Greek cuisine

Greek cuisineis the cuisine ofGreeceand theGreek diaspora.In common with many othercuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad ofwheat,olive oil, andwine.It usesvegetables,olive oil, grains,fish, andmeat, includingpork,poultry,vealandbeef,lamb,rabbit, andgoat. Other important ingredients includepasta (for examplehilopites),cheeses,herbs, lemon juice,olivesand olive oil,andyogurt.Breadmade of wheat is ubiquitous; other grains, notablybarley, are also used, especially forpaximathia. Common dessert ingredients include nuts, honey, fruits,sesame, andfilopastries. It continues traditions fromAncient GreekandByzantinecuisine,while incorporating  Asian,Turkish,Balkan, andItalianinfluences.
Greek cuisine is part of theculture of Greeceand is recorded in images and texts from ancient times.Its influence spread to ancient Rome and then throughout Europe and beyond.
Ancient Greek cuisinewas characterized by its frugality and was founded on the "Mediterranean triad":wheat,olive oil, andwine, with meat being rarely eaten and fish being more common.This trend in Greek diet continued inCyprusand changed only fairly recently when technological progress has made meat more available.Wine and olive oil have always been a central part of it and the spread of grapes and olive trees in the Mediterranean and further afield is correlated with Greek colonization.
The Spartan diet was also marked by its frugality. A notorious staple of the Spartan diet wasmelas zomos(black soup), made by boiling the pigs' legs, blood of pigs, olive oil, bay leaf, chopped onion, salt, water, and vinegar as an emulsifier to keep the blood from coagulation during the cooking process. The army of Sparta mainly ate this as part of their subsistence diet. This dish was noted by the Spartans' Greek contemporaries, particularly Athenians and Corinthians, as proof of the Spartans' different way of living.
Byzantine cuisinewas similar to ancient cuisine, with the addition of new ingredients, such as caviar, nutmeg and basil. Lemons, prominent in Greek cuisine and introduced in the second century, were used medicinally before being incorporated into the diet. Fish continued to be an integral part of the diet for coastal dwellers. Culinary advice was influenced by the theory of humors, first put forth by the ancient Greek doctorClaudius Aelius Galenus.Byzantine cuisine benefited from Constantinople's position as a global hub of the spice trade.
The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine isolive oil, which is used in most dishes. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The olives themselves are also widely eaten. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables includetomato,aubergine(eggplant),potato,green beans,okra,green peppers(capsicum), andonions.Honeyin Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange,bigarade(bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey.Mastic, an aromatic, ivory-coloured plant resin, is grown on the Aegean island ofChios.
Greek cuisine uses some flavorings more often than otherMediterranean cuisinesdo, namelyoregano,mint,garlic,onion,dill,cumin, andbay laurelleaves. Other common herbs and spices includebasil,thymeandfennelseed. Parsley is also used as a garnish on some dishes. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country,use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for examplecinnamon,allspiceandclovesin stews.
The climate and terrain has tended to favour the breeding ofgoatsandsheepovercattle, and thusbeefdishes are uncommon.Fishdishes are common in coastal regions and on the islands. A great variety ofcheese typesare used in Greek cuisine, includingFeta,Kasseri,Kefalotyri,Graviera,Anthotyros,Manouri,Metsovone,Ladotyri(cheese with olive oil),Kalathaki(a specialty from the island of Limnos),Katiki Domokou(creamy cheese, suitable for spreads),Mizithraand many more.
Dining out is common in Greece. Thetavernaandestiatorioare widespread, serving home cooking at affordable prices to both locals and tourists.Locals still largely eat Greek cuisine.
Commonstreet foodsincludesouvlaki,gyros, various pitas and roast corn.
Fast foodbecame popular in the 1970s, with some chains, such asGoody'sandMcDonald'sserving international food likehamburgers,and others serving Greek foods such assouvlaki,gyros,tiropita, andspanakopita.
Since 2013, Greece for itsMediterranean diethas been added to theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Many dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece:lentil soup,fasolada(though the modern version is made with white beans and tomatoes, bothNew Worldplants),tiganites,retsina(white or rosé wine flavored with pine resin) andpasteli(baked sesame-honey bar); some to theHellenisticandRomanperiods:loukaniko(dried pork sausage); andByzantium:fetacheese,avgotaraho(cured fish roe),moustalevriaandpaximadi(traditional hard bread baked from wheat, barley and rye).There are also many ancient and Byzantine dishes which are no longer consumed:porridge(chilósin Greek) as the main staple,fish sauce(garos), and salt water mixed into wine.
Some dishes are borrowed fromItalianand adapted to Greek tastes:pastitsio(pasticcio),pastitsada(pasticciata),stifado(stufato),salami, macaronia,mandolato, and more.
Some Greek dishes are inherited fromOttoman cuisine, which combined influences fromPersian,Levantine,Arabian,TurkishandByzantinecuisines:meze,kadaifi,halva, andloukoumi.
In the 20th century,French cuisinehad a major influence on Greek cooking,largely due to the French-trained chefNikolaos Tselementes, who created the modern Greekpastitsio; he also created the modern Greek version ofmoussakaby combining an existing eggplant dish with a French-stylegratintopping. Greek chef Zisis Kerameashas recognized for his contribution to Greek cuisine and as culinary arts teacher (1970–2000) at public vocational tourism professions schools.
Distinct from the mainstream regional cuisines are:
Some ethnic minorities living in Greece also have their own cuisine. One example is theAromaniansand theirAromanian cuisine.
Typical home-cooked meals include seasonal vegetables stewed with olive oil,herbs, and tomato sauce known aslathera. Vegetables used in these dishes include green beans, peas, okra, cauliflower, spinach, leeks and others.
Many food items are wrapped in filo pastry, either in bite-size triangles or in large sheets: kotopita (chicken pie), spanakopita (spinachand cheese pie), hortopita (greenspie), kimadopita (ground meatpie) also known as kreatopita (meat pie), kolokythopita (zucchini pie), and others. They have countless variations of pitas (savory pies).
Apart from the Greek dishes that can be found all over Greece, there are also many regional dishes.
North-Western and Central Greece (Epirus, Thessaly and Roumeli/Central Greece) have a strong tradition of filo-based dishes, such as some special regional pitas.
Greek cuisine uses seeds and nuts in everything from pastry to main dishes.
A typical Greek-style breakfast,andbrunch,consists ofGreek coffee,frappé coffee,mountain tea, hot milk, fruit juice,rusks, bread, butter, honey, jam,fresh fruits, koulouri (sesame bread ring, a type ofsimit), Greekstrained yogurt,bougatsa,tiropita,spanakopita,boiled eggs,fried eggs,omelette,strapatsada,piroski, croissant,tsoureki. A popular meal for breakfast isbougatsaprovided mainly bybougatsadikashops selling bougatsa, pies, pastries, beverages. Traditional Greek breakfast was also providing in specialdairyshops calledgalaktopoleia(milk shops)havedairy products, milk, butter, yoghurt, sweets, honey, beverages, whereas todaygalaktopoleiashops exist very few.
Thelist of Greek dishesincludes dishes found in all of Greece as well as some regional ones.
Selected appetizers are:
In the Greek cuisine, appetizers are also the salads. Selected salads are:
In the Greek cuisine, appetizers are also thespreadsanddips, belong also to Greeksauces. Selected spreads and dips are:
Selected soups are:
Selected dishes are:
Selected desserts and pastries (sweet and savory) are:
Selected drinks and beverages are: