If you plan to visit Halkidiki, you should definitely try some, if not all, of the local products of the area. There is a wide variety of traditional products that you can taste and most of them have established the area in the global market.
Olives:
The most famous local product of Halkidiki is its green olives. Olives are an ideal side dish for many meals and thousands of people in Halkidiki cultivate them. They are known all over the world and have also featured in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Wolf of WallStreet". It is a product that stands out for its taste thanks to the climatic conditions and the soil morphology of Halkidiki.
Olive oil:
The pure, virgin olive oil of Halkidiki is unique. It has a high nutritional value and it is famous for its taste and quality. It is a key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet and if you visit Halkidiki, you should definitely try it. You can enjoy salads and traditional Greek dishes that have olive oil, which is of course delicious and healthy.
Honey:
The famous honey of Agia Paraskeui is one of the best in Greece. Halkidiki is considered to be "The mother of Beekeeping", as it has many beekeepers (32% of the national total) producing 1,910 tons of honey every year. You can find traditional honey in stores or buy it directly from a producer. Moreover, besides the ordinary honey from bees, you can also find pine honey, which stands out for its high nutrition value.
Ouzo - Tsipouro:
Ouzo and tsipouro are the perfect accompaniment to the "mezedes" in the traditional taverns next to the sea. This is also the common Greek scenery that you must experience, if you visit Greece. In Nea Fokaia, you can find the best ouzo and tsipouro of Halkidiki, since there are huge vineyards at the area.
Cheese Products:
In Halkidiki you can also find high quality cheese products. In the mount of Holomontas, there are many farms that, combined with soil characteristics and climate, contribute to the rich composition of goat's milk and cheese. Those have high nutritional value, due to their high protein content.
Herbs:
Various types of herbs are produced allover Halkidiki, mainly in the Holomontas area. Punica granatum, Rosa canina, matricaria chamomilla and malva sylvestris are some of these, along with some classic herbs such as basil, rosemary, sage and more. You can find herbs for various diseases. Also, a well-known herb that grows near the sea, is the sea fennel.
Wine:
Halkidiki produces some of the finest wines. The climatic conditions helped the locals produce wine of excellent quality, following traditional ways of making it and using the best varieties of grapes in Greece. It is not a coincidence that Halkidiki has largest vineyard in Greece, in the area of Porto Carras.
These were some of the most known local products of Halkidiki. If you are interested in learning more about local products in the area, you can find information here
Furthermore, if you are looking for restaurants to enjoy delicious dishes with some of these traditional products, you can find some here
