Cuisine
Its unique tastes are some of the things that set Greece apart. You
are in for pleasant culinary surprises while in this country. Contrary
to common belief you will soon discover that Greek cuisine does not
solely consist of mousaka, souvlaki and horiatiki
salata.
Greek cuisine has a great variety of dishes and can be an extremely
satisfying culinary adventure for both meat-eaters and vegetarians.
It could not be otherwise in the country that gave birth to the symposiums
and the Epicurean philosophers.
It was, in fact, Archestratos in 330 B.C, who wrote the first cookbook
in History and let us not forget that cuisine is a sign of civilization.
Greece has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 years. Nevertheless,
like most national cuisine, the Greek cuisine has both influenced
others and embraced ideas from its easterly and westerly neighbors.
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Gyros Sandwich
(pronounced "YEAR-os")
Blend of Lamb, beef and seasonings, seared and stuffed in a
pita topped with diced tomatoes, onions and tzatziki (pronounced
"za-ZEE-kee"), a savory yogurt sauce loaded with garlic and
cucumbers. |
| Greek
recipes |
Greekfoodfest.com |
The Traditional Greek Cuisine
What distinguishes the traditional Greek cuisine from others is a
combination of the following factors: the unique ingredients, the
Greek philosophy concerning matters of eating and sharing meals, and
the country itself, the total environment.
The basic ingredients
Greek cuisine has four secrets: the good fresh ingredients, the judicious
use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and its
basic simplicity. Greek olive oil merits a special mention. Present
in almost every Greek dish and in most of them in abundance, it is
of excellent quality and very good for the health. Then there are
the vegetables and herbs. Due to the mild Greek climate, forced
growth of vegetables is not widespread. Therefore, most vegetables
are grown naturally and full of aroma and taste. You will be delighted
by the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces carrots, onions, parsley
and garlic not to mention the rich flavor and aroma of its fresh fruit:
grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, watermelons, to name
but a few. The herbs, that almost all the Greek collect from their
mountains and countryside, are renowned for their taste, scent and
healing properties. Eating one of the many different Greek dishes
the aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary will inebriate
you. Do not forget to try also the Greek cheeses and particularly
feta. As lambs and goats in Greece are free grazing and the
pastures are very rich in herbs, the meats have a unique taste not
to be found anywhere else in the world. Seafood from the Mediterranean
Sea is by far tastier than that from the oceans. In the Aegean and
the Ionian Sea the waters are crystal clear and abound with fish.
Charbroiled fresh fish is considered a treat.
The Greek Wines
 Greece,
apart from giving birth to Dionysos, patron god of wine, is the birth
land of the first VQPRD wines in history. They were the wines of the
islands of Chios and Thasos, renowned in the entire ancient world.
For various historical and social reasons, as well as various natural
disasters, the art of wine making was neglected from the middle of
the nineteenth century until the early sixties. It was then that the
ancient traditions of wine-making started being rediscovered and today
one can find many excellent Greek wines produced all over the country.
When tasting Greek wine keep in mind that it is a product of a distinctive
environment and of grape varieties unknown to western wine lovers.
The wines of Greece are divided into 4 distinct categories:
1. The Controlled Appellations of Origin,
2. The Appellations of Origin of Superior Quality,
3. The local wines,
4. The table wines. |
