Once again his festival Nikolaou Celemente was the occasion, to gather the 24 islands of the Cyclades and present their local cuisines, and its representatives to exchange their news, their joys and their sorrows, but above all to feel that they are its body Cycladic cuisine. A kitchen with such common characteristics, but also so many peculiarities that give identity to each island, but also to each village separately.

The 12th Festival of Cycladic gastronomy Nikolaos Tselementes included - as always - in addition to the presentation of the stands, cooking demonstration nights with guest star the presbytery of Gastronomy of the South Aegean on Argyro Marbarigou who presented, with her knowledge and experience, the delicacies prepared live by the cooks of the islands, while the Elias Mamalakis presented 30 representative cheeses of the Cyclades islands - out of the 100 that have been recorded - and which were brought with them by the invited 24 islands.

This was followed by tasting where we tried, among other things, well-known and lesser-known cheeses such as mizithres, sour creams, thugs, maneuvers from Sifnos, Like Michael from Syros, scotch from Ios, green from Santorini, crumb from Kythnos, gruyeres Naxos, wine cheese Paros, dry cheese Apple, cheese of the pit from Serifos, petrified Andros and dry cheese Jeez.

The festivities spread throughout the island, as here at Deep, accompanied by violin and lute, chickpea meatballs were fried on the beach and where many tourists were given the opportunity to get to know this wonderful meze of the island.

Another interesting event was the lunch for Greek and foreign journalists, at the festival house (bank) of Panagia of Chrysopigi.

And here, as last year, at the respective feast-festival in his monastery St. Andrew, the meal was accompanied by music, song and dance!

Because the Sifnos Among other special features, such as pottery, gastronomy, architecture is famous for its revered inhabitants and for its festivals, which of course the most important, is that in monastery of the prophet Elijah on July.

The monastery of the prophet Elijah It was built in the middle of the 17th century on the highest peak of the island (670 m.). The church is surrounded by cells, which constitute the fortification of the monastery. Here the faithful came to protect themselves from pirates and would-be conquerors. The view from the roofs of your cells is breathtaking. On the first level, the villages of Sifnos Apollonia, Artemonas, Kastro. Further on the Aegean with Paros, Naxos, Heraklion, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Santorini, Milos, Kimolos.

The dining room of the monastery is an elongated imposing room with many walks, on one side is the kitchen with the ovens and on the other an elongated table for 50 people. The preparation of the dinner (the supplies, their transportation with mules and the cooking), but also the expenses are undertaken by the festivals a group of 20 people, who maintain the monastery. The entrance to the dining room is through a door and the exit from the next one. The tables will be set and rolled many times, which requires wonderful coordination and perfect organization on the part of the fairs. And of course the party with the Sifnos songs with the well-known refrain “Aman, aman, amani…”

The clay soil of the island nourishes the delicious products (wheat, barley, grapes, oil, capers, figs, almonds, anhydrous, onions, herbs, wild grasses herbs that in turn feed local goats, sheep, their milk, and their cheeses ), but is also used to produce ceramics, which made Sifni famous throughout the Aegean. And if in the beginning the tsoukalia and the other ceramics were exported by boats, at some point the potters themselves were exported, who many times landed at their temporary place of work, made families and so there is no island in the Aegean where you will not find families with the surname Sifnaios!

Most tsoukaladika are located on the glass, for easy loading on the boats. A classic example in operation of a tsoukaladiko is the one on the beach Donkey opposite its Deep Antonis Atsoniou which is in full development (timber fuel storage areas, kilns, grooves with valuable soil, the tanks that become the gate, the ovens, the drying, polishing, the workshop with the wheels) where he and his son, Giannis create the their works. One of the most interesting on the island, a living museum.

At the other end of the island in its beautiful bay Herronisou where 20 kilns used to be housed, now his kiln is still alive Konstantinos Depastas of the oldest potter of the island.

Its kiln is located in Apollonia Lempesi, who still makes traditional functional utensils (pots, pitchers, jugs, fluffs, flares) and even exports them to the surrounding islands.

Η pottery has been associated with the island's cuisine, like here the cooked goat in the climacters, with dill and wine is cooked in the pan mastelo and from here it got its name as a delicacy while the delicacies of the above photo (mastelo, chickpea meatballs, caper salad) are served in Sifnos ceramic dishes.

The mastelo Bake in the wood oven, in the hull for 6 hours. It takes patience for the mastel to melt, for the fat to fall from the bone when you bite with the fork. They used to put it in a big way, now they share it. In both cases the meat is marinated in a bowl in local wine, not red because it blackens the meat. Climate rods at the base and then a layer of dill, a layer of meat a dose of dill and at the end pour a glass of wine.

The other typical dish of Sifnos is the revitada cooked in its special hoop, all night in the wood oven. Nowadays there are not many homemade wood ovens and so the housewives deliver them in the oven at night and in the morning they each receive their own bag.

Chickpeas are also a product of celebrities chickpea meatballs of Sifnos, which used to be made in households mainly with the surplus of the revithada of the previous day. Nowadays, when the chickpea meatballs in the taverns are amazing, their material is made from scratch.

The method of preparation begins with the rinsing of the chickpeas, which are left overnight in water to swell and then rubbed to remove their thick skins. After they get a boil in the pot, add the oil, the onion and the salt and leave them on the fire until they soften. Melt the chopped chickpeas with a fork and add chopped parsley and dill, mint, freshly ground pepper and, if necessary, a little salt. Knead all these ingredients together and when they are combined, shape the mixture into wide meatballs. Then we grind them and fry them in hot olive oil.

