Cretan cuisine is one of the oldest and most acclaimed, with a tradition of flavours, aromas, products and cooking methods that date back to prehistoric times and carry on all the way to the present.

In recent years, the research efforts of the international scientific community have been concentrated on the development of an ideal diet to promote health, focused mainly on Cretan diet. Most studies identify Cretan cuisine as the highest quality variation of Mediterranean diet.

Crete, with its fertile soil and its wonderful climate, produces almost half the olive oil quantities in Greece.

The Mediterranean climate of Crete and the favourable composition of its soil not only allow olive trees to thrive in both lowlands and mountain areas, but also contribute to the production of olive oil of the best possible quality. It is no coincidence that Cretans have the lowest mortality rate among productive age population, given that Crete has the highest per capita consumption of olive oil worldwide.