Come Dine in Crete: ‘The Mediterranean secrets I wish I’d served on TV’

With the garlic cloves on a wooden chopping board, I place the heel of my gloved left hand over them and with the other hand on top: thud. The liquid pools around the crushed cloves while their rich, pungent aroma wafts into the air.

Taking a sharp knife, I chop and mince the garlic until it has the right consistency. It’s now ready to join the other ingredients – cucumber, olive oil, yoghurt and lemon juice – and be greedily devoured.

I’ve just whizzed up an authentic Greek tzatziki dip with the help of Kostas in a cookery class at Tui Blue Sensatori Atlantica Caldera Palace Hotel (bit of a mouthful), perched on Lyttos Beach in northern Crete.

The chef tells me this recipe was passed down to him by his grandmother when he was a young boy.

It’s the rich, creamy, authentic Greek natural yoghurt combined with fresh ingredients that gives it its exquisite flavour. It tastes like no tzatziki I’ve ever tried before.

This is a winning cuisine and I’m gutted I knew little about it when I appeared on Come Dine With Me 14 years ago. I’m convinced I could have won. In the event I made a delicious curry, but failed to bag the prize.

A diet that’s a cut above the rest

Tzatziki is just one of the many traditional Greek dishes guests can learn to make at the resort. As the chef demonstrates how to create dakos – similar to bruschetta – I marvel at how simple yet wonderfully tantalising Cretan cuisine is.

For thousands of years, the islanders have lived off what the land produces – fruit, vegetables, olives, whole grains and pulses.

Experts have touted this diet as being superior to that on other Mediterranean islands. One possible explanation is that, being isolated, small boats were unable to make the long and treacherous journey to the Greek mainland. Thus, Cretans maintained their traditional diet for longer than those on other islands.

Crete is rightly celebrated for its food, with many products specific to the island. So I’m delighted to learn I can join a couple of culinary tours via the hotel.

Discover Cretan Farm Life is part of the National Geographic Day Tours, operated by Tui Musement, and can be booked through the hotel. Every Nat Geo tour meets the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria.

The concept helps to give something back to the community – a portion of the proceeds from each tour goes to the National Geographic Society to fund research and sustainable programmes around the world.

Meanwhile, just 45 minutes from the hotel, our small group is greeted by Valina and Michalis, who run Kamihis Farm Experience in Zaros. In true Cretan fashion they welcome us with open arms, directing us to a table laden with olives, bread, cheese, olive oil and the Cretan spirit raki, also known as tsikoudia.

Bread has always held a prime position on the dining table in Crete – and today is no different.

In yesteryear, a wood oven (forno) was an essential tool in bread-baking. Families who didn’t own one would take the dough to large community-owned ovens. As Valina prepares her oven, pushing embers and ashes aside, she tells me the public ones were once the perfect spot for women to socialise and gossip.

Now it’s my turn to transform flour into dough. I’m rustling up horiatiko psomi (village bread). A denser type than usual, its taste is similar to sourdough – and it calls for strong flour, and plenty of arm strength. I knead and roll in all directions to hoover up any flour into the mixture.

‘Put plenty of love into it and the dough will quadruple in size when left to rise,’ says Valina.

Next, Valina turns her attention to sarikopita – a filo pastry pie filled with homemade goat’s cheese. Once the dough is formed, I roll it into an oblong shape before filling it with mizithra (whey cheese) and spinning it into a mound. Then I chop vegetables for the main: a health-kick powerhouse of vegetables with chondros wheat that’s left to cook for an hour.

After a tour of the farm, I hungrily tuck in. This is good, simple and top-quality homemade fare on another level. The bread is soft with a crunchy crust, the vegetables al dente with plenty of herby flavours and the dessert oh-so-sweet with a drizzle of honey.

I can’t resist knocking back a raki to toast my newly acquired culinary skills – and I even join in a spot of Greek dancing in celebration.

It’s all in the trees

Crete is the biggest Greek island and the fifth-largest in the Mediterranean. It’s also one of the most visited by Brits, with about 800,000 travelling here last year. 

However, it’s not until I arrive on the island that I learn how integral olive trees are to its history. With 35million of them, and land passed from generation to generation, it’s no surprise there’s a plethora of small-scale family-run farms.

Those wishing to learn more can embark on the history of olive oil tour, run in Kritsa village by Nikos Plevritakis. I’m sold and on the tour in a flash, where I’m astonished at how vital this liquid gold is to the Cretan lifestyle.

‘Olives have to be handled in the same way as humans,’ says Nikos, an agricultural specialist. 

‘They need feeding, washing, cleaning and looking after in the same way. And whatever you do, never, ever, buy olive oil in a plastic bottle.’ Apparently, olive oil takes on the flavours surrounding it, which can result in poor quality. Only the best makes the cut at the Kritsa factory.

Next, I’m led through a tasting. Every drop of Kritsa olive oil traps the unique care with which it has been produced for more than a century.

It’s a low-acidity, superior olive oil, with a peppery flavour. I taste it neat, pour it lavishly on bread and even devour chips fried in the stuff. Every mouthful is wonderfully satisfying.

Laid-back luxury

Back at the hotel I’m completely relaxed and content with my newfound knowledge of Cretan food and culture. The Atlantica Caldera Palace is all about laid-back luxury but without being morphed into a bog-standard resort. 

It sets itself apart by encompassing every bit of its Cretan surroundings. The culture of Crete is deeply embedded across every nook and cranny of the island, including this hotel.

This Sensatori By Tui Blue resort has adult and family zones, and a range of state-of-the-art rooms. From cooking classes to dance lessons, there’s plenty to get involved in without leaving the place. Yet you’ll still feel as though you’ve had an authentic island experience.

Everything on the programme, including Bluefit activities, wellness classes – such as circuit training, aqua fit, yoga, pilates and guided meditation – and wine tasting, is free and can be booked a day in advance on the Tui Blue app. The spa, at an additional cost, offers a vast range of treatments while the pool, steam room and sauna cover pampering needs.

There are plenty of culinary choices too, with a buffet, café and several à la carte restaurants – some of which incur a charge. I highly recommend the Mediterraneo restaurant and the Oregano tavern.

The 411-room, five-star hotel sits across the beach and has its own seating area with loungers and day beds. The charming village of Analipsi is a five-minute walk away – here, you can relax in cafés, bars and shops – while Hersonissos is also nearby if you’re looking for more bustle.

Before arriving in Crete, I was expecting to switch off and enjoy the offerings of a lovely resort. Instead, I switched on to the Cretan way of life far more than I’d imagined. And I’m taking a slice of it back with me through my fresh culinary prowess.

I’ve redeemed myself since my Come Dine With Me appearance –  I just wish I could turn back time to bag that £1,000 prize with a Cretan feast.

Sabi Phagura was a guest of Tui.

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