Iron, goats, iconic white & blue, taverns that emerge from the Aegean, caper salads, squid, countless beaches & churches, naked beauty, copious food and wine, living concept and minimalist vegetation. Still beauty, that of simplicity embodied by the pergola. And from a blue crock dish. Welcome to Sifnos! Welcome to Serifos! Welcome Cycladic sore!

Here are 5 things you should avoid losing on these two islands in the southern Cyclades (a little more than a couple of hours from the port of Athens).

1 – The "Tabolate of love".

The table is long; food, wine and diners abound. Chrisso Monastery, another overlooking the sea. When the figure of Father Ioannis stands out at the end of the table, against the Aegean sky, the forks start to clink on plates and glasses. "Even the noise of the fork against the plate is highly spiritual – Pope begins to speak – hearing, touch, smell, tables: it's not just a question of having full bellies ". He addresses his community and his guests, to remember the value of what is being done at that moment: "Trapeza agapes", the tables of love, unconditional love. Orthodox party meals, apotheosis of traditional food (here, first of all the mastelo and the chickpea soup – see below), open hearts and bikini at the table accepted. Sifnos is an island of tradition and offers hundreds of Panegyri during the year, religious celebrations, festive and dancing, which for quantity and wealth are the great characteristic of the island. There are those in the afternoon, where they run the trays of mezedes and the dancers to the sound of the takimi sifneico; those in the evening, with dinner sitting, in stages and then go on all night, up to the morning liturgy, crowned by the breakfast together with the inevitable anise & sesame biscuits. From the time when the rich Sifnos fought Venetian Catholicism with the blows of Orthodox churches and refectories under construction, families organize big celebrations: all paid, everything offered, and the following year the Panerghirades passes to another family. And so for each of the 365 churches and monasteries of the X km2 of the island, one for each day of the year. Today the crisis continues but tradition too. And therefore, if a single nucleus is no longer able to do so, one joins and the panegyro of that saint pays him, perhaps the class of the last year of high school or the electricians of the town of Artemonas. To prepare the huge meals, you always find who is ready to get to work: "Instead of money, they gather conviviality; offer their cuisine, stay together and serve at the stove "- continues Ioannis addressed to all. The words of grace authoritative of the Father perfectly integrate in the party, he makes a multiple toast and then, carafe of wine by his side, as soon as the musicians attack, he begins to sing.

2 – The gastronomy festival

It is named after Nikolaos Tselementes, the Artusi of Greek cuisine, the Sifnos gastronomic festival that for a dozen years at the beginning of September welcomes visitors to let them taste the specialties, the products and the stories of the sister islands and guests. And when we say "welcomes" we really mean "welcomes", because it is one free and passionate event, where among stands, show cooking (with explanation of the recipes rigorously in Greek, but you will always find someone willing to translate for you!), local cuisine stars and true cooks of the island next door, music, wedding scripts and food tastings wine as much as possible, the guest is immersed in an endless gastronomic world. You will not fail to repeatedly taste traditional recipes such as the ubiquitous ones "Revithokeftedes”, The local chickpea balls reminiscent of a suave falafel. And then the festival by day spreads around the island, with cooking classes for adults and children, workshops, presentations and improvisations. Can't you be on the island at that time? In 2019, every moment is good: this is indeed theInternational Year of Southern Cycladic Cuisine, with special festivals scattered around the islands, such as the one dedicated to zucchini in Syros and chickpeas in Paros, in July; the one in Milos in August and of course the largest, that of Sifnos in September.

3 – The mastelo

Kid or lamb or goat cooked divinely in the homonymous terracotta pot, shaped like a vase. A terracotta that in the past made Sifnos famous, which up until the 1960s supplied pots all over Greece and the southern Mediterranean. The most famous is the Tsikali, with a pot-bellied bottom to cook on a live wood fire (so it does not split in the middle). Then there is the one with a lid, where it is prepared very typical Revitha, local chickpea cream. Ua recipe that involves cooking legumes for several hours, along with onions, olive oil and laurel leaves. He prepared himself on Saturday night, stayed in the oven all night and on Sunday morning he retired – and ate – after mass, so women didn't have to cook and they could stay with men. Still on Saturday evening swarms of earthenware pots reach those who have a wood-burning oven, and host for the night the meal that is prepared for dozens of families at a time (to participate, you can contact Slow Sifnos, founded by an Italian couple emigrated there).

But because it was so the Sifnos terracotta is famous? Because of the strong presence of lead, which makes it resistant. Metal that in the past dominated the economy of that land and of Serifos (where today the former mines can be visited, with bathing in the sea and verace attached tavern) and that today enriches the sands with glitter of the island's beaches. With this terracotta they did everything from beehives to containers for milking goats (vaguely shaped like a bidet with a sliding beak to make the milk go directly into the bucket – terracotta, of course!). Up to chimney hoods, today re-proposed in bonsai version as lampshades and screen for candles, decorative symbol of the Sifnos of our days.

Let's go back to the mastelo. The recipe is simple, meat stewed in red wine and flavored with thyme. We eat everywhere, because the island cuisine is plainly of land, therefore also in the taverns standing in the sea, for example Tsikali, which serves the meat of animals of its own farm in the shade of a large tamarisk tree with a sand-colored skin and orange-blood ferrigno. (If you want eat fish go to Cheronisso, mini fiord with fishing boats).

4 – Cooking lessons

The concept is this: if you get used to it plants to drink, then they become ‘aquolized’. And they no longer manage alone to deal with the wonderfully burnt climate in which they were born. Remedy: strictly avoid wetting their beaks. "I do nothing to save his life, but I am considerate. If there is too much sun, for example, I cover the melons with a straw hat". Then tomatoes, pears, zucchini, watermelons and melons of George, former engineer, former castaway, if they are on the table it means they got away with it. Excellently. As in ancient times, when everything was cultivated – little, varied – without water. And without quantity claims. The quality? The time you spend reading these lines, it would be better to spend it booking a ticket for Sifnos! Not only that the gentleman and wife are excellent cooks. Their mastelo is the top, as well as the very typical ricotta cake and the other traditional dishes they offer in their cooking classes (the recipes are those learned and collected with scrupulous precision by housewives). The farm is called Sifnos Farm Narlis. The son has a restaurant on the beach of Platis Gianos, the most famous on the island: paternal products and propensity to cook in ancestral descent. The name of the restaurant? Water & Salt, of course! (On the same beach also lies Omega3, adored by the international jet set: delicious dishes, very expensive, avoidable).

5 – A breathtaking view glass

If you happen to be in September, you also get a fascinating harvest, with lots of pack animals to load the bunches. But you risk not finding the wine: production run out! The Chrysoloras winery uses native vines to produce white and rosé which serves accompanied by biscuits and delicious balls of fresh goat's cheese, next door. All in onewine bar with dehors from the simply magnificent view of Cycladic view. We arrived at Serifos, indeed, on the summit of the beautiful Serifos! From there, climbing downhill through the terraced curves of the vineyard, past (and visited!) The monastery, you can jump into Agios Ioanis, with wild lilies (and tavern) or at Agios Sostis with double sea (and church). If these two beaches they are not enough, and there are others 70 to choose from before transhuming into one Tavern or restaurant for the late lunch. Remember to order the pancakes with wild fennel!

Carola Traverso Saibante
June 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE