- As part of the “Love Her / Heraklion – Thessaloniki” initiative, the Municipality of Heraklion is bringing an authentic traditional Cretan rakokazano (raki cauldron) straight to the Philoxenia international tourism exhibition in Thessaloniki this November.
- Alongside the live distillation process, Cretan chefs will serve traditional meze paired with local music to recreate the warm, communal atmosphere of an authentic Cretan gathering.
- Deputy Mayor of Tourism Giorgos Agrimanakis emphasizes that the activation aims to showcase Heraklion’s UNESCO Gastronomy City identity, inviting visitors to experience Cretan hospitality firsthand.
Visitors to Greece’s biggest tourism trade fair will get a taste of Crete the way Cretans actually know it: around a raki still, with food, music and a crowd.
Heraklion is taking one of Crete’s most recognizable traditions north this November, bringing a working rakokazano to Thessaloniki as part of the city’s presentation at Philoxenia 2026, November 13–15.
The event, scheduled for November 14, is titled “Love Her / Heraklion–Thessaloniki: One Raki Road, Tradition & Hospitality” and will put the traditional Cretan raki-making process at the center of a broader presentation of Heraklion as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
A Rakokazano in Thessaloniki
The highlight will be the demonstration of kazanéma, the traditional distillation of Cretan raki.
This won’t be presented as a simple demonstration of how a drink is made. The municipality plans to recreate the social setting that surrounds the rakokazano in Crete, with Cretan chefs preparing traditional meze and dishes using local ingredients while a small musical group provides the soundtrack.
That matters, since a rakokazano has never really been just about the raki.
In Crete, the distillation season traditionally brings people together around the cauldron. There is food, conversation, music, plenty of opinions and, sooner or later, somebody insisting that another glass is absolutely necessary.
Heraklion wants to bring that atmosphere to the Thessaloniki exhibition.
More Than a Cretan Product
The municipality’s tourism strategy is to present Heraklion’s gastronomy as part of the city’s culture and everyday life rather than as a collection of products for visitors to buy.
The Philoxenia event will therefore combine the raki-making demonstration with Cretan food, music and hospitality, giving visitors a chance to experience the social side of the tradition as well as the product itself.
For travelers who know Crete mainly through beaches, archaeological sites and resort towns, it is a useful reminder that some of the island’s strongest traditions happen around a table.
And sometimes around a very large copper pot.
Heraklion Takes Crete North
Deputy Mayor of Tourism Giorgos Agrimanakis said the event is intended to introduce both Greek and international visitors to the tradition of the Cretan rakokazano at Philoxenia and to promote Heraklion’s identity as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
The choice of Thessaloniki also gives the city a chance to reach an audience already interested in travel and tourism, while presenting something much more experiential than a conventional destination display.
For at least one day, visitors won’t have to travel to Crete to get a taste of the island’s famous hospitality.
They just have to follow the smell of raki.
When and Where
Philoxenia 2026 takes place in Thessaloniki from November 13–15, 2026.
The Heraklion rakokazano event, “Kazanévουμε Crete, Kername Heraklion!”, will take place on November 14 as part of the city’s wider tourism presentation.
The event is one of two November initiatives the Municipality of Heraklion has planned to promote the city’s gastronomic identity. The second will take place in Luxembourg later in the month and will be covered separately.
