Greek cuisine, national and local: what to cook and where to eat. Recipes, cooking methods, snacks, desserts, hot dishes and drinks of Greece.
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Greek cuisine is tradition plus olives, feta cheese, wine, as well as a lot of vegetables, seafood and meat. All this generously seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, rigani and other spices has a divine taste. Perhaps this is not least due to the fact that the Greeks practically do not produce products for export - everything is only for themselves. The meal in the life of the Greeks has long occupied a very important place. For them, this is both rest, and communication, and the whole life. Dinner is the time when the whole family gathers, business is discussed and, where without it, politics.
Where and what to eat
You can eat inexpensively and tasty in the tavern: a wide selection of dishes from meat, fish and vegetables. Here you can taste the famous "moussaka" - eggplant, potatoes and minced meat, laid in layers under bechamel sauce or "pastizio" - pasta with minced meat under the same sauce. As well as numerous snacks and salads: "melizanosalata" - a salad of baked eggplant, "tzatzyki" - thick yogurt with cucumbers and garlic.
To prepare moussaka for eight, you will need: 500 g of eggplant, 800 g of minced meat, 500 g of potatoes, 500 g of zucchini, 250 g of tomatoes, 500 g of sour cream, 150 g of grated cheese, 5 ml of white wine, as well as salt, pepper, garlic and oregano to taste. Tomatoes need to be cut into circles 1 cm thick. Fry eggplants, potatoes and zucchini in hot oil until golden brown. Dry them so that the dish is not very greasy. Stew onions and minced meat with wine and tomatoes. At the end, add salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Next, lay out the layers of potatoes, eggplant and zucchini in a pan, sprinkle with grated cheese and lay out a layer of ground meat, repeat this several times. The more layers this dish has, the tastier it is. At the end, the dish is covered with sour cream and sprinkled with the remaining cheese. Bake at 200 degrees until the dish is golden brown.
Whether the tourist wants it or not, he will still try feta sheep cheese sooner or later. And absolutely not in vain! The most delicious cheese is usually served with a rustic salad (horiatiki lettuce, and in our opinion the same "Greek salad") - fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and olives cut into large slices. Many taverns will offer "specialites" - dishes of the cuisine of the Greek islands, Asia Minor cuisine and even ancient Greek.
To prepare pasticio for 4 people, you need to take 250 g of pasta, 6 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 500 g of ground beef, 1 glass of broth, 2 tsp. tomato paste, 2 tbsp. l. butter, 2 tbsp. l. flour, 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup yogurt, 200 gr grated kefalotiri cheese, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp mint, and salt and pepper to taste. First you need to boil the pasta and rinse them. Now let's start preparing the bolognese sauce. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry finely chopped onion and grated garlic. Next, fry the meat in the same pan. When browned, add broth, tomato paste, cinnamon, mint, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Next up is the bechamel sauce. Melt butter. Add flour and keep on fire for about a minute. Then, while stirring, gradually pour in the milk and yogurt. Leave on the stove for another 5 minutes. Now we mix everything. On a baking sheet, greased and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, put half of the pasta, sprinkle with cheese, then add the bolognese sauce, cheese again and the second half of the pasta. Pour everything with bechamel sauce. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.
In fish taverns (psarotaverna), as you might guess, you can taste very tasty fish: fried, steamed, boiled, or, most often, fried on coals. Here you can try other seafood: oysters, mussels, octopuses. Fish taverns, as a rule, are located near the coast or harbor, a dinner for two will cost 30-50 EUR.
In inexpensive psistarya taverns, only meat fried on coals or skewer is served: pork chops (“brizola”), lamb ribs (“paidakya”), chicken (“kotopoulo”), cutlets (“bifteki”). For lunch here you will have to pay around 10-15 EUR for two.
The secret to making authentic Greek tzatzyki. You will need 500 g of thick yogurt, 1 head of garlic, 1 large cucumber, 1 bunch of dill, 1 tsp. wine vinegar, 1 tsp. olive oil, salt, black pepper, mint. Grate the cucumber and move with yogurt, crushed garlic, chopped mint, olive oil, wine vinegar and other seasonings. Mix everything thoroughly and leave in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Tzatziki should be served cold.
