume meat only once a week.

By embracing these elements, we strive to promote a healthier lifestyle through the Cretan diet's philosophy. This approach could nutritionally enrich our world.

At the Botanical Garden, we aim to connect visitors with both the local economy and society. Supported by a restaurant and a local product promotion center, efforts are made to advocate a healthy lifestyle via the Cretan diet philosophy, reinforced by research attesting to the Cretan cuisine's nutritional quality. Experience the Botanical Garden's restaurant, certified with the "Cretan cuisine quality mark" by the regional company, and combine your visit with authentic local flavors, stunning views, and fresh food using local ingredients, herbs, and fruits from the park.

More from our blog

Comestible weeds of Crete

The comestible weeds of Crete grow almost everywhere soil exists, without effort or human intervention. We can find evidence of their consumption during ancient times in almost every Greek historian’s and philosopher’s records. The studies that have been conducted during recent years and highlight the Cretan diet reveal that the Cretans’ good health stems heavily […]

Honey

Perhaps the best and most delicious honey in Greece is the thyme honey of Crete that is worth tasting! The fine thyme honey is collected from traditional hives in natural thyme habitats, mainly in the White Mountains. In the Cretan Madares, the wild Cretan thyme, a unique aromatic plant, is a permanent “resident”, with bees […]

Spices of Crete

Spices offer special, unique aromas and enrich the taste of our food. Let us learn some of them. Afrina: The flower of salt from the rocks of Crete that has stored sea water, until the Greek sun evaporates it and the raw natural sea salt appears. Cretan Basil: It looks like anise and has an […]

Olive Oil

  The quality of the Cretan olive oil, the "gold" of the Cretan land, as it has been characteristically named, is widely known throughout the world. It is a natural product that comes from the simple crushing of the olive, without extracts and enhancing additives. It is a product cultivated with care and passion. Cretan […]

Awaken your senses

ΚΗΠΟΣ & ΕΣΤΙΑΤΟΡΙΟ ΚΛΕΙΣΤΑ

Σας ευχαριστούμε πολύ.
Ανανεώνουμε το ραντεβού μας ξανά
στις αρχές Μαρτίου 2025.

GARDEN & RESTAURANT CLOSED

Thank you very much.
We will be ready to welcome you again
by early March of 2025.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.