Greek Food you should Taste!

Frappe

Frappe - the 'national drink' - is foam covered iced coffee drink.  It is very popular in Greece and Cyprus, especially during the summer, consumed at a leisurely pace.  It is made of instant coffee shaken to a frothy texture with or without milk and sugar to your taste.

Greek coffee 

The special coffee pot used in the process is called briki. If you like it sweet, ask for a ‘glyko’ (2 teaspoons), for coffee tha is less sweet ask for a ‘metrio’ (1 teaspoon of sugar) and foa a bitter taste without sugar ask for a ‘sketo’.

Mezes

The definite introduction to Greek food and consists of a selection of many small dishes including a selection of cold and hot appetisers and main dishes.  It is served in restaurants called 'mezedopoleia' served to compliment drinks or in 'ouzeri' and tavernas.  Meze is a unique eating experience but be prepared to eat a lot! Meze is perfectly accompanied with  wine, ouzo or tsipouro.

Herbs

Widely used to enhance taste and are responsible for the most delicious flavours and smells of Greek food.  Most commonly used herbs are oregano ‘rigani’, vasil ‘vasilikos’, mint ‘diosmos’, garlic ‘skordos’, dill ‘anithos’, bay leaves ‘dafni’ , parsley ‘maintanos’ and rosemary ‘dentrolivano’.

Taramosalata

Taramosalata, usually eaten as a dip, is traditionally made from ‘taramas’ the salted and cured fish eggs or roe of cod or mullet fish.  The roe is mixed with bread crumbs or mashed potatoes, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.  The colour varies from creamy beige to pink depending on the type of roe used.

Tzanziki

Mouth-watering tzatziki is made from strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, olive oil and a lot of garlic!  It is served as a dip and is an amazing accompaniment with ‘souvlaki’ and meat dishes in general.

Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a white brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece from goat’s or sheep’s milk.  Feta is first recorded in the Byzantium and the word ‘feta’ originates from the Italian word 'fetta' meaning slice.  Since 2002 Greek feta has been a protected designation of origin product.  Feta is great in the Greek salad or with olive oil and oregano.  It is delicious in pastry pies like the popular spinach pie and cheese pie and grilled with tomatoes.

Dolmades

Dolmades were made as early as the Byzantine period only to take the Turkish name ‘dolma’ during the Ottoman Empire.  Delicious dolmades are made from grape leaves, rice, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs.

Greek Salad

The famous worldwide ‘Greek salad’ or otherwise ‘Village salad’ or ‘Horiatiki’ is made from fresh juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese and olives dressed in Greek olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  Enjoy!

Pastichio

This dish is a one of a lot of people’s favourite.  Influenced by the Venetian cuisine, it is cooked in the oven and the ingredients include minced meat, pasta, béchamel sauce and grated cheese.

Gyros

Gyros is a popular fast food made from slices of pork and lamb meat wrapped in pita bread with tzatziki, tomato and onion.

Souvlaki is another popular and delicious Greek fast food.  In Athens widely also called ‘kalamaki’, souvlaki is made of small pieces of pork cubes on a skewer.  Souvlaki is served wrapped in pita bread with tzatziki, tomatoes and onion and herbs as a pita ‘sandwich’ or on a platter with French fries.  Souvlaki dates back to the Ancient Greece as early as the 17 century BC and is mentioned in the name of ‘obelos’ amongst others in the works of Aristophanes, Xenophon and Aristotle.

Mousakkas

The famous and yummy Greek Mousakka originates from the Arabic musagga.  It is baked in the oven and consists of layers of minced meat, aubergines, tomatoes and béchamel sauce with herbs and garlic.

Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts

Traditional dessert, extremely healthy and delicious, made with strained Greek yogurt, Greek pure honey and fresh walnuts.

Galatoboureko

No one can resist to a freshly made homemade galatoboureko!  This tasty Greek dessert is made of semolina based cream custard in filo layers, coated and soaked in sweet syrup.  The name derives from the Greek word ‘gala’ meaning milk and the Turkish ‘borek’ meaning filled, thus meaning filled with milk.

Tsoureki

Tsoureki is a traditional sweet bread made from braided strands of dough flavoured with makhlepi and mastic, shaped either into a circle or into large braids and sprinkled with almond nuts.  During Easter it is served with red Easter eggs to represent the ‘blood of Christ’.  During the Christmas period the traditional New Yeas’s cake, ‘Vasilopita’ is sometimes a tsoureki.  Do not miss to try the more modern versions of tsoureki filled with delicious chocolate or chestnut sauce.

Ouzo

Ouzo is an anise flavoured aperitif and a symbol of Greek culture or most probably a way of life.  Ouzo is traditionally mixed with water and ice, becoming cloudy white or can be drunk straight as a shot.  It is believed that the best ouzo is produced in the island of Lesbos which claims to be the originator of the drink.  In October 2006, Greece won the exclusivity to label ouzo as a Greek product with a protected designation of origin.   

Athens as most Greek cities has many ‘ouzeries’ serving ouzo with mezedes including taramosalata, sardines, octopus, Greek salad, olives, calamari and fried zucchini.  Ouzo, meze and a good company of friends; the perfect experience!

Tsipouro

Tsipouro is similar to ouzo but has higher alcohol content.  It is served in shot glasses icing cold with meze dishes, nuts, raisins, olives or traditional desserts.

Greek Wine

Greece is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world.  The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago. Ancient Greeks believed that wine was a gift from the gods and worshiped Dionysus as god of wine. During the winter months festivals in honour of Dionysus were held and celebrated by performing arts and wine drinking.  Wineries, grapes and wine festivities are demonstrated on numerous ancient Greek artifacts.  The ancient Greeks knew well the nutritional value of wine as it became an inseparable part of their daily regimen. Wine also played and important role in the evolution of the local economy. The Greeks stored and transported the wines in airtight, ceramic vessels called amphorae and used a labeling system which formed the basis to the one used in our days.  During the early Roman times Greeks introduced grape viticulture to Sicily and south Italy.  In terms of wines, Greece was then what France is today.  The decline of wine cultivation begun during the end of the Byzantine Empire and grapevines were almost vanished during the Ottoman Empire. 

In recent years, the Greek wine industry has undergone enormous improvement with serious investments in modern wine making technology. The new generation of native winemakers is being trained in the best wine schools around the world and their efforts are paying off as Greek wines continue to receive the highest awards in international competitions as well as the recognition they deserve throughout the world.

What makes Greek wine so unique are the more than 300 indigenous grape varieties grown there, some of which have been cultivated since ancient times. Many of the world’s best wine critics agree that the distinct flavors that come from these native grape varieties are a strong marketing advantage for the Greek wine industry. This extensive variety of grapes together with the moderate Greek climate, plentiful sunshine, low average rainfall and soils of moderate fertility combine to provide an excellent environment for the production of high quality wines.