Kalitsounia () are small cheese or herb snacks associated with the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
island of
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
. They can be described as a treat, with different filling and serving variations. In the
Chania
Chania (, , ), also sometimes romanization of Greek, romanized as Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania (regional unit), Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno ...
region, salty kalitsounia are found, stuffed with the locally made mild whey cheese
mizithra, or various herbs from the Cretan land (without cheese) and the sweet kalitsounia, also stuffed with mizithra but with honey poured on top. In the
Lasithi
Lasithi () is the easternmost regional unit on the island of Crete, to the east of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra and Sitia. The mountains include the Dikti in the west and the Thrypti in the ...
region, they are mainly sweet, made with dough and filled with mizithra, cinnamon, and sometimes lemon zest.
To make the filling for cheese kalitsounia, the whey cheese is grated and mixed with eggs (so the filling will hold together) and finely chopped herbs.
This is a unique delicacy served across the entire island. In the Chania prefecture, it can be found throughout popular restaurants as well as in small mountainous villages. Kalitsounia can be either baked or fried depending on whether they are made with dough or filo.
See also
*
Calisson
*
Börek
''Börek'' or burek or byrek is a family of pastries or pies made in the Middle East and the Balkans. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. A borek may be ...
*
Gözleme
*
Puri (food)
Puri, also poori, is a type of Deep fry, deep-fried bread, made from leavening agent, unleavened whole-wheat flour, originated from the Indian subcontinent.
Puris are most commonly served as breakfast or snacks. It is also served at special o ...
*
Chiburekki
*
Haliva
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oys ...
References
{{Cuisine of Greece
Greek cuisine
Cretan cuisine
Stuffed dishes