Every season a huge number of tourists choose Greece as a country for vacation. And this, in principle, is not surprising. Beaches of incredible beauty, cities with the most ancient history (Athens told here), tasty and healthy local food (for a list of the best dishes you can find here), convenient location and, of course, the azure sea. And, accordingly, every guest of this country sooner or later faces the question: "What to bring yourself and relatives from Greece?". Let's dwell on this in detail and make the top 10 best souvenirs.
Oliveoil
Undoubtedly, opening our rating of the best gifts will be olives. Greek cuisine is very simple, but at the same time insanely delicious. From the dishes of other countries Greek dishes are characterized by simplicity and at the same time amazing combinations, characterized by the use of a large number of spices, herbs and spices and special charm is given by olive oil.
Olive oil is a symbol of Greece, so every tourist should bring it back from the sunny country. It is sold here both in souvenir stores and in ordinary supermarkets. Of course, in a regular store the cost will be lower. Many sellers claim that there is no bad olive oil in Greece.
You can buy it in different variations, first, second and third pressings or in combination with seed oil. The most expensive oil is called Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. It is the highest grade and first cold-pressed oil, characterized by a distinctive odor. You can buy a small 500 ml bottle as a gift.
Olives
Unlike many of the olive producers we are used to, the Greeks do not pickle them, but pickle or stuff them. The color of the product depends on the stage of maturity at which it is harvested. Green olives are olives of early and medium maturity, black olives are olives of late maturity.
You can buy them both at the market and in the supermarket. Olives are sold in glass jars, plastic or cellophane vacuum packaging. For a gift, of course, it is better to take a beautifully decorated version - in glass, the more such fruits will be pasteurized.
A quality product should be shiny with a thin skin. Small olives are usually lighter in color than large olives, and if they are too dark, they have probably been chemically treated.
Cheese
The most popular cheese is feta. In our country, of course, it can also be bought, but the most authentic product can only be brought from Greece. This is the same cheese that is used in the popular "Greek salad". It is very similar in consistency to bryndza and is made from sheep's or goat's milk. You can buy it in supermarkets, as it requires special conditions for storage.
"Graviera is another popular Greek cheese. It is produced mainly in Crete, Lesbos and Naxos. Different types of this product differ in the type of milk and aging time. For example, Cretan graviera is made from sheep's milk, while on the island of Naxos the cheese is made from cow's milk. The product can be used as an accompaniment to pasta, for example, or as an appetizer on its own.
Strong alcoholic beverages
The top hot drinks include ouzo and tsipouro. 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. You can buy both a small souvenir bottle of 0.2 liters and a full-sized bottle.
To make tsipouro, the distillate of fermented grape cake is mixed with ethyl alcohol and infused with aniseed.
You can also bring a bottle of rakija, a strong grape moonshine. Such a gift will not suit everyone because of its tart taste. Or bring the famous Metaxa, which is made with wine and brandy from grapes. There are both budget and elite versions of the drink.
Greek wine
Did you know that Greece can be called the birthplace of winemaking? And that's exactly what it is. It was here that the cult of Dionysus, the god of winemaking, was developed.
The most famous Greek wine is the white wine Recina, which is produced only in these lands. "Recina" translates to "resin," which the drink actually contains. Previously, it got into the wine from the spigot that closed the amphora where the drink was stored. But now resin is added specially, because it gives special notes to the flavor. The strength of "retsina" is 11.5 revolutions.
In fact, the variety of wines in Greece is wide. You just need to ask a specialist who will help you find the right one.
Local sweets
Of course, the favorite treat of the Greeks is baklava. The sweet puff pastry with nuts and honey is familiar to many people from childhood far beyond Greece. But here it looks most like a layer cake poured with natural syrup.
Kozinaki is a heavenly dessert for many people. What can be better when the sweet is also so healthy? They are made of various nuts: pistachios, almonds, peanuts. Sesame seeds and honey syrup are also added.
Sweets can be bought by weight, or you can find them packed in beautiful boxes. The only disadvantage is the difficulty of transportation in summer. But you can always give them a try.
Honey
The most delicious and high quality honey is considered to be the honey produced in the apiaries of Crete, Rhodes and Thassos. It is very fragrant. The best place to buy honey is at the market.
Of course, honey produced at apiaries high in the mountains has an incredible flavor. It seems to me that such a product even has a special energy. And it would make a great gift.
Spices
Spices are sold in many souvenir shops. You can buy them either individually, packed in small bags, or in mixtures for specific dishes. For example, spices for gyros, Greek salad, moussaka.
It is necessary to pay attention to saffron. Even in ancient Greece it was used as a remedy for melancholy and hypochondria. When the god Hermes was throwing disks, he hit his friend Crocus, from which he later died. But the god could not survive such a loss and turned his friend into a purple flower with three stamens to make him immortal. This flower is called "crocus" after Hermes' friend and is the Greek saffron.
In addition to being added to various dishes, it is also put in tea. For cooking enthusiasts, saffron will be a good and valuable gift.
Natural cosmetics
Greek cosmetics are based on olive oil, which makes it a very good gift. You can buy different variations: soap flavored with honey, jasmine, shampoo, balm, cream, shower gel or body scrub. Cosmetics are sold in perfume and cosmetics stores and in pharmacies.
Souvenirs
Of course, any souvenir store will be full of both the usual trinkets and original gifts. In addition to ceramic products, magnets, pens with images of sights, you can find canvases with beautiful landscapes. Pilgrims bring icons as gifts.
Whatever your choice, this gift will always be a warm reminder of a trip to Greece.
