By Nikolas Bardis

Leros is a small but beautiful island of the Dodecanese, with a rich history and special culinary culture. The island of Artemis, as it is often called, is covered with low mountains, green plains, heavenly beaches, and along it you will find many vines, figs, prickly pears and guavas.

It is a blessed place, which the locals love more than anything. There the rhythms flow more calmly and it is the right destination for relaxation and carefree, away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.

During the Italian Occupation, the Italians loved this island and built an entire city there, the legendary Portolago, now called Lakki. It is the largest natural port in the Mediterranean, and played an important role in World War II. Nowadays it is filled with ships and boats from all over the world, which anchor in its arms, to be protected from the winds of the Aegean.

The island could not miss the excellent and authentic Greek cuisine. In this small culinary paradise you will find excellent quality local meats, fresh fish and seafood, and many cheeses, such as ladotyro, krasotyro and mizithra. However, sweets are a big part of the island’s gastronomy. No matter where you are, you will find delicious spoon sweets (eggplant, quince, nerantzaki), diples and almonds, but the famous pouches have their place of honor!

The pouches are the traditional sweet – a trademark of the island, as they star in all the joys of Leria. From birth to marriage, the bags are there to sweeten the world, and accompany them in their most beautiful memories. Vanilla, sesame, nutmeg, mastic, butter, flower water and ouzo are some of the “magical” ingredients of this dessert, which amazes both the locals and the visitors of the island. Of course, the best ingredients are not enough to make this dessert. It requires love and a lot of passion, which the Lerios have in abundance!

The camera of Where Greece is in SKAI traveled to Leros, where it met Ms. Niki Karpathaki, who showed us step by step how to make this traditional sweet. It is a recipe that is passed down from generation to generation, so that the sweetness of Leros is not lost. If you choose this island for your summer vacation, before you leave there don’t forget to get a lot of bags for your loved ones. It is the sweetest souvenir you can give as a gift!