Barbecue (suvladzidiko) - a small tavern where they usually offer takeaway dishes: shish kebab (suvlaki) in Greek pita. Yes, yes, something like our shawarma. In uzeri, you can try a lot of snacks (“mezedes”), which are served with ouzo - Greek aniseed vodka. It is usually diluted with water, which makes it white.
And the Greeks are very fond of french fries!
Almost no Greek dish is complete without olive oil. One of the best pressed in the Peloponnese, in the region of Kalamata. The famous Kalamata olives are also grown there. Olive oil is the first cold pressed (Extra virgin, the best), refined oil (Refined, or Pour) and oil from the pits of olives (Pomace).
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desserts
Greek yogurt (10% fat), which is made from whole cow, sheep or goat milk without added preservatives. Thick, extremely nutritious and healthy, yogurt is used both as a delicacy with honey and nuts, and as a dressing for salads.
As well as many other sweets, mostly flour. Vasilopita is a pie that is prepared on the eve of the New Year. And, of course, baklavas (baklava) and loukoumades.
True Greek loukoumades starts with the right ingredients. For the test, you will need 650 grams of flour, 1 glass of water, 1 tbsp. l. yeast, 40 g sugar, 10 g salt, vegetable oil. For syrup - 2 cups sugar, 1 cup honey, 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon. Now mix flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast diluted in warm water. Knead the dough, if necessary, add more warm water so that it turns out neither thick nor liquid. Cover the dough with a towel and place in a warm place to ferment. When the dough is ready, it will rise and bubbles should appear on the surface. Pour a large amount of vegetable oil into a deep saucepan or frying pan and heat it over a fire. With wet hands, remove the dough from the bowl, divide into small pieces of equal size, giving them the shape of balls. Then throw one at a time into the oil. Once the donuts are golden brown, take them out with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet. Before serving, the dish is poured abundantly with syrup made from sugar, honey and water, and sprinkled with cinnamon on top.
Beverages
The main alcoholic drink of the country is crayfish - grape vodka with a tart aftertaste.
Greek wines, which, unfortunately, you can hardly find in Russia:
- retsina (Greek "resin") - the most famous and ancient Greek wine. To date, this is the only wine that has the aroma and taste of resin. This is a white or pink drink with a strength of 11.5 °. Drink chilled, served with snacks
- Assyrtiko - one of the most refined Greek white grape varieties, "King of Santorini"
- muscat (it is worth trying the muscat wine of the island of Samos, which can be bottle-aged for decades, one of the finest wines in the world)
- Robola is a wonderful grape variety from the Ionian Islands. After a late harvest, the Robola variety produces strong, high-alcohol wines. From less mature grapes, sparkling wines are obtained with a pleasant aroma and lemon flavor.
- savatiano - the most common variety
- moschofilero (pink grape variety) is distinguished by its lightness and floral aroma. It is worth trying the wine of the Mantinea brand (a city located in the very center of the Peloponnese)
- agiorgitiko (red grape variety)
- Mandilaria is a popular red grape variety that produces wines of exceptionally rich color.
Other common Greek wines are: naoussa (red), rapsani (red), tsantali (red and white), nemea (dry red), mantinia (dry white with fruity aroma).
Note to housewives
Having tried all these wines, in the morning you will most likely have to resort to "patsas". Patsas soup is not a tourist dish, it is not cooked in hotels and tourist places. However, it is an essential traditional dish of Greek cuisine (which is a good rescue after a wild night of drinking). Establishments serving patsas are called patsadzidiko (usually open around the clock). The oldest patzatzidikos are found in Thessaloniki and Athens (for example, at the central market).
Patsas' homeland is Constantinople (now Istanbul), translated from Turkish means "belly, entrails", from which the soup is prepared. Classically, it is made from lamb stomachs, but you can also use beef, lamb or goat legs, with or without garlic sauce. Let's try to cook patsas of beef legs with garlic sauce (skordostupi, or scordoksido).
If the hostess decides to cook patsas, she should have 2 beef legs on hand (for a 6-liter pan), 2 glasses of wine vinegar, 2-3 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and, of course, water. Wash the legs thoroughly and immerse them for an hour in water with vinegar. Pour fresh water into the pan, immerse the legs. As soon as the water boils, drain and fill the pot again with fresh water, but not cold. Bring to a boil, skimming frequently. Turn off the gas and continue to cook for about 4 hours. Salt in the middle of cooking. As soon as the legs are cooked, remove them from the broth, remove the bones, finely chop the meat. For the sauce: crush 2-3 cloves of garlic and add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar. Put finely chopped meat with a spoonful of fast access into a plate and pour hot broth, add pepper to taste.
