Zagori Pites

Epirus is pie country, and Zagori is its heart: the local pites are made with phyllo rolled by hand with a long thin pin, thicker and more rustic than the factory sheets, layered with fillings that follow the season. Hortopita uses wild greens gathered on the slopes, often a dozen species mixed; tyropita uses local sheep and goat cheeses; kolokythopita uses pumpkin, sometimes sweetened; and there are versions with leek, nettle, cornmeal crust or no crust at all. They are baked in round pans, cut in wedges and eaten at any hour. Almost every taverna in the villages makes its own daily, and the difference between a hand-rolled pie and a bought-phyllo one is immediately obvious in texture.

What you actually see

• Hand-rolled phyllo - dough stretched with a long pin, thicker than shop sheets.
• Hortopita - wild greens gathered from the mountain slopes.
• Kolokythopita - pumpkin pie, savoury or lightly sweet.
• The round pans - pies baked whole and cut in wedges to order.

When to go

Spring, when the wild greens are young and the variety in a hortopita is at its widest; pies are made year-round and are especially welcome after winter walking. Village tavernas often sell out by early afternoon.

Honest expectations

Quality varies widely and some tavernas use commercial phyllo; asking whether the pie is hand-rolled is normal and expected. Portions are large and heavy. Vegetarian options are plentiful, but many pies contain dairy.

Nearby

The Zagori villages of Papingo, Monodendri and Kipoi all have taverna kitchens making pies daily.