The Herb Man of Kouses
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Cretan Botano herbs and spices shop near Matala in southern Crete in search of the herb man of Kouses.
Iannis Yanoutsos was from Thessaloniki and was visiting Crete when he heard that he had lost his job. He was an engineer whose speciality was repairing old printing machines, but with changes in technology there were fewer demands for his skills, and his company gave him early retirement. It was an opportunity to find a new skill, and so he became the herb man of Kouses.
Iannis is away when we call at his shop, Cretan Botano, also known as the House of the Swallows, in the tiny village of Kouses. It gets its name because there are two swallows’ nests inside the shop, with the doors and windows adapted so the birds can fly in and out.
Iannis’s wife Hrysa is busy behind the counter with a steady stream of customers, but still takes time out to tell us their story. She also explains why they have so many chilis all over the shop. ‘Iannis likes his food hot,’ she says. ‘Our chilis are all from around the village here, although chilis grow all over Crete.’
After Iannis was made redundant, he and Hrysa opened their shop about ten years ago in the centre of this village, about 6 miles (10 kms) north-east of Matala.
‘Back then this was an old kafenion,’ Hrysa says, and with typical Cretan hospitality she offers us tea, wine or raki, and suggests we sit out on the balcony behind the shop.
‘It had been like that for 100 years. Iannis renovated the place and started drying and selling herbs. His shop helped to regenerate the village because of the visitors who came. The village coffee-shop re-opened, for example. Only about 100 people live here, and there are no rooms to rent in the village, but still people come because of the shop.’
Hrysa tells us how their shop slowly became successful.
‘About seven years ago one journalist who had a TV programme in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France came and made a film about us. Since then the visitors have increased every year because it was a very good film. Iannis also grows olives and in the programme I cooked Greek dishes. He was making programmes about food and local cuisine.
‘That film was very good for the whole village. It was a half-hour film, all about us. This was the beginning. The next year a German TV programme came, then magazine journalists started to come and to write about us. We feel lucky and grateful. We believe we make things with love and people appreciate it and it's a success eventually.’
The shop is certainly a remarkable place. Although it started off by selling the Cretan herbs that Iannis grew, collected and bought from people to sell, it’s now crammed with herbs and spices from all over the world. A jar of harissa spice from Tunisia sits on top of a jar of Baharat spice from the Middle East. Next to that is a Berber spice, and nearby a jar of piri-piri.
There’s coriander next to cardamom, and close by a jar of cinnamon from Sri Lanka. It has all the smells of an exotic souk here in this tiny little Cretan village.
A large red metal can contains ‘Indigestion tea’ or ‘Dyspepsia’. There’s a herb to help anyone suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, another for high blood pressure and another for stress relief. Mastic from Chios stands alongside vanilla pods from Madagascar.
‘Iannis found very nice people here to provide him with wild herbs from all over the island,’ says Hrysa. ‘They were nice quality herbs, like oregano. He also has a garden of almost one hectare [2.47 acres] where he grows things for the last two years. Another important experiment he was doing was planting herbs under his olive trees which helps the olive oil to get flavour and also the benefits of the herbs.’
On the shelves are jars of cranberries and bilberries, of dried wild sweet cherries. There are sesame seeds, mustard seeds, bottles of olive oil infused with basil and jars of Cretan honey and Cretan salt.
Hrysa tells us that Iannis started by growing simple herbs like mint and basil, for himself and to sell in his shop. She says it’s very hard to find Cretan mint and basil on sale anywhere because everyone grows their own. The herbs you find in the markets sell mainly to visitors and are all imported from overseas.
‘What he also did later,’ Hrysa says, ‘was to start growing tulsi, which is popular in India. It's like basil and he made this experiment to see if it would grow here and it was very successful. He keeps experimenting, all the time. People send him seeds from Africa. Another herb that grows well here is artemisia or absinthium. It's an anti-oxidant so you have it in tea. It's very bitter. He was the first to grow this on Crete.
‘We've heard French, German and English people in here, also Greek. Because it's a nice product the people come again and again every year when they return to Crete.’
We weren’t surprised. We left laden with two bags full of assorted herbs and spices, and a vow to return and hopefully next time meet Iannis himself. He sounds a remarkable man.
More Information
For more information and opening hours visit the excellent website www.botano.gr.
