Newsroom
In Xylophagou, the potato is never just a side dish, it is always the star. Yesterday’s International Potato Festival once again proved that this humble crop holds a place of honor in the heart of the Red Soil Villages (Kokkinochoria).
Set against the backdrop of the old Potato Packing Factory, the festival welcomed visitors to celebrate the village’s most famous treasure. Guests enjoyed everything from crispy traditional recipes to imaginative new takes on the potato, crafted by skilled chefs and local cooks who happily shared their secrets for potato perfection.
An exhibition of local varieties told the story of the potato’s importance to the region, while displays of farm machinery and demonstrations of traditional occupations offered a glimpse into the life and work that have shaped Xylophagou for generations.
As night fell, the air filled with music. Well-known Greek singers took the stage, and soon the crowd was singing and dancing together, turning the village into one big family gathering.
And in the end, it wasn’t just about the tastings or the music. It was about the way neighbors laughed together, children ran between the stalls with chips in hand, and how every story seemed to circle back to the same thing: the potato. In Xylophagou, it isn’t only a crop. It’s the pride of the village, and yesterday it had the spotlight it deserves.
