Tradition & Diet

Traditional fruits-in-syrup are never out of fashion; they offer a sense of homemade and traditional. You can find them at every corner of Greece, although the traditional sweets of Chios are the most famous ones. Fruits-in-syrup were what the housewives of Chios would treat guests/visitors to welcome them, along with a cup of Greek coffee and a glass of cold water. Fruits-in-syrup are usually the first desserts we ever taste, and usually from the hands of our grandmothers.

Sweets-in-syrup were the result of the need to preserve seasonal fruit throughout the year. Almost every fruit, as well as some nuts and flowers, can be preserved in syrup. They traditionally follow the seasonal fruit patterns: citrus fruit in the winter, bitter orange and unripe fig in spring, pistachio, walnut, cherry, and sour cherry in early summer, watermelon and grape in late summer, and quince in autumn.

Fruits-in-syrup and ypovrychio are prominent among traditional Greek desserts. According to oral tradition, the ypovrychio was first created in Galatas, Constantinople (Istanbul) by confectioners from Chios, while it has also been the official welcome treat of the Patriarchate, also known as “the white sweet”.