Wedding Tradition · Sesame Honey Bar
Melekouni
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Families still gather the week before a wedding to press the sesame-honey mixture by hand into wooden molds, and pieces are mailed to relatives who can't attend as a kind of edible invitation.
Toasted sesame seeds are bound with heated honey and studded with almonds and orange zest, then pressed flat and cut into bars once set. Made across Rhodes for weddings, christenings and festivals, and sold year-round from bakeries and market stalls.
Why it's made this way: Honey and sesame symbolized fertility in ancient Greek tradition, and Rhodes kept that symbolism alive by making melekouni the island's official wedding sweet, recognized with EU Protected Geographical Indication status in 2018.
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