Greece mesmerizes its visitors from the very first minute. In addition to a huge number of islands, clear sea water, incredible beaches, ancient sights, good-natured Greeks and marvelous landscapes, the country is also famous for its national cuisine.
Greek dishes combine the best of Mediterranean cuisine: fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, olive oil and, of course, seafood. It is characterized by its unpretentiousness and simplicity and at the same time amazing combinations, characterized by the use of a large number of spices, herbs and spices.
Appetizers
As in many other countries, the Greek meal begins with appetizers.
And the first of them, oddly enough, is a sauce - zadziki. This unique appetizer and sauce is simultaneously made of natural Greek yogurt, fresh cucumber, garlic and olive oil. The dip comes out very flavorful and spicy. Such an interesting combination makes this appetizer a real "highlight" of Greek cuisine. As a sauce, zadziki is also added to many other dishes, such as gyros.
The next appetizer that Greeks recommend all tourists to try is dolmadakia. It is something similar to stuffed cabbage or dolma, where rice and minced meat are wrapped in grape leaves. But in Crete, the minced meat is replaced with onions and herbs and served as a cold appetizer, while in the northern part of the country it is the main dish.
Hummus is popular far beyond the borders of Greece. It is a puree of chickpeas with oil and spices. It is not only a very tasty snack, but also healthy.
Fava is an appetizer made of peas and fried red onions. Try it in combination with pita or fresh vegetables.
Of course, vacationing by the sea, it is necessary to try appetizers of fresh seafood and fish. For example, kalamarakia - calamari baked to crispy crust, htapodi scharas - grilled tentacles of octopus with lemon-garlic sauce. It is hard to even imagine the variety of seafood served here. These are squid stuffed with various fillings, the freshest shrimps cooked in various sauces, and steamed mussels - in a word, a paradise for seafood lovers.
Salads
Who hasn't heard of Greek salad. It's a favorite treat of so many. But in Greece it is called choriatiki or "village salad". It consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions, olives, feta, all seasoned and olive oil added. Trying this salad in its homeland is a must for anyone visiting Greece.
Melidzanosalata is a salad made of baked eggplant, sometimes with yogurt, tomatoes and green onions added to it. Undoubtedly, this dish includes a lot of spices, garlic, lemon and oil, something similar to our eggplant caviar.
Also popular in Greece is an interesting dish called dakos. It is unusual in that it is something between a salad and an appetizer. It is also a specialty of Crete. To make dakos, splash barley breadcrumbs with water, place tomatoes on top, add oregano and salt to taste. Next, sprinkle the tomatoes with shredded feta cheese and drizzle with olive oil. This is how easy and simple it is to make such a delicious dish. You can try it in almost any Greek restaurant. It is especially delicious when combined with homemade wine.
Horta is the salad of the Greek longevity. It is made of young dandelion leaves, lemon and oil. The salad is very healthy as it contains many vitamins.
Main courses
As already mentioned, the most important rule that Greeks use in cooking1 is maximum simplicity. Everything must be cooked easily and quickly.
In Greece, you should definitely try moussaka, a kind of meat casserole with thin slices of eggplant and potatoes. There are a huge number of recipes for this dish, so don't be surprised by the variety.
Don't forget the cleftico, a dish of roasted meat seasoned in lemon juice and garlic, potatoes, oregano and white wine. Mmm, it's delicious.
Be sure to also try gemista - stuffed vegetables. Most often they are started with beef and rice, sweet peppers, zucchini and even tomatoes! Such a dish can be served both hot and cold.
Pastitsio is an integral part of Greek cuisine. It is a pasta casserole with minced meat, the incredible flavor of which is given by a béchamel sauce flavored with nutmeg.
Meat lovers should not pass by a dish called souvlaki. These are compact kebabs strung on wooden skewers. They are roasted on coals. Most often pork or chicken is used.
If you want to experience the traditions of Greek cuisine, you should try spanakopita for breakfast. It is a Greek favorite pie made of puff pastry and filled with spinach and feta. Not only tasty, but also healthy.
Of course, the top dish of Greek cuisine is not without gyros. It is fried meat on a spit, wrapped in pita bread, often with French fries and fried onions, and the distinctive element of such shawarma is the zadziki sauce.
Beverages
Greeks practically do not drink tea, as it is considered a healing drink. But they do like to indulge in frappe, an iced coffee with foam.
The top hot drinks include ouzo, tsipouro and raki. It can be said that ouzo is Greek vodka. The drink is obtained by infusing moonshine on aniseed with cloves, almonds, cinnamon and other spices. It is consumed as an aperitif.
To make tsipuro, the distillate of fermented grape cake is mixed with ethyl alcohol and infused with aniseed. For the preparation of raki, melon, quince, plums and apples can be used.
Desserts
It is impossible to fully understand the local cuisine if you don't try the traditional sweets.
The simplest dessert that Greeks eat is feta cheese with honey. I think many people know and love this combination.
Loukoumades are something similar to doughnuts. They are balls of dough with spices, powdered sugar and honey.
During the Christmas season, Greeks make shortbread cookies with almonds, which are completely dipped in powdered sugar immediately after baking. Sometimes brandy is added to this very tasty treat.
Of course, any treat is baklava. The sweetness made of puff pastry with nuts and honey is familiar to many childhoods far beyond the borders of Greece.
Where to try
You can try the local Greek cuisine in small restaurants. They are called tavernas here. Most of them are family-run businesses, often even the owners themselves sit at the tables. As a rule, tavernas open at 12, and the peak is at 10 pm, when all the swimmers and sunbathers come to taste the Greek cuisine.
Despite this, we walked into such a restaurant even before it opened, and the friendly Greeks not only agreed to serve us, but also offered dessert and wine on the house.
Greek cuisine is very diverse and rich. And absolutely everyone will like it here: lovers of healthy food, seafood, meat, casseroles, sweets.