It has much in common with the culinary traditions of Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, Israel, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. It has existed for more than 4 thousand years and is directly related to the history and culture of Ancient Greece.
Today, Greek cuisine, as in antiquity, cannot be imagined without cereals, olive oil and wine, as well as vegetables (eggplants, zucchini), olives, cheese, fish and meat.
Features of Greek cuisine
In the Mediterranean cuisine of Greece, several characteristic features can be distinguished, which are based on the use of a certain list of products in the preparation of dishes.
- Olive oil is an ingredient on which Greek cuisine stands. prepared without it, it is impossible to imagine. Olive oil is used as a dressing for salads, added to vegetable, meat, fish dishes and baked goods. It is made from olive trees growing in Greece and makes national Greek dishes special in taste.
- Vegetables - fresh or baked, they are present in almost every dish. Fresh tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, green peppers, onions, and olives are especially often used.
- Spices are used more in Greek cooking than in any other Mediterranean cuisine. In Greece, the most common are oregano, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, basil, thyme, and fennel. Interestingly, in the preparation of meat dishes, spices characteristic of desserts (for example, cinnamon) are used.
- Cheeses - feta, kasseri, kefalotiri, ladotiri. They are served fresh as a snack, added to salads and popular vegetable, meat and pasta casseroles.
- Cereals - most often wheat is used in cooking, less often barley. Wheat flour is used to make fine flour, and the famous Greek desserts are also baked from it.
Popular Greek dishes: names
Some Greek dishes have a lot in common with those prepared on the Mediterranean coast. These include pastitsio (pastizio). This Greek dish is an analogue of Italian lasagna, but instead of layers of dough, long ziti pasta tubes are used. Or, for example, dolmades is an analogue of dolma (minced meat in grape leaves), which is widespread among the peoples of Transcaucasia.
But Greek cuisine has its own traditions. It is difficult to imagine Greek cuisine without the national dish Chaniotiko Boureki. These are potato slices baked with zucchini, myzithra cheese and mint. Also in Greece, pies are traditionally prepared, using the thinnest filo or puff pastry for this, in which a variety of fillings are wrapped. The most popular pies in Greek cuisine are spinakopita and kotopita (chicken pie).
Love in Greece and soups. For example, lean fasolada soup based on white beans and tomatoes is often prepared here, or magiritsa is a traditional Easter soup that the Greeks cook on Holy Saturday.
All Greek dishes, the recipes of which are presented below, are hearty and easy to prepare. Mandatory ingredients included in their composition, such as olive oil and vegetables, make dishes not only tasty, but also healthy.
Greek cuisine: national dishes. meze
All tourists who come to Greece, and especially to the island of Crete, are recommended to try meze. But not all of the visiting guests know what it is.
Meze are appetizers, that is, Greek cuisine dishes that are not served to the table in portions, but in such a way that everyone can put any of them on their plate. The composition of the meze usually includes olives and feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves (dolmades), meatballs, grilled octopus, pickled vegetables, etc. The list, as well as the number of dishes, can be very diverse.
Traditionally served as meze are tahini (a creamy sauce made from sesame seeds), lukanina (Cypriot sausages with coriander), halloumi (soft cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk with mint), stifado (spiced beef in wine vinegar), souffláki (finely chopped barbecue), etc.
Traditional Greek Salad
Greek, or gained popularity not only in Greece itself, but also in most other countries of the world. It is prepared from tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, red onions, olives and feta. Olive oil is traditionally used as a dressing, as well as wine vinegar or lemon juice.
Light Greek salad is especially popular among all adherents of a healthy diet.
Moussaka
Almost all Greek recipes use vegetables. Moussaka, a Greek eggplant dish, is especially popular with the Greeks. It consists of baked layers: the first is eggplant with olive oil, the second is minced lamb and beef with tomatoes, and the third is a cheese sauce that tastes like bechamel. All layers (as in climbing) are stacked alternately.
The Greek eggplant dish is baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Served warm.
