Kalloni Sardines

The gulf of Kalloni is a nearly enclosed body of shallow, warm, unusually saline water on Lesvos, and the sardines caught in it grow fatter and softer than those from open sea, enough that they hold Protected Designation of Origin status as Papalina Kallonis. The local way of eating them is specific: fresh sardines are salted for a few hours only, six to twelve depending on the cook, then served raw or barely cured with oil, so the flesh stays soft and the flavour is delicate rather than the strong salt of a preserved fish. Grilled versions are also standard. The season runs from August, and Skala Kallonis holds a sardine festival in early August with fish, wine and music on the quay.

What you actually see

• The lightly salted sardines - cured only hours, served nearly raw.
• The gulf fishery - small boats working the shallow enclosed water.
• The August festival - a sardine feast on the Skala Kallonis quay.
• The taverna versions - lightly cured, grilled and fried preparations.

When to go

August to October, when the fish are at their fattest and every taverna around the gulf serves them; the festival falls in the first half of August. Outside the season the dish appears from frozen or preserved stock.

Honest expectations

Very lightly cured raw fish is not to everyone's taste and carries the usual caveats about raw seafood for vulnerable eaters. Quality depends on the taverna and on how recently the fish was landed. Skala Kallonis is a plain resort settlement.

Nearby

The Kalloni salt pans, a major bird site, are alongside; Molyvos and the petrified forest lie north and west.