Greece is a goldmine for souvenirs because the best things to bring home are deeply rooted in centuries of culinary, agricultural, and artistic traditions. Skipping the generic plastic keychains, here are the top 10 authentic souvenirs to bring back.

Authentic Greek souvenirs

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Greece consumes more olive oil per capita than any other country, and its liquid gold is world-renowned. Look for oils from Crete, Kalamata, or Mani. For easier travel packing, skip the glass bottles and buy the tightly sealed tin canisters found in local supermarkets or specialty shops.

2. Greek Thyme Honey

Because Greek bees feed on wild herbs under intense sunshine, the honey here is thick, rich, and distinctly aromatic. Thyme honey (particularly from Crete or the Aegean islands) is considered the gold standard.

3. The Mati (Evil Eye) Amulet

The distinctive blue-and-white eye charm is designed to ward off bad energy or jealousy (to mati). You can find it on beautifully crafted silver jewelry, ceramic wall hangings, or simple glass beads. It’s light, cheap, and undeniably Greek.

4. Ouzo, Tsipouro, or Mastiha

Bring the taste of a Greek summer back home:

• Ouzo: The famous anise-flavored, clear spirit that turns milky white when you add water or ice
• Tsipouro: A strong, unaged grape distillate (similar to grappa)
• Mastiha: A sweet, incredibly refreshing liqueur flavored with resin harvested exclusively on the island of Chios

5. Dried Greek Oregano & Mountain Tea

Greek oregano (rigani) grows wild on rocky hillsides, giving it a much more intense, peppery flavor than supermarket varieties back home. Pair it with a bunch of Greek Mountain Tea (tsai tou vounou), a dried herb brewed for centuries to boost the immune system and soothe digestion.

6. Olive Wood Kitchenware

From salad bowls and cutting boards to honey dippers, items made from Greek olive wood are gorgeous and incredibly durable. The tight grain of the wood means it doesn’t absorb odors or bacteria easily, and each piece features entirely unique natural patterns.

7. Handmade Leather Sandals

If you pass through Athens (especially the Monastiraki neighborhood) or certain islands such as Crete and Rhodes, you can buy genuine, handmade leather sandals. They are styled according to Ancient Greek designs, crafted to last for years, and mold comfortably to your feet over time.

8. Greek Ceramics & Pottery

From museum-quality replicas of ancient black-and-figure vases to modern, minimalist, blue-and-white tableware handmade on islands such as Sifnos, Greek pottery is a beautiful addition to any home.

9. Natural Sea Sponges

Harvested for generations by traditional divers (most famously on the island of Kalymnos), genuine Greek sea sponges are entirely natural, hypoallergenic, and far softer and longer-lasting than synthetic alternatives. They are fantastic for skincare and bathing.

10. Spoon Sweets (Glyka tou Koutaliou)

These are traditional fruit preserves served on a small spoon alongside Greek coffee or dolloped over Greek yogurt. They are made by boiling wild fruits (like sour cherries, figs, or bitter oranges) in sugar syrup, preserving the firm texture and vibrant flavor of the fruit.

10+1. The Komboloi

The Komboloi, or worry beads, may be one of the most typical symbols of Greece’s easy-going mentality that has been widely established in Greece since the middle of the 20th century. Whether on the street, on an airplane, or in a busy kafeneion downtown, you will find people playing with their worry beads in various manners, even doing flips and tricks with them, letting go of their stress and worries as one bead moves deliberately towards the other. The repetitive action and clicking of the beads turn this pastime into an easy motion reported to help ease tension.

Packer’s Tip: If you’re traveling with carry-on luggage only, you won’t be able to take liquid souvenirs such as honey, olive oil, or alcohol past airport security. Buy these items at the airport duty-free shops after security—the quality is still highly authentic, and the prices are surprisingly fair!

Mastic or mastiha from the Greek island of Chios is getting traction on social media as the basic ingredient for summer cocktails.

Many bartenders and amateur connoisseurs are uploading videos of how to use the “white gold” of Chios to make flavorful and refreshing cocktails ideal for the summer.

Until recently, Greece’s mastiha liqueur hasn’t been as popular as other aperitifs. Thanks to new brands’ premiumization of the category and further education on its benefits, however, mastiha is starting to gain a cult following.

The myriad mastiha coctails

Here is a take on a cocktail called “Cleopatra”:

@drinkkleos

KLEOS Mastiha Spirit’s signature cocktail (The Kleo-Patra) is your Greek vacation in a glass This cocktail is super crushable and absolutely refreshing. PLUS there’s only 110 cal. and 4g of sugar in the full cocktail Yia Mas #earnyourkleos #mastiha #kleostakemeaway #chios #mykonos #mixology #mixologist #mixologytiktok #athens #travelgreece #skinnycocktails #lowcal #lowsugar #cocktailrecipes #superfood #luxury #luxlife #cocktailtok #garnishgame #greeksummer #summercocktail

♬ Taste It – TELL YOUR STORY music by Ikson

According to the following video by Nikki’s Modern Mediterranean, apart from one ounce of mastiha, you will need the following ingredients to make a summer cocktail: One ounce of peach vodka, peach nectar juice, grenadine, ice, and orange and cherry for garnish.

Another version is the rum, mastiha, and coffee cocktail:

Until recently, mastiha was actually considered a peasant spirit or liqueur often sipped after meals in Greece. This reputation is partly due to how it was made and the fact it wasn’t highly consumed outside of Greece.

@jackiesfooddiary

Have you tried Mastiha?! Officially my summer cocktail #mastiha #chios #liqueur #cocktail #cocktailrecipes #greek #drinkideas #summercocktails

♬ gimme gimme gimme – ·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

Now, with society’s growing interest in niche global spirits, mastiha spirit has come into the spotlight, and it’s becoming more common on menus at high-end Greek beach clubs as well as restaurants and global cocktail bars from New York to Los Angeles.

Here is yet another version of mixing mastiha with liquor:

@kforkalliopi

@Cello Liqueur & I made this delicious Mastiha cocktail using their Melon Liqueur (you’ll have to excuse the banter, I gave him a headache for an hour ) #cocktail #drink #mixologist #cocktails #italy #italian #greek #greekgirl #fyp #foryoupage #liqueur

♬ original sound – Kalliopi

Mastiha of Chios, Greece’s ‘White Gold’

Mastiha, often referred to as the “Tears of Chios” or the “White Gold of Greece,” is a product made exclusively on the Greek island of Chios. Since antiquity, this sticky resin, which seeps from the bark of mastic trees, has been harvested not only for its flavor but its therapeutic value.

Although the mastic tree, also called “lentisk,” is native to many areas in the Mediterranean, its bark only “bleeds” mastic on the island of Chios, making it a truly unique and nearly miraculous product.

Mastic is used as flavoring in many sweets and drinks, most famously in Mastiha, a digestive liquor from Chios. The mastic “tears,” or small bits of hardened tree sap, can also be chewed like gum, a practice dating back thousands of years. Its healing properties include prevention and treatment of stomach pains and gastric disorders as well as rejuvenation of the skin.

Its rarity has made mastic highly sought-after throughout history. Even to this day, mastic is considered a precious commodity not to be wasted. The European Union has designated it a “protected designation of origin” product, confirming that only Chios may produce authentic mastic.