Spanakopita (Spanakopita)
The preparation of this traditional Greek pie begins with the preparation of a juicy filling. To do this, onions are fried in olive oil. Spinach (250 g), parsley, green onion feathers, feta cheese (400 g), as well as salt to taste and nutmeg on a knife edge are added to it.
While the filling is cooling, it is necessary to divide and roll out the dough into two thin layers. Distribute the first part along the bottom of the mold, greased with butter so as to cover not only the bottom of the mold, but also close the sides. Put all the filling on top and cover with another layer of dough, cut exactly to the size of the form. Connect the edges of the dough together. The top layer of the pie, before sending it to the oven, prick with a fork in several places. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
Fasolada: lean Greek soup
This soup is especially loved by vegetarians, because it is prepared exclusively from ingredients of plant origin. The main components of such a Greek dish are white beans, tomatoes or tomato and celery. All ingredients for the soup are fried alternately in olive oil: first onion, carrot, celery stalk, then pre-cooked beans and tomato puree from 0.5 kg of tomatoes. After that, the preparation of vegetables is transferred to the pan, poured with vegetable broth, and everything is cooked together for another 10 minutes. Lean soup is ready.
Fasolada is served hot or cold. Before serving, the soup is seasoned with olive oil, ground black pepper and dried herbs.
Pastitsio, or lasagna in Greek
The classic pastitsio recipe is layers of ziti pasta with beef and lamb meat sauce, white bechamel sauce and cheese crust.
This Greek dish is prepared in the following sequence:
- Grease a 9x13 cm baking dish with butter.
- Prepare meat sauce. To do this, in olive oil (3 tablespoons), first fry onions (2 pcs.), Then garlic (4 cloves). After 1 minute, add 2 types of minced meat (beef and lamb) and fry it until browned. After that, you can add the rest of the ingredients: chopped tomatoes (4 pcs.), Tomato paste (2 tablespoons), parsley. You will also need spices: salt (1 ½ tsp), pepper, sugar (½ tsp), cinnamon stick, bay leaf. The sauce will be ready when all the liquid has evaporated (after about 1 hour).
- Boil 450 g of pasta until half cooked.
- Prepare bechamel by frying flour (½ cup) in butter first. Then pour 4 cups of milk into the pan and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. After that, remove the sauce from the heat, add salt (1 teaspoon), white pepper and nutmeg.
- Assemble the pastitsio in layers. The first layer is pasta mixed with egg and parmesan. The second layer is meat sauce and the third layer is white sauce. Top the dish with Parmesan mixed with a small amount of breadcrumbs.
Pastitsio is baked in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
Galaktobureko - semolina milk cake
Thick semolina porridge is used as a filling for this pie. But it turns out so tasty that semolina is not felt at all. It tastes more like a delicate custard with a light citrus note.
The filling for the pie is located between layers of filo dough, the top layer of which, after baking in the oven, is poured with a sweet citrus syrup made from lemon juice, sugar, water, cinnamon, clove inflorescences and honey. The pie is served cold, pre-cut into portioned square pieces.
Greek cuisine is the world-renowned queen of the Balkan Peninsula. It is based on olive oil, vegetables, fish, meat (mainly lamb), seafood and fruits. All Greek dishes look flamboyant; they are aromatic and balanced. The Greeks use a variety of herbs in large quantities: oregano, dill, onion, etc. Feta cheese can be called the main "highlight" of local gastronomy. It is added to salads, pies.
