DK Travel : Crete : Editor's choice

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Cretan Sausages (Loukanika)

Loukanika – small spicy pork sausages – are found all over Greece, but those from Crete are reckoned to be among the best. They may be served fried (tiganita ) or smoked (kapnista ), and are a regular feature of a lavish meze (dish of appetizers).
Cumin

Another exotic import, cumin is essential in the slowly cooked casserole stifado .
Dittany

Taking its name from the Dikti mountains, this variety of oregano is unique to Crete and has long been credited with restorative powers.
Fennel

Growing profusely in the countryside, this member of the aniseed family is used to flavour ouzo , the national drink.
Gramvoussa Peninsula

The remote and barely populated Gramvoussa Peninsula has one of Crete’s best beaches at Falasarna, where there are also the scattered remains of a Hellenistic city.
Greek Coffee (Kafe Elliniko)

Finely ground coffee and sugar are boiled together in small metal pots to make a thick, black drink, which is served in a tiny cup along with a tall glass of water. To order a sweet coffee, ask for glykou ; for mediumsweet, ask for metriou ; and for coffee without sugar order skieto .
Itanos

Just north of Vai, Itanos has three small pebble and shingle beaches that are never as crowded as Vai’s stretch of golden sand. The scant remains of an ancient city can be seen on the low hills beyond.
Koudouma Monastery

The monks of Koudouma live in enviable isolation in a tiny monastery on a sandy beach fringed with palm trees.
Kritsa

Overlooked by Mt Kastelleos, Kritsa stands at the edge of a wide and fertile plain and is regarded as one of Crete’s most important craft centres.
Lithines

Named for its founders, the Litinos clan of Byzantine nobles, the village has two 15th-century churches, Agios Athanasios and Tis Panagias.