Greece Travel Secrets discovered this wonderful place on a food and wine tour of Crete with Go Crete.
Where to Stay on Crete
Other Crete pages
Where to Stay in Irakleio
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Irakleio, the capital of Crete, including nearby beach resort hotels and accommodation in the city centre.
Where to Eat in Eastern Crete
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Eastern Crete including restaurants and tavernas in Elounda, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Kato Zakros.
Touring the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete
Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
Making Rakomelo on Crete
Greece Travel Secrets visits Crete and learns about making rakomelo from Jorgos Kourmoulis in Agouseliana.
Our Hire Car in Crete
The travel tale Our Hire Car in Crete describes what it’s like when you go driving in Greece and get off the beaten track, resulting in kindnesses.
Thessaloniki: City of Gastronomy
UNESCO has made Thessaloniki a City of Gastronomy, under its Creative Cities network, the only city in Greece to be acknowledged for its unique food and drink.
West Coast of Crete Drive
This drive along the west coast of Crete and inland from there will take a whole day and starts and ends in Kastélli Kissámou, west of Chania.
Greek or Cretan?
Is someone from Crete a Greek or a Cretan? They are both, of course, but most will tell you that they are Cretan first and Greek second.
Kritsá, Lato, and Panagía Kerá
The Byzantine Church of Panagía Kerá near Kritsa and not far from Ayios Nikolaos is one of the most famous in Crete, and close by is the site of Ancient Lato.
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete during World War 2 inspired several books and took place with an airborne invasion over Maleme on the north coast of the island.
Manousakis Wine Tasting
We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.
Museum of Samos Wine
A visit to the Museum of Samos Wine to learn about the muscat grapes that produce the best dessert wines in the world and also the Greek spirit, Metaxa.
Where to Stay in Eastern Crete
Greece Travel Secrets suggests where to stay in Eastern Crete with our favourite hotels in Zakros, Elounds, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Istron Bay, Myrtos, Neapolis.
Corfu Olives
Corfu olives are an important part of this Greek island's economy, with an estimated 3-4 million trees producing olive oil of exceptional quality.
Rouvas Gorge Walk
This Rouvas Gorge walk starts and ends in Zaros in southern Crete and should take three to four hours with a distance of eight kilometres or five miles.
Chania, in Western Crete
Chania is the main city in Western Crete with a lovely setting and a beautiful harbour as well as several museums.
Elounda and Spinalonga, setting for The Island by Victoria Hislop
Elounda on Crete's north coast is a popular holiday town with a pretty harbour, from where you can take day trips by boat to see the island of Spinalonga.
Knossos
Visiting Knossos near Iraklion is one of the best things to do on Crete, and this page has a history of the site with visitor information.
Athens Dining Guide
This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.
Greek Ouzo
Greek ouzo is an aniseed-based aperitif made all over the country but especially on Lesbos, tasting like a Greek pastis or arak and usually drunk with water.
Corfu’s Special Cuisine
Corfu’s special cuisine includes dishes like sofrito and pastitsade and the chance to try ginger beer and kumquats.
Phaistos Minoan Palace on Crete
Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.
Athens Culinary Tours
Athens culinary tours are among the food walking tours offered by an unusual company, Culinary Backstreets.
Ancient Gournia Minoan Site in Eastern Crete
Ancient Gournia is a Minoan archaeological site between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia in Eastern Crete where the visitor can see evidence of a maze of back streets.