Tzatziki is a sauce based on yogurt, garlic, cucumbers, herbs and spices. Served as a separate appetizer or dressing for the main course. (Nikodem Nijaki)
Souvlaki - barbecue on a wooden skewer from any kind of meat or fish. The dish is served with bread and vegetables. (James G)
Taramasalata is a snack based on smoked cod roe, olive oil, garlic and lemon. Served with bread, olives. (stu_spivac)
Greek salad is the star of Greek cuisine. This salad is full of colors, as it includes fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, olives and, of course, feta cheese. Olive oil is used as a dressing. In some variations of Greek salad, you can see lettuce leaves, capers. (Zagat Buzz)
Moussaka is a traditional dish not only of Greek cuisine, but also of Moldovan, Bulgarian, Serbian, Bosnian, Romanian. Classic Greek moussaka is baked in layers of eggplant, tomato, minced meat and sauce. Less commonly, potatoes and mushrooms are added to the dish. (Merle and Joonas)
Moussaka. (Marionion)
Dolmades is a dish popular in the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, Central and Western Asia, as well as the Transcaucasus. This dish is an analogue of cabbage rolls, only instead of cabbage they use a grape leaf. Greeks pour lemon juice and olive oil over the dish. (arpadikuma)
Pastitsio is a casserole based on tubular pasta baked with cheese, minced meat and cream sauce. (Katrin Morenz)
Fish. (Stijn Nieuwendijk)
Spanakopita - pie or puff pastry stuffed with spinach, feta cheese and herbs. (Sodexo USA)
Tiropita is a puff pastry pie stuffed with feta cheese. (alpha)
Octopus. (Klearchos Kapoutsis)
Pete. (etringita)
Loukoumades is similar to donuts. (alpha)
Melomakarona - cookies with honey. (Nick Papakyriasis)
The basis of Greek cuisine is the "Mediterranean triad": wheat, olives and wine. Wine-making traditions in Greece are rooted in antiquity, various bread products are made from wheat, and olives are not only canned, but also used in the preparation of the most important product - olive oil.
The most important vegetables in Greek cuisine are tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, paprika, legumes, onions, cabbage and spinach. Meat is consumed in moderation, the main source of protein is milk and fish.
Like other Mediterranean cuisines, Greek cuisine is very active in seasonings and spices, the most popular of which are marjoram, mint, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, basil, dill. Sugar is used infrequently - usually it is replaced with natural honey.
The dining traditions of the Greeks are characteristic of most southern countries. Breakfast here, as a rule, is a cup of coffee, for lunch they eat only yogurt or vegetable salad, and the only essential meal is dinner, which can last several hours, and during which up to a dozen different dishes can be served on the table. In general, for the Greeks, the food itself is of secondary importance - they use the meal as a great way to socialize and have a good time. Of course, a Greek dinner is unimaginable without wine, which completes the picture of a perfect Greek evening.
The meal begins, as a rule, with cold appetizers - here they are called meze. These are pita (bread cakes), cheeses, fresh vegetables, bureks (small pies), horta (greens with lemon juice and olive oil) and various sauces (the most popular is tzatziki). Contrary to the stereotype, soups are often served in Greece - for example, avgolemono (egg soup), fakes (lentil), fasolada (with legumes) and psarosupa (fish).
As for the main dishes, here Greek cuisine is characterized by a lot of vegetarian ones. This is due to the wide selection of fresh and tasty vegetables. In Greece, vegetables stuffed with rice, various vegetable stews can be served as a main dish. On the coasts of the country, most of the main dishes include fish and seafood. Meat dishes are not very popular, although in some regions of the country gyros (kebab), kleftiko and souvlaki (something like barbecue) are often prepared. Ground meat dishes are also known, and the famous Greek moussaka (eggplant casserole with meat) is often prepared. Sometimes they serve pasta.
The traditional Greek meal ends with dessert. The Turks had a huge influence on the local confectionery business, so baklava, loukoumades, lokum, halva are popular in Greece. Purely Greek sweets are galaktoburek (cottage cheese cake), karidopita (walnut cake), vasilopita (New Year's cake), rizogalo (sweet rice porridge) and jams.
Well, there can be no discussion about the most popular drink in Greece - it is, without a doubt, wine. The Greeks joke that you need to live at least ten lives to taste all the varieties of local wine. In addition to wine, stronger drinks are also loved here - especially ouzo (aniseed vodka). Among non-alcoholic drinks, the undisputed favorite is coffee, which the Greeks drink around the clock and in unlimited quantities.
Salads in Greek cuisine are divided into hot and cold, and are usually called simply by the main ingredient of the salad. Most Greek dishes are easy to prepare and Greek salads are no exception. There are practically no complex salad recipes in Greek cuisine, the main thing is that all the ingredients are fresh.
Hot Greek salads
To the hot Greek salads includes all boiled salads, which can also be served cold, depending on the establishment. For example, boiled cauliflower salads " kunuupidi", from broccoli cabbage" brocola", from red beets and tops" pandzari", and, quite traditionally, boiled herb salads -" horta"- more often from the leaves of dandelions or chicory. All this, of course, is poured with Greek olive oil and lemon juice.
