Tziblakis

His traditional shop Antonis Tzimblaki is in the middle of it Papavassiliou street, of its main shopping street Country of Naxos. His father, Ioannis A. Tzimblakis, opened this store 1938. Until then he had a grocery store in his village, him Damariona.

What did a grocery store do in a farming village then? Bulk spaghetti, rice, coffee, sugar and nourishment for children (something like raisin jam that appeared after the war to feed children). The grocery store of Naxos is remembered by Mr. Antonis who was born in 1931:

"I was born into cheese. Then my father transported the cheeses, oils and olives to Chora. Do not look today that every breeder has his race, then they did not even have a donkey. And so the merchants with their mules brought the products to Chora ".

Since then, Mr. Antonis has established relations with the villages and that is why there you will find the strangest Naxos cheeses. Although his son continued the family tradition and runs the store, Mr. Antonis is an epic from morning to night, only at noon he rests for a while.

"Tzimblakis" is a paradise for cooking friends, since in his shop one can find local products, as a great variety of cheese, produced from local shepherds, olives, virgin olive oil, thyme honey, herbs and spices, local wines, raki, citrus, traditional pastries, capers, legumes, nuts, but also for those looking for various old but useful items, baskets, shotguns, broomsticks, ceramics, flasks, olive oil soaps, lanterns (replaced by refrigerators) to mouse lenses and many other handmade items. Many times are available for sale ointments, or various traditional matzounia.

Even if you do not want to go shopping (a little difficult) a short walk in the three labyrinthine levels of the store is enough to take a dip in a world of the past!