Tsigari - The Dish of the Winter Solstice

In Corfu, we call them seskla - the tender, glossy winter greens known in the rest of Greece as seskoula, or Swiss chard. And at home, Tsigari - or Tsigareli, as it’s often called - was always made only with seskla. Just the pure sweetness of the greens, slowly simmered with onion, garlic, paprika, and plenty of olive oil.

Because Tsigari is not a stew. It’s not a soup. It’s a dish of spicy, sautéed greens, cooked until the sauce clings to every leaf - a deep red from the paprika and the tomato, shimmering with oil. The fragrance is unmistakable: warm, earthy, and slightly fiery - the scent of a Corfiot kitchen on a cold night.

In our house, this was the dish of the winter solstice. The meal that marked the longest night of the year, when the fire was lit early and the air outside carried the salt of the sea.

The pan would hiss as the onions melted into the olive oil, the garlic followed, then the chili - a brief spark of heat - before the seskla entered the pan and everything turned the color of sunset. The sauce simmered slowly, thickening until it coated the greens completely - because Tsigari needs a thick, rich sauce to be right.

Every Corfiot family has its own version. Some use wild greens - radikia, lapatha, zohia - to add bitterness and depth. Others keep it simple, letting the sweetness of seskla and the richness of the oil speak for themselves. But one thing is certain: without generous olive oil, there is no Tsigari. The oil is what gives the dish its silkiness, its warmth, and its soul.

Served hot, with rustic bread and a glass of dry white wine, Tsigari is more than food - it’s the flavor of Corfiot winter. A humble dish turned golden by the land that nourishes it.

Recipe: Tsigari with Seskla

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 kg seskla (Swiss chard), washed and roughly chopped

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 3-4 spring onions, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1-2 fresh hot chili peppers, finely chopped (or ½ tsp hot paprika/chili flakes)

• 1 heaped tsp sweet paprika

• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated (or 1 tbsp tomato paste diluted in a little water)

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Prepare the greens: Wash the seskla thoroughly and cut them into large pieces. Blanch them for 3-4 minutes in salted boiling water, then drain well.

Build the flavor base: In a wide pan or shallow pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and spring onions; cook gently until soft and translucent.

Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, paprika, and chili. Let them sizzle briefly to release their aroma - but be careful not to burn the garlic.

Create the sauce: Add the grated tomatoes (or diluted tomato paste), season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Combine: Add the blanched seskla to the sauce, stirring gently to coat the greens evenly. Lower the heat and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick and silky and clings to the leaves - the way real Tsigari should be.

Finish and serve: Adjust the seasoning and serve hot, drizzled with a little extra olive oil.

To Serve

Tsigari pairs beautifully with crumbly feta cheese, whose saltiness balances the sweetness of the greens and tomato. It also loves smoked and cured flavors — try it with Corfiot salado or numbulo, the island’s aromatic cured pork tenderloin, or even with smoked herring, as old Corfiot families did on winter nights.

Serve it with crispy bread brushed with olive oil and a glass of dry white wine — a meal that captures the warmth, simplicity, and soul of the Corfiot kitchen.