Honey from thyme.
It is the most famous product of Kythira and this is due to its taste, because it is produced from thyme which also gives the nicest aroma compared to other honeys. The Tsar of Russia Alexios I exclusively chose honey from Kythera!
More generally, honey as human food is one of the most valuable, nutritious and healthiest foods. Hippocrates and all the doctors of antiquity recommended it as a medicine in many cases. In Kythira, among other things, there is the Beekeeping Cooperative of Kythira to support producers, improve the product, correct standardization and increase production. You can buy certified honey from the Beekeeping Cooperative of Kythera, or from the producers of the island.
Oil nuts.
Whoever tries them for the first time becomes their fanatic, and this because of their deliciousness and nutritional value. The variety of foods with which nuts are deliciously combined is impressive, from dipping in drinks such as tea, sage, milk, to salad or even plain. In Kythira you will find them everywhere, either from the island’s bakeries who are also their producers, or in grocery stores or Super Markets.
Semprevives – They live forever.
Sembrevives means they live forever, they are also called “Amaranth of Kythera” We find them perched on steep rocks, as if the difficulty to collect them is rewarded even with the sense of eternity they symbolize. When leaving the island, don’t forget to take with you, so that you can keep the memory of Kythira alive forever.
Olive oil.
Olive oil, the blessed fruit of the olive tree, the symbol of peace, is the main product in Kythira. Its cultivation has a history of thousands of years throughout the Mediterranean basin. In Kythira you will see large areas of olive groves everywhere. The olive variety that thrives, due to the good climate, is Koroneiki. A cup with whole olive fruits (1450 BC), found in a well in the palace of Zakros in Eastern Crete, shows that since the Minoan period they used olive fruits in their diet.