Crete is big island surrounded by warm and lovely seas being sources of fish and seafood of supreme quality. This type of nutrition naturally forms substantial part of the Cretan diet. Cretan population consumes fish and seafood on a regular basis thereby profiting from the beneficial nutrients of this type of food. Of course Crete is a big island with a varying terrain with big mountain ranges and inhabited areas whose access to the sea is difficult. Naturally people not enjoying easy access to the sea consume less seafood, however, this is not the case for the vast majority of the population living on or near the north and the south coast of the island.
Seafood in Crete could be generally classified into two main types, namely fish and marine creatures, such as squids, European flying squids (“thrapsala“), cuttlefish (“soupies“), octopuses, prawns and sea urchins. Cretan seafood is divided into the following general categories: