Siana

This guide to Siana, a mountain village on Rhodes, centers on souma, the fierce local grape spirit ladled from a cauldron each August during a festival in Saint Panteleimon Square. You'll hear how it's distilled from leftover grape marc after the wine harvest, why villagers here brew it stronger than almost anywhere else on the island, and what one visiting writer said after trying a glass. The guide also follows the sweets that fill the tables alongside it, including sesame bars made from the other thing Siana is known for. Picture the square silent on an ordinary afternoon, ringed by whitewashed houses below Mount Akramitis.