Crete’s 12th Cretan Cuisine Festival concludes in Arkalochori
The 12th Cretan Cuisine Festival concluded on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the Arkalochori Exhibition Center, drawing a large turnout of visitors and featuring a full program of events with the participation of dozens of cultural associations and organizations from across Crete, organizers said.
The festival, organized by the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association, showcased authentic recipes, local products, traditional reenactments and scientific presentations centered on Cretan food culture and its links to health, sustainable development and the island’s way of life, according to the organizers.
The event was supported by the Region of Crete’s Regional Development Fund, the Municipality of Minoa Pediadas and the Cultural Association of Arkalochori, and held under the auspices of Greece’s Ministry of Culture. The World Council of Cretans attended as an honorary guest.
Activities included demonstrations of traditional rural work such as threshing, harvesting and grape picking, alongside a traditional weaving exhibition, the local custom “Zacharotes Mantinades,” a presentation on the use of Cretan herbs, a basket-weaving workshop, and children’s workshops on making cookies and creating kitchen-themed art.
Scientific symposium on the Cretan diet
Part of the program included a scientific symposium examining the Cretan diet through current research. Speakers included chemist Eleftheria Vardalachaki (MSc); Nikos Krigkas, Professor of Systematic Botany at the Hellenic Mediterranean University; Izoldi Bouloukaki, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Primary Health Care and Public Health at the University of Crete Medical School; dietitian Panagiotis Manganas, owner of the Peskesi farm and restaurant and the Talos olive oil brand; and dietitian-nutritionist Sevasti Peraki, an MPH student at the University of Crete Medical School.
The symposium was coordinated by Lambros Vamvakas, a physician specializing in pathology and oncology and an ESY director at PAGNI hospital, according to organizers.
Tasting committee
A tasting committee with an honorary and advisory role also took part, helping highlight Cretan gastronomy, local products and cultural heritage. Its members included the Mayor of Minoa Pediadas, Vasilis Kegkeroglou; the Mayor of Sitia, Georgios Zervakis; journalist Konstantinos Bogdanidis; chef Lefteris Soultatos; Michalis Tzagkarakis, Communication and Marketing Director of the Halkiadakis supermarket chain; and Tasos Papadakis, chef and President of the Chefs Club of Crete.
The Board of the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association thanked the children, cultural associations and organizations that took part, the symposium speakers, the tasting committee members, volunteers, the Volunteer Samaritans corps, and sponsors and supporters. It also thanked journalist Maria Kallergi, who presented the event, and credited Maria Kalentaki for her contribution.
The association specifically acknowledged the Region of Crete’s Governor, Stavros Arnaoutakis, for his continued support; the Municipality of Minoa Pediadas and Mayor Kegkeroglou for their steady backing; the Ministry of Culture for its auspices; and the Cultural Association of Arkalochori for its ongoing cooperation in staging the event.
This year’s festival was organized within the framework of the “Crete, European Region of Gastronomy 2026” project, which aims to promote Cretan food culture, local products, gastronomic tradition and rural life on the island, organizers said.