Latest Posts
-
Epirus One of the ‘Most Welcoming Regions on Earth’ for 2023
Epirus in northwestern Greece has been recognized as one of the Most Welcoming Regions on Earth for 2023, according to Booking.com’s recently announced Traveller Review Awards list. -
Thessaloniki Gets Ready for 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon
Thessaloniki in northern Greece is preparing to host the 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon-bwin that is scheduled to run on April 30. -
Greek Destinations in the Running for Best in Europe Title
Athens, Rhodes and Milos are the three Greek destinations competing with popular cities in Europe for the title of “European Best Destination 2023”. The competition is being held for the 14th consecut… -
Study: UK Prices for Package Holidays to Greece Soar
Package holidays to Greece, which include accommodation for a week, will cost UK travelers 30 percent more this year compared to 2022, according to UK consumer association Which?. -
Virtual Industrial Museum to Open in Thessaloniki
The restoration of Thessaloniki’s old municipal slaughterhouse building complex will be completed with the creation and opening of a virtual industrial museum, according to an announcement by the city… -
Ferry Travel: Greek Seamen Announce 48-hour Strike for February 8-9
Ferries will stay docked at ports across Greece during February 8-9 after the Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) announced a 48-hour strike in all ship categories. -
Things to See in Trikala
Trikala is a city in Thessaly, noted for its traditional architecture with lots of things to see and a good base for visiting the monasteries of Meteora. -
Thessaloniki: First Look at New Museum with Treasures from Metro Excavations
The Greek Culture Ministry recently released photorealistic images of a new museum in Thessaloniki that will host artefacts discovered during the city’s metro excavations. Following the ministry’s ann… -
Trikala, Thessaly, Among Europe’s Best City Break Destinations for 2023
The Greek city of Trikala in Thessaly has been chosen as one of Europe’s 18 Best City Break Destinations for 2023 by digital magazine Time Out. Launched in 1968 as a London-only publication, Time Out… -
Chios Archaeological Museum Set to Expand, Get Upgrade
The archaeological museum of Chios, whose award-winning design stands as a characteristic example of 1960s architecture, will soon see renovation works that will include a state-of-the-art expansion.
Subscribe to our Newsletter for news, information and inspiration for planning your travels in Greece, and get your free ebook, Heaven on Earth. This contains 19 of Mike's favourite stories that he's written about travelling in Greece for newspapers and magazines over the years.
You'll find it over at Substack. Check out one of the Archive issues to find the Subscribe button.
BUY A JOURNAL TO RECORD YOUR OWN GREECE TRAVEL SECRETS!
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
Best Greece Guide
Of all the many guides to Greece we've seen, this is the one we recommend as best of all:
Greece Travel Inspiration
Buy our book of inspirational travel stories from our travels in Greece over the years.
Take a Look at Our Corfu Guide
FTC Disclosure : If you make a purchase via a link on this site, we may receive a small commission on the transaction - at no added cost to you. Thank you!
Latest Posts
-
Epirus One of the ‘Most Welcoming Regions on Earth’ for 2023
Jan 27, 23 10:26 AM
Epirus in northwestern Greece has been recognized as one of the Most Welcoming Regions on Earth for 2023, according to Booking.com’s recently announced Traveller Review Awards list. -
Thessaloniki Gets Ready for 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon
Jan 27, 23 10:26 AM
Thessaloniki in northern Greece is preparing to host the 17th International ‘Alexander the Great’ Marathon-bwin that is scheduled to run on April 30. -
Greek Destinations in the Running for Best in Europe Title
Jan 27, 23 10:26 AM
Athens, Rhodes and Milos are the three Greek destinations competing with popular cities in Europe for the title of “European Best Destination 2023”. The competition is being held for the 14th consecut… -
Study: UK Prices for Package Holidays to Greece Soar
Jan 25, 23 10:56 AM
Package holidays to Greece, which include accommodation for a week, will cost UK travelers 30 percent more this year compared to 2022, according to UK consumer association Which?. -
Virtual Industrial Museum to Open in Thessaloniki
Jan 25, 23 10:56 AM
The restoration of Thessaloniki’s old municipal slaughterhouse building complex will be completed with the creation and opening of a virtual industrial museum, according to an announcement by the city… -
Ferry Travel: Greek Seamen Announce 48-hour Strike for February 8-9
Jan 25, 23 10:56 AM
Ferries will stay docked at ports across Greece during February 8-9 after the Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) announced a 48-hour strike in all ship categories. -
Things to See in Trikala
Jan 24, 23 05:10 PM
Trikala is a city in Thessaly, noted for its traditional architecture with lots of things to see and a good base for visiting the monasteries of Meteora. -
Thessaloniki: First Look at New Museum with Treasures from Metro Excavations
Jan 24, 23 10:18 AM
The Greek Culture Ministry recently released photorealistic images of a new museum in Thessaloniki that will host artefacts discovered during the city’s metro excavations. Following the ministry’s ann… -
Trikala, Thessaly, Among Europe’s Best City Break Destinations for 2023
Jan 24, 23 10:18 AM
The Greek city of Trikala in Thessaly has been chosen as one of Europe’s 18 Best City Break Destinations for 2023 by digital magazine Time Out. Launched in 1968 as a London-only publication, Time Out…
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
