Traditional Greek cuisine
Greek cooking recipes>>
What distinguishes traditional Greek
cuisine is a combination of the following
factors: unique ingredients, the Greek
philosophy regarding eating and sharing
meals, as well as the country itself and the
atmosphere in general.
The basic ingredients:
Greek cuisine has four secrets: fresh
ingredients of good quality, proper use of
herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil
and its basic simplicity. Greek olive oil
deserves a special mention. Present in
almost all Greek dishes, and in most of them
in abundant quantities, it is of excellent
quality and very good for health. Then
there are the vegetables and herbs. Due to
the mild Greek climate, greenhouse
cultivation of vegetables is not
widespread. Therefore, most vegetables are
grown outdoors and are very tasty and full
of aroma. You will be delighted with the
taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces, carrots,
onions, parsley and garlic, not to mention
the rich flavour and aroma of fresh fruit:
grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons,
watermelons, to name but a few. The herbs
collected by most Greeks on the mountains
and in the countryside are renowned for
their taste, scent and healing properties.
When eating one of the many different Greek
dishes, the aroma of oregano, thyme,
spearmint or rosemary will inebriate you.
Do not forget also to try the Greek cheeses
and particularly feta. As lambs and goats
in Greece are free-grazing and pastures are
very rich in herbs, meats have a unique
taste not to be found anywhere else in the
world. Seafood from the Mediterranean Sea
is far more tasty than that from the
oceans. In the Aegean and the Ionian Seas,
the waters are crystal clear and abound with
fish. Charbroiled fresh fish is considered
a treat.
The Greek philosophy:
The time of day when the Greeks gather
around a table to enjoy a meal, or some
appetizers (mezedes) with ouzo, is a time
held in reverence by all the inhabitants of
this country. For the Greeks, sharing a
meal with friends, either at home, at a
restaurant or a taverna, is a deeply rooted
social affair. The Greek word symposium, a
word as ancient as the country itself, if
translated literally, means drinking with
company. The atmosphere in typically Greek
restaurants and tavernas is very relaxed,
informal and unpretentious. Food
preparation, on the other hand, has its own
sacred rules. Good amateur cooks are held
in great esteem in their social circles. A
good housewife, in Greece, means a good
cook. And a good cook can spend days
preparing a meal for his or her friends.
The atmosphere: Try
having a glass of ouzo or wine, accompanied
by barbecued octopus or any other Greek
dish, while sitting beneath the shadow of a
tree, at a small tavern by the sea, on one
of the Aegean islands. Then, when you go
back home, try repeating that experience by
preparing the same dish and serving the same
drink. No matter where you decide to have
it, you will soon discover that it does not
taste the same. Do not try again. There is
nothing wrong with the delicacy of your
palate or your cooking skills. The Greek
meal experience, namely the combination of
what you eat and where you eat it, cannot be
repeated, exported or duplicated. It is
something you can only find, taste and enjoy
in Greece, like the blue of the Aegean Sea |
