Cuisine of Greece - Definition and Overview

Greek cuisine is the cuisine deriving from Greece mainland and its associated islands. Given the geography and history of Greece, this style of cookery is typical of Mediterranean Cuisine, with influences from Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisine. The terrain has tended to favour the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common, although today most of the fish is imported since the Mediterranean Sea is quite overfished. Olive oil, produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. Many dishes use filo pastry. Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine. Traditionally, Greek dishes are served warm rather than hot as eating food too hot was deemed unhealthy and of course, painful.

Appetizers

Some can be served with pita bread -- a round flat wheat bread made with yeast.

• Tzatziki (yoghurt with cucumber and garlic puree, used as a dip)
• Hummus (chickpea dip, usually includes garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini)
• Taramosalata (fish roe pureed with some boiled potatoes; tarama = fish roe, salata = salad).
• Spanakopita (spinach pie wrapped in filo pastry)
• Tyropita (cheese or feta pie wrapped in filo pastry)
• Saganaki (fried cheese)
• Dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed either with meat or rice and vegetables)
• Avgolemono soup (made with eggs and lemons)
• Greek Salad as known worldwide, it's known in Greece as Village Salad (Horiatiki) with oil, tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper and olives stirred together, with feta with origan on them.

Famous Greek dishes

• Moussaka (eggplant casserole). There are other variations besides eggplant, such as zucchini or rice, but the eggplant version ("melitzanes moussaka") is most popular, so "moussaka" alone is assumed to mean with eggplant.
• Kleftiko: lamb slow-baked on the bone, first marinaded in garlic and lemon juice.
• Souvlaki (lamb and vegetables on skewers)
• Gyros (pork, yoghurt, tomato sandwich on pitta bread; this is a popular "fast food").
• Pastitsio (macaroni, meat, and white sauce in the oven)

Desserts

A plate with pieces of different types of Baklava

• Baklava (A popular sweet desert, layers of filo pastry with nuts, sugar, honey, cloves)
• Loukoumas
• Loukoumia
• Creamy yoghurt with honey
• Galaktoboureko (Custard like cream between layers of filo)

Drinks

• Ouzo (an 80-proof clear alcoholic beverage that is flavored with anise; it turns milky white with water or ice; the best said to be produced on the island of Lesbos).
• Tsipouro (Mostly home-brewed, a clear drink very similar to Ouzo, often with higher alcohol content).
• Metaxa (a fine brandy; 40% alcohol content)
• Retsina (a white wine that has some pine tar added, originally as a preservative, but nowadays for the flavor; this is an Athens region specialty. It should not be aged.).
• Mavrodafni Sweet, liquor-style, red wine with higher alcohol percentage than normal.

External links

• Greek cuisine guide and recipes (http://www.mediterrasian.com/cuisine_of_month_greek.htm)