- Sitia served the world’s largest fish soup on August 17, 2025.
- The dish was a triumphant return to the Guinness spotlight after the 2023 record.
- Locals and visitors celebrated the beloved traditional “kakavia” on the harbor front.
- The event sealed Sitia’s growing reputation as Crete’s culinary destination.
A Culinary Record, Steeped in Salt
If soup could speak, the one brewed on the edge of the Aegean this August would tell a tale of ambition, tradition, and just the right amount of garlic. On August 17, 2025, Sitia did not merely prepare kakavia—it stirred a legend back to life.
This was not an ordinary fish stew. It was a bubbling cauldron of heritage. And it was enormous. The town returned to the Guinness stage, breaking its own 2023 record with a batch so vast, the sea itself seemed to lean in for a taste.
Set against the cinematic backdrop of Sitia’s harbor, the air was thick with the scent of fennel, bay leaf, and a whisper of sea breeze. Locals gathered. Tourists snapped photos. Somewhere between celebration and ceremony, ladles met broth and history repeated itself—only this time, with even more flavor.
The Soup That Claimed a City’s Name
“Kakavia,” once the humble meal of fishermen, now serves as Sitia’s signature dish—and, increasingly, its brand. The event was not just a stunt; it was a declaration. Sitia is no longer Crete’s best-kept secret. It is the island’s simmering culinary capital.
What sets kakavia apart is its honesty: rockfish, olive oil, lemon, and patience. It does not ask to be elevated. It is already sacred in its simplicity. And that is what the people of Sitia served—on a monumental scale and with unmistakable pride.
Now etched into the town’s identity, this achievement transformed a simple soup into a statement. A dish that once warmed the hands of returning sailors now warms the global imagination.
In Sitia, it is no longer just about eating. It is about tasting legacy.