The taste of salads from "horta" is somewhat unusual, but this is a real Greek traditional cuisine. If, driving along the mountain roads of Greece, you see people “grazing” along the slopes with bags and knives in their hands, then know that they are collecting the “horta”.
Cold Greek salads
Of the Greek cold and fresh salads, in the first place in popularity is, of course, " Greek salad ", which actually translates as " rustic salad » - « horiatiki". Its composition is simple: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, olives (of course, Greek), feta cheese (of course, real), dry origan and olive oil.
Next most popular Greek fresh salads - « angurodomata”, as the name implies - cucumbers, tomatoes and, possibly, onions. It can often be supplemented with other ingredients, as a result, it differs from the "horiatika" only in the absence of feta. Sometimes in village taverns you can find just a tomato salad with onions. It would seem nothing special, but the combination of southern juicy tomatoes and red sweet onions, richly seasoned with local olive oil, and served with a slice of freshly baked country bread and a decanter of homemade white wine, can keep you in such a tavern for a long time, even without ordering anything else.
Italian influence on Greek cuisine expressed in one popular arugula salad, which is called in Greek " rock". Arugula salad is prepared differently in different places. It is most often served with fresh or sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Fish dishes go well with a salad made from fresh lettuce leaves, called in Greek " marula". Another of the popular fresh Greek salads is cabbage " lahano". It is served either with grated carrots, or red bell pepper with celery is also added.
A special line among Greek salads serves Cretan traditional salad " dacos' or 'Kukuwaya'. The salad got its name from the traditional round Cretan cracker "dakos", which is lightly soaked and chopped tomatoes and soft cheese "anfotiro" (sometimes replaced with grated feta) are placed on it. All this is seasoned with olive oil and oregano. As the name suggests, lettuce is found on Crete and sometimes on Cyclades. There is a variation of this Cretan salad in the form of small crackers called "dakakia".
In almost any Greek tavern The menu includes a branded fresh salad made from various fresh vegetables, selected according to the taste of the chef of the establishment, by whose name such a salad is usually called. You can always order (even if not on the menu) a mixed salad, the so-called. " anamicti»- all the fresh vegetables available in the tavern will be cut on a large plate. All fresh salads in Greece certainly poured with real Greek olive oil and lemon juice, or grape or wine vinegar (they don’t know what white vinegar is in Greece). Often salads are served only with olive oil, and you add salt / pepper / lemon / vinegar yourself to taste.
What else should you know about Greek salads- the fact that they are not served in individual portions, but in a large plate, especially mixed fresh salads. Therefore, usually a standard serving of Greek salad is enough for 2-3 people.
Greek pasta salads
The next group of salads common in Greece are pasta salads. They go well with main dishes or simply spread on bread. This is, first of all, a salad known far beyond the borders of Greece. tzatziki”, which is based on yogurt of a special density -“ strangisto ”, grated and well-pressed fresh cucumbers and garlic. " Tzatziki" - very popular salad in Greece, everywhere it is made in different ways, so you can get to very different options for its preparation. tzatziki recipe.
No less famous Melizanosalata", prepared from the pulp of baked eggplant and" taramosalata» pink from fish caviar and bread pulp (or boiled potatoes). The only savory pasta salad in Greece called " tirokafteri”, is made from soft cheese and hot peppers. However, it is not as spicy as in the cuisines of other nations, and it is quite possible to try it. If you come across a “Russian salad” - “rosiki salad” on the Greek menu, then know that this is a greatly simplified version of “Olivier”, which is far from being as tasty as we are used to.
Greek vegetable snacks
Greek Snacks - oretics» - very diverse and colorful depending on the region Greece. It should be warned that if you get carried away with appetizers in a Greek tavern, then you can simply not reach the main dishes - there are so many of them and they are so tasty. No wonder their name comes from the word "orexi" - appetite. In the classic version, you can find vegetable cutlets " keftedes”: from zucchini “kolokifokeftedes”, eggplant “melizanokeftedes”, lamb peas (chickpeas) “revifokeftedes”, mushrooms “manitarokeftedes”, tomatoes “domatokeftedes”.
Try the fried zucchini kolkyfakia tiganita» and fried eggplant « melizanes tiganites". There are also quite exotic, but no less tasty fried zucchini flowers. Roasted long bell peppers are popular, served hot, as well as a cold appetizer. florinis psites"- red sweet pepper of the variety" florinis”, baked and dressed with olive oil and grape vinegar (a good appetizer with Greek tsipouro grape vodka or Russian vodka!).
