paximádia

Rusks (twice baked bread) made from whole wheat, chickpea or barley flour, often topped with sesame seeds. Slices of bread are traditionally left to slow bake overnight in ovens after they are turned off. The best kind are made with olive oil, παξιμάδια λαδιού (paximádia ladioú).

Rusks are the base for dakos, and as such associated especially with Crete, but you can find it everywhere, including the supermarkets where it comes in a variety of flavours (garlic, oregano, cheese, rosemary etc).

Ζακυνθινά παξιμάδια (Zakynthiná paximádia): small, long and flat biscuits, made with olive oil, white wine, cinnamon, raisins and cloves from the island of Zakynthos.

Sweet ones are generally called paximadákia.

There are also two dry, crusty looking uninhabited islets off the south coast of Crete named Paximadia.