Village Shop: Cretan Products to Bring Home

This page lists Cretan products worth bringing home: olive oil, herbs and spices, dittany of Crete and books about Crete. Each one is easy to find on the island, and each section says where to look.

Hillside Cretan village of white houses around a church with red domes

Cretan Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Illustration of an olive harvest, a man beating the branches as a woman gathers olives

Cretan extra virgin olive oil is the product visitors most often take home. The oil we sold came from hand-picked Koroneiki olives grown in North Mylopotamos, in the Rethymno region, and was cold pressed and organically grown.

Olive oil is the base of the traditional Cretan diet, and Cretans credit it with their long, healthy lives. Village shops, farmers and cooperatives all over the island sell local oil in tins and bottles. Our Cretan olive oil guide explains how to choose a good one.

Cretan Herbs and Spices

Marble mortar and pestle surrounded by cinnamon, nutmeg, chamomile and lavender

Cretan herbs such as thyme, sage, oregano and dittany grow wild on the hillsides. The traditional Cretan diet uses herbs and spices heavily for flavour and aroma.

Cretans also use dried herbs to make tea. Greek basil, oregano, thyme, chamomile and mountain tea are sold in markets, grocery shops and even pharmacies. Our page on Cretan herbs and spices describes basil, chamomile, diktamo and others.

Dittany of Crete

Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus) is an aromatic herb that grows wild only on Crete, on mountainsides and in gorges. Dittany has been used since ancient times as a healing herb, and many myths and legends surround it.

Cretans call dittany erontas, from the Greek word for love, and drink it as a herbal tea. Village tradition holds that the tea is an aphrodisiac. Our page on dittany of Crete tells its story.

Books About Crete

Cover of the book Wild Flowers of Crete by Vangelis Papiomitoglou

Books about Crete printed on the island are hard to find outside Crete. The ones we stocked covered the wild flowers of Crete, horta and Cretan diet recipes.

Many books on Crete are also sold online. Our page of books on Crete lists our favourites.

Where to Buy Cretan Products in Crete

Cretan products are cheapest and freshest when you buy them from the producer or a local market. Buy honey from a local beekeeper where you can, rather than in gift jars in the resorts. Our shopping in Crete guide has more on where to shop on the island.