Florinis peppers are also served hot, stuffed with cheese. Delicious appetizer, especially popular in Northern Greece- eggplant baked with tomatoes and cheese melizana psiti". Great grilled mushrooms manitarya sharas».
Greek cheese appetizers
Baked delicious not only vegetables, but also cheese. One of the most loved hot snacks in Greece- baked cheese in batter " saganaki” (this is the name of the type of cheese intended for baking), as well as feta cheese, popular in Northern Greece, baked in ceramic dishes under a layer of tomatoes and peppers.
The favorite snack of the Greeks are " thyrocroquetes" - cheese croquettes, as well as " dolmadakya"- small cabbage rolls made from grape leaves and rice filling. Keep in mind that all of the above Greek appetizers pair amazingly with tzatziki. Often you can meet in taverns among snacks and traditional greek puff pastry pies with a variety of vegetable fillings, among which feta cheese is usually present.
There are hundreds of ways to prepare "pites" and their recipe differs depending on the region. Greece. Among the appetizers, mashed potatoes with garlic are usually on the menu. scordalia”, which is usually served with large fried fish (cod, swordfish and others).
Greek meat appetizers
From meat snacks, you can find "keftedakya" - small meat cutlets in the form of balls, and sometimes pieces of grilled liver. On the Crete you will surely come across “apaki” - smoked pork, as well as grape snails. In other areas Greece meet snails you don’t have to often on the menu, they are called “saligarya” there. But on Crete snails are very common, and in the Cretan dialect they are called "kohli" or "khokhli". Especially tasty in the form of "kohli bumburistes" - stewed in grape vinegar with rosemary.
Moussaka and pasticio
One of the most famous Greek traditional hot dishes is “ moussakas”, is a kind of casserole made from pre-fried layers of eggplant, potatoes, minced meat, custard (bechamel) and cheese. By the way, this Greek dish is called “musakas” correctly, but in the version for foreigners it is more customary to use “ moussaka» (mousaka).
A slightly similar dish - " pasticio"- a casserole of minced meat and large macaroni and cheese. The dishes are very tasty and satisfying, but they take a long time to prepare, therefore, unfortunately, it is not uncommon in taverns to get a preheated semi-finished product.
Musakas and pasticio are among the most common and well-known abroad Greek dishes, but with their complex recipe, they differ from most Greek dishes, which are easier to prepare.
Meat dishes of Greek cuisine
Greece- a paradise for fans meat cuisine. As already mentioned, the Greeks are not prone to cooking complex dishes, so the most common meat dishes in Greece- simply baked on coals or on a spit. It can be lamb, beef, pork or chicken. In mountainous areas, you can find wild boar or game dishes. One of the most popular meat dishes cooked on the grill in Greece, you can find meat with a bone " brizoles", small skewers " souvlaki", barbecue with large pieces of meat" kondosuvli", lamb ribs" paidakya", thin slices of meat with streaks of fat" panzetes", the Greek analogue of shawarma (shawarma)" gyros”, which is served not only in a flatbread, but also in portions.
There is a special dish kokoreci» - lamb entrails wrapped in guts and grilled. The taste, of course, is not for everyone, but due to the specificity of this dish, it is easy to determine how fresh meat is used in this tavern. Liver is also cooked on the grill in Greece, even if you are not a fan of it, try it - very tasty!
From minced meat the Greeks make " bifteks"- cutlets, which can vary greatly in size and added ingredients (tomatoes, cheese, spices, etc.). The Turkish yoke also left its mark on Greek meat cuisine- in Greece are quite common " suzukakya» - small meat patties with spices, as well as kebabs, which are best made either in northeastern Greece (the regions of Xanthi, Rhodope, Evros), where the Turkish diaspora lives, or in the taverns of the so-called. Constantinopolitan cuisine of the “cousin policy” (for example, the Odos Aeschylou tavern in the center of Athens).
Very common in Greece and homemade sausages lukanika horiatika”, of which there are so many varieties in Greece that no one will count. Leeks, olives or even oranges can often be added to sausages (this is a distinctive feature of sausages from Mani, a region of the southern Peloponnese). Sausages are not only grilled, but can also be cooked stewed with vegetables.
