Cretan Kalitsounia (Spinach & Feta)
I made these kalitsounia in Crete, using locally grown and home-grown ingredients, all sun-kissed by the Cretan sun. Standing in a Cretan kitchen, working with produce that had barely travelled, I understood why food there tastes the way it does: vibrant, honest, and deeply memorable.
These pastries are simple, but they carry so much character. The dough is light and crisp, the filling fresh and fragrant, and every bite tastes of the place it comes from. This spinach and feta version is a classic across Crete, often made for gatherings, coffee breaks, or just because good greens are in season.
Herbs play a huge role here. Dill is one of my absolute favourite herbs, and I love the softness it brings to savoury fillings. But when I can get my hands on fennel fronds, they’re even more delicious, slightly sweeter, a little more aromatic. And I happily substitute them when they’re available. Both work beautifully, and both feel very Cretan in their own way.
These Cretan spinach and feta kalitsounia were made in Crete using local and home-grown ingredients, shaped by tradition and the Cretan sun. A light olive-oil dough is filled with spinach, feta, and fragrant herbs, dill or fennel fronds, folded into small parcels and baked until golden and crisp. Simple, soulful, and unforgettable.
SPANAKOTIRO KALITSOUNIA | Cretan Spinach & Feta Parcels
Mary PolitisIngredients
For the dough
- 250 g plain flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30 ml raki or white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Spinach filling
- 2 bunches english spinach
- 1/4 of a spring onion - chopped
- 1/4 cup dill or fennel fronds - chopped
- 80 g feta cheese
- pepper
Before baking
- sesame seeds
- Olive oil to brush
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine flour, water, raki, olive oil, and salt. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and let it rest.
- In a hot pan, add olive oil and sauté the spring onions until softened. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat, stir in chopped dill, and allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled, mix in crumbled feta until fully combined.
- Divide the dough into two portions and roll each out as thin as possible. Cut into 10cm circles. Roll each circle slightly thinner with a rolling pin. Add a heaped teaspoon of filling to the centre, then fold in all four sides to create a square, leaving a little of the filling visible in the middle.
- Brush each pastry with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.