Greek Gastronomy

Greetings Masticators,

9 days in Greece was simply not enough but as you can see I gave it a good shot!

Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also important are olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt.
The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently used in most dishes. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food.

Important vegetables include tomato, aubergine (eggplant), potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange, bigarade (bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey from conifer trees.

BREAKFAST
Thick-strained Greek yoghurt with local aromatic thyme honey, muesli & fresh fruit - the yoghurt is usually made from sheep's milk, is rich, tangy & flavourful. What a way to start the day!

SNACKS
These traditional Greek foods are often served in fast food style.

Spanokopita - spinach, feta cheese (sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese), onions or spring onions, egg and seasoning wrapped in phyllo pastry.

Gyros (pronounced yir-OS) - roasted on a vertically turning spit and served with sauce (often tzatziki) and garnishes (tomato, onions) on pita bread; a popular fast food and particularly amazing at 4am.

MEZE
Meze is a collective name for a variety of small dishes, typically served with wines or anise-flavored liqueurs such as ouzo. Dips are served with bread loaf or pita bread.
Tzatziki - yoghurt with cucumber and garlic puree

Melitzanosalata (Eggplant dip)

Meze platter - featuring both Tzatziki & Taramasalata (fish roe mixed with boiled potatoes or moistened breadcrumbs, olive oil and lemon juice), olives and feta drizzled with olive oil & sprinkled with oregano

Saganaki - fried cheese; the word "saganaki" means a small cooking pan, is used to say "fried" and can be applied to many other foods.

Grilled ohtapodi (octopus)

Fried aubergine "tiganita"

Dolmadhes - rice stuffed vine leaves

Cabbage rolls - stuffed with rice, herbs and mince - similar to the Dolmadhes but with cabbage leaves used instead.

The Cyclades (a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea - of which I visited Ios & Santorini) specialise in a range of fritters served during meze such as:
Sundried tomato fritters (domatokeftedhes)

Chickpea fritters (Revythokeftedhes)


MAINS
Yemista - Usually tomatoes, peppers, or other vegetables hollowed out and baked with a rice and herb filling or minced meat.

Moussaka - layered meat and eggplant casserole, topped with a béchamel sauce or egg custard which is then browned in the oven.

Pastitsio - a baked pasta dish of Italian descent with a filling of ground meat and a Bechamel sauce top. This one featured bacon instead of mince.

Oven baked with lamb and potatoes - One of the most common "Sunday" dishes. There are many variations with additional ingredients.

HUGE portion of slow-roasted lamb - Cooked in Kleftiko style meaning slow-baked on the bone, first marinated in garlic and lemon juice, originally cooked in a pit oven. This was amazing and falling off the bone.

SALADS
The so-called Greek Salad is known in Greece as Village/Country Salad (Horiatiki), essentially a tomato salad with cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, dressed with olive oil.
Greek salad with local Ios cheese

Greek salad with feta

DESSERTS
Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry.
Loukoumades - similar to donuts, loukoumades are essentially fried balls of dough drenched in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Kataifi - chopped nuts inside shredded angel-hair pastry

DRINKS
Alfa beer

Mythos beer

Strawberry and Lime Cider - mmmm

Freddo cappuccino - a welcome refreshment in the heat!

Bet you're all feeling a little bit hungry after that and yes it really all was as delicious as it looks! I'm thinking a return to Greece is a must-do in the future!
About to hop on a ferry or two and make my way to Turkey where I am exploring the southern coastline, central Cappadocia area and Istanbul in just under a fortnight.

Until then,
CW x