Also in Greece, more often in the highlands, meat dishes (lamb, pork, beef, meat of wild animals) cooked in clay pots, by themselves or in combination with vegetables, are very common. The most famous version of this dish is called " kleftiko". Similar dishes in different parts of Greece may have different, local names.
Of the other stewed Greek meat dishes, one can single out " kuneli"- stewed rabbit," kokoras krasatos"- a rooster, usually stewed in white wine," Arnie Lemonato"- lamb stewed in lemon sauce," cokinisto"- beef stewed in tomato sauce," stifado"- different types of meat stewed with small onions, which, in fact, are called" stifado ".
Fish Greek dishes
Although Greece- the sea country and there are a lot of fish here, the Greeks treat it with special trepidation. Prices in fish taverns are also more expensive than in meat taverns. The main approach is that the fish must be fresh. This fact determines the popularity and price tag of a particular "psarotaverna". It also affects the price Greek whether fish or imported, caught in the sea or bred in fishponds. Large varieties of fish such as sea bass, mackerel, sea bream are often baked on coals, and served at the table, separated from the main bones and accompanied by “ladolemono”, olive oil with lemon.
Small varieties of fish (hamsa, sardines) are often fried. Sole tongue "glossa" is served only fried, as well as fish sultan or red mullet " barbunya", which is considered very valuable and tasty, and therefore it is quite expensive, despite its small size. Swordfish is also served fried " xifias"and cod" bacalaos", and skat " vatos"and a small mediterranean shark" glaros".
There are varieties of fish intended only for fish soup, and in this case, boiled fish is served separately with "ladolemono", and the soup in which it was cooked on its own. Some types of fish (large and small) are baked in the oven on a baking sheet with vegetables and spices, such a dish is called " plaki". Popular in Greece as a snack fried small fish " apherinia"- smelt, which can be eaten like seeds.
Except sea fish in greece you can also try lake trout in the regions of Central Greece and Macedonia, as well as trout " variegated", salmon " straw"and even sturgeons, which are bred in the mountain rivers of many regions: from Crete to Thrace.
Greek seafood
In addition to the main fish dishes, in Greek fish tavern there are always plenty of seafood dishes, hot or cold appetizers. These are octopuses cooked either on charcoal. xtapodi sharas", or boiled with vinegar" xtapodi xidato».
Calamari, fried calamari tiganita» or stuffed with cheese and baked on charcoal « kalamaria yemista me tiri". Cuttlefish stewed with spinach supies me spanaki". Grilled shrimp " garides sharas» or stewed in tomato-cheese sauce « garides saganaki". Mussels, either steamed midya akhnista", or in tomato-cheese sauce" midya saganaki". Crown and one of the most expensive Greek seafood dishes- lobster with spaghetti " pasta me astaco»
Vegetable Greek dishes
Of the vegetable dishes in Greek taverns, the most common is " briam"- something like a vegetable stew, cooked in the oven from coarsely chopped zucchini, potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes and greens. " Imam baildy» - baked eggplant halves stuffed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, herbs. " Bamies» is something between green beans and small peppers, cooked in the oven with tomatoes, onions and herbs. The Greeks like to pair bamies with chicken.
Greeks are very fond of fake"- lentils, she saved them in difficult famine years, so she still remains a popular Greek dish on the daily table, but it is almost impossible to find lentils in taverns. It is prepared in the form of a thick soup with tomatoes and herbs.
Among Greek vegetable dishes there are a lot of recipes for stuffed vegetables - peppers, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini and even the zucchini flowers mentioned above. Vegetables are stuffed with both minced meat and just rice. In almost any tavern you can find " gemista» - oven-roasted tomatoes and bell peppers stuffed with rice. Very popular among tourists are melizanes papucachia» - eggplant halves with minced meat, tomato sauce and cheese on top. Almost like “imam baildy”, only with minced meat.
In addition to traditional dishes, the weekly menu includes Greeks includes green string beans with tomatoes and onions - " fasolakya”, thick bean soup made from dry white beans in tomato sauce -“ beans», « revithya"- a thick soup of lamb peas, beans. Often vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants) are simply roasted separately on coals or fried in olive oil (long green bell peppers, zucchini and eggplants in batter).
- Greek cuisine. Introduction.
- Greek cuisine. Where to eat?
- Greek cuisine. Greek dishes.
