One year, Greece proudly held the top spot in global culinary rankings, celebrated for its rich flavors and timeless dishes. However, the latest Taste Atlas 2025 awards have shaken the gastronomic world: Greece has slipped from first place to second, with Italy reclaiming the crown as the country with the best cuisine.
In 2024, Greece triumphed over culinary giants like Italy, Spain, and Japan, earning the admiration of food lovers worldwide. This year, though, Italy’s diverse and deeply rooted food traditions have pushed it to the forefront once again. Peru, Portugal, and Spain round out the top five, showcasing a vibrant mix of global flavors.
Interestingly, the city rankings reveal a strong Italian dominance as well. Naples was named the best food city in the world, celebrated for its iconic Neapolitan pizza, fresh seafood pasta, and unique local specialties like pizza fritta and sfogliatella. Following Naples are Milan, Bologna, Florence, Mumbai, and Genoa, highlighting Italy’s rich regional culinary heritage.
Greece still holds a respectable position on the list of best food cities, with Chania and Heraklion in Crete ranking 64th and 91st respectively. Greek cuisine also shines in specific categories: the traditional Cretan dakos salad remains the top salad worldwide, and Naxos graviera cheese is rated the best cheese globally, surpassing Italian competitors.
One of the most notable global dishes this year is Paraguay’s Bori-Bori soup, a hearty chicken and vegetable stew with cornmeal dumplings, which topped the list of best dishes. Greece’s beloved kontosouvli secured an impressive sixth place, underscoring the continued international appreciation for Greek flavors.
While Greece may have lost the top overall spot, its culinary influence remains strong and respected. The Taste Atlas awards remind us that food is a living tradition, evolving and celebrated in many forms across the world.
NORMAN 'KRETANER': After more than 20 years on the ‘Island’ and having gained a lot of experience here, CreteTip does not only present you the beautiful holiday (dream) world as most travel or tourist websites do, but the reality, which is often not as colorful as on the glossy photos of the travel portals. Hence, the effort of a long-time inhabitant of the island to provide objective and unbiased reports about sights, excursions and holiday destinations, news, tips and also problems directly from the largest Greek island !
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