Inside the alleys of Artemon is hidden a myth, the confectionery-cafe of the Theodoros family. Ο King is the third generation of Theodoros who deals with traditional confectionery and who for about a century sweeten the people of Sifni and their visitors. A while ago I had the good fortune to photograph Mr. Nikos and Mrs. Katina and to capture the warmth and hospitality of the family and the adoration that Mrs. Katina nurtured in her forgiven husband

The sweets of Sifnos are as interesting as its food. The cream cheese  with the local honey create a delicious masterpiece called gingerbread. The pumpkin becomes a sweet aromatic and fluffy pie with cinnamon cloves, raisins and a special name: lollipop (lollipop because every housewife does it every time with whatever materials she has). And of course the macaroons of Sifnos as in all the Cycladic islands have the honorary ones alone or with sugar and are made in the pot or in the oven for the happy moments of life but also for the sweets of everyday life.

Our journey would not be complete and efficient if we did not suggest some taverns, which we guarantee that they will give joy to their guests.

Η Tsika tavernli in Vathi of the family Nikos Frazeskarou is the must of Sifnos, for the simple reason that here everyone knows that most products are its production (meat, vegetables, cheeses). They know that here they will taste the wonderful casserole goat with Sifnos and dill wine, the oregano rabbit, the baked pork stuffed with cheese, tomato and pepper and the traditional chickpea meatballs, cheese meatballs (from local cheesecake

On the beach Wide Glass of Sifnos is the family tavern "To Steki". In a beautiful environment under the tamarisk trees and by the sea, where the waves break, one can enjoy one's swim, cool down and enjoy one's food. The cuisine of the tavern is famous, it is no coincidence that it is considered one of the best on the island and includes the typical dishes of the island.

Η tavern Nero kai Alati in Platys Gialos is the natural evolution of the Narli estate. And this is because on the one hand it is his shop Alexandrou Narlis, of the son of George Narlis who created the most beautiful visitable estate in Sifnos, but also for the reason that the production of the estate with the dry products supplies daily with the freshest the kitchen of the store.

Since 2013, Sifnos can be proud of being tiny Fish-Bar, the Omega 3 can try perhaps the most sought after fish appetizers of the Cyclades. In a place that does not fill your eye, on the sandy beach of Platys Gialos Vassilis Vlachogiorgakis as a businessman, the chef George Samoilis and Giannis Arvanitis who curated the wine list created an oasis of fine multicultural fish food (Peruvian, Japanese, Mediterranean, creative Greek cuisine).

Ο Flashlightς is since 2015 a new tavern in the beautiful port of Faros. Its creators are two young people, the Elias Anastasiadis and Maria Dimou. In Flaro by the sea, Elias, a cooking teacher at the Le Monde school since he was in his thirties, wanted to try other than the typical Sifnos recipes - which also bother them a bit - using typical Greek raw materials.

It is located on the beach of Faros the Portand the fish tavern of his family George Kakakis, one of the few taverns on the island where you can find fresh fish even in August. The reason is simple. Mr. George from a young age next to his father is first a diligent fisherman and much later he became a tavern owner! Forty years later, George and his family continue the same profession. Their boat, as then, so today puts a bow every day, through the port of Faros, for sergiani seeking the good fish. Lobsters, red mullets, sea urchins, magpies, christmas fish, rockfish, beetles and everything else the sea gives birth to.

In the distant Herronisos o Konstantinos and Margarita Fyssa  they had set it up tavern Herronisos since 1973, when the dirt road was barely accessible. Today the son has taken over Antonis Fyssas with the beautiful and kind wife of Stella. From appetizers as if not a day had passed. Tsiros made by their own hands, juicy-juicy to start with ouzo, maridoula, potato and string beans local dry. Chickpea meatballs, spinach pie with homemade leaf, octopus and grilled shrimp and beyond that every day catches fish!

Descending from Apollonia to the Castle, just before we reach Kato Xabela, it is located Narli estate. One of the most interesting experiences on the island of Sifnos! Because there you will meet all the dry crops of the island in a typical Syphenic farm, you will see the food in its processed form (dried, pickles, sweets, cheese), you will watch cooking, you will dine in a beautiful place the typical dishes, made in the original place, you will see the ceramics produced in his son's workshop and finally you will feel his passion George Narlis for his work, life and Sifnos.

The trek to Sifnos makes me feel a bliss. Fine great, for the pleasure I feel when I visit an island with culture, with mild and well-preserved landscapes, which has preserved the Aegean measure. An island with joyful and noble people, housewives, revelers and hospitable, with skills to bring their visitors to their level. And I am sorry that it is one of the few exceptions to islands that have not been overtaken by modern values ​​that destroy everything and especially capital of nature and human morality. When you see it minimal light you perceive the darkness in which you live.

Η purity of Sifnos however, whatever happens is a solid experience, important companion of thought and aesthetics, strong counterweight to ugliness and emptiness.

PS A huge heart thanks, at Maria NadaliAt Municipality of Sifnos, at Cultural associations, to the hundreds of volunteers, but also to those from the Cyclades who travel to participate in the feast of Nikolaos Celemente, who honors Sifnos and unites the Cycladic Islands.