What to Eat in Corfu: Pastitsada, Sofrito, Bourdeto, Kumquat and Ginger Beer

If you arrive in Corfu expecting standard Greek island moussaka and souvlaki, you are in for a delicious surprise. Because Corfu was part of the Venetian Republic for 411 years, serving as the first European port where Venetian spice ships from Alexandria and Constantinople unloaded cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, Corfiot cuisine (Kerkiraiki Kouzina) is essentially 17th-century Venetian home cooking prepared with Greek olive oil, local garlic and Ionian white wine.

Five Essential Corfiot Dishes & Drinks to Order

1. Pastitsada: descended from the Venetian Renaissance dish Pastissada de Manzo. Free-range rooster (kokoras) or prime beef is browned in olive oil with mountains of finely sliced onions, garlic and red wine, then simmered slowly in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with Spetsieriko, a fragrant reddish-brown spice blend (invented by Corfu's old Venetian apothecaries and still sold in paper packets at Carmela's / Symbaniotis Pharmacy on Agias Sofias Street in the Old Town) containing cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cumin, sweet paprika, bay leaf and hot cayenne.
2. Sofrito: thin medallions of tender veal are dusted lightly in flour, pan-seared in olive oil, and simmered slowly in a velvety white reduction of crushed Corfiot garlic, dry white Kakotrygis wine, white wine vinegar and handfuls of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, served alongside creamy mashed potatoes or fava purée.
3. Bourdeto & Bianco: traditional fishermen's dish where firm rockfish or scorpionfish (skorpio) is cooked with onions, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of sweet-and-fiery red pepper, or cooked white in garlic-lemon sauce as Bianco.
4. Tsitsibira: introduced by the British army during the 1815 to 1864 Protectorate and still brewed naturally in the hill village of Kalafationes from fresh grated ginger root, lemon juice, water and sugar fermented cleanly without alcohol, order an ice-cold bottle with lunch.
5. PGI-Protected Corfu Kumquat & Mandolato: brought from Asia to Corfu in 1860 by British botanist Sidney Merlin, tiny golden oval kumquat citrus fruits grow across northern Corfu (visit the free Mavromatis or Lazaris Kumquat Distillery Exhibits on the road to Paleokastritsa).

Where to Eat Authentically in Corfu Old Town

Skip the tourist picture-menu traps right on the Esplanade and duck into the back lanes of the Old Town to long-running local institutions like Rex, Venetian Well, To Tsipouradiko, Avli or waterfront Marina's / Rouvas.