The best recipes of Greek cuisine. Best Greek Cuisine

Greece is a country whose cuisine is notable for its unpretentiousness, the dishes are prepared extremely simply, but at the same time they are very tasty and healthy. The Greeks use fresh vegetables, olives, meat and of course cheeses in cooking.

I confess that the dishes served in hotels are somewhat adapted to the tastes of tourists and differ from traditional ones. Authentic Greek cuisine is best tasted in small taverns outside the hotels. These taverns are usually run by the same family for generations, where recipes are passed down from generation to generation. The menu in such places is not very diverse and includes only the most famous dishes, the quality and originality of which cannot be doubted.

Having been in Greece and visited several places serving traditional food, I can highlight the main dishes that are the basis of Greek cuisine.

1. Horiatiki salad

The world-famous Greek salad in its homeland is called horiatiki. In translation, the name means something like "peasant style". In my opinion, this salad is the best combination of freshness, taste and simplicity, which is a feature of Greek cuisine.
The traditional Greek salad is somewhat different from the one we are used to seeing in restaurants - almost unprocessed olives are used here, vegetables are cut very large, and feta cheese is not cut into pieces, but put whole on top of the salad.

Tzatziki is a cold creamy sauce consisting of unsweetened yogurt with pieces of cucumber and garlic. The sauce is the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and vegetables. As a rule, the Greeks eat this sauce, spreading it on small pieces of bread, using it as a snack. At the hotel, it was served to us as a separate dish.

Moussaka is the next national dish of Greece. This is a casserole cooked with eggplant, ground beef, onions, tomatoes, spices and bechamel sauce. If you want to try traditional moussaka, it is best to look for it in a tavern hidden somewhere between white Greek houses. In places where the menu is presented in several languages, it is hardly possible to try traditional cuisine. Therefore, I advise you to look for real taverns with signs and menus in Greek.

4. Pastizio

Pastiziou - casserole with pasta, minced meat and cheese. Bechamel sauce is often added to pastitsio. This national dish of Greece reminded me of the well-known lasagna. I would not recommend this dish to those who follow the figure, because in addition to its amazing taste, you get a decent dose of calories.

Pastizio

5. Dolmadakya

By the name of this Greek dish, one can easily guess that it is very reminiscent of the dolma known to Russians. Wrapping various products in grape leaves is an ancient Greek tradition since the time of Alexander the Great.

Stuffed with rice and minced meat (more often just rice), pine nuts and herbs, dolmadakya is quite easy to prepare. This Greek dish is served cold or at room temperature.

Htapodakya - grilled octopus. Octopus is one of the most beloved dishes of the Greek people. As a rule, htapodakya is served under lemon sauce, sometimes with rice and vegetables. I can say with confidence that this is one of the most delicious dishes that I have tried in Greece.

Baklava is a famous Greek dessert. Baklava is undoubtedly a perennial favorite of locals and tourists alike. I think everyone knows this dish. For those who do not know, this is a dessert, which is puff pastry with nut filling in sweet syrup.

I had a chance to try this delicacy in Greece only at the hotel, but even there I was simply delighted with this dessert, melting in my mouth.

9. Galaktobureko

The most amazing sweet I have ever tasted in my life! Galaktobureko is the most delicate pie with custard and semolina filling. All this is soaked in the most delicate syrup. Without a doubt, this is my favorite among Greek desserts.

This pie is served only on the day it was made. Because in the following days the dough loses its airiness.

10. Frappe

Not everyone knows that the birthplace of this famous coffee drink is Greece. It is here that you can taste the traditional frappe. I advise you to try this drink in local cafes or taverns, where you can try the original frappe. It is served along with a glass of water. On hot summer days, this drink is the most popular among the locals.

She made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, state system, laws, art and myths of ancient greece laid the foundation for modern European civilization. Greek gods known all over the world.

Greece today

Modern Greece little known to most of our compatriots. The country is located at the crossroads of West and East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. The length of the coastline is 15,000 km (including the islands)! Our map will help you find an original corner or island which has not yet been. We offer a daily feed news. In addition, for many years we have been collecting photo And reviews.

Holidays in Greece

Correspondence acquaintance with the ancient Greeks will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is a well-forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where our contemporaries live behind the ruins of temples and the ruins of history with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors millennia ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you rest, thanks to the most modern infrastructure surrounded by virgin nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts And hotels, weather. In addition, here you will find out how and where it is issued visa and find Consulate in your country or Greek Visa Application Center.

Property in Greece

The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase real estate. Any foreigner has the right to do so. Only in border areas, non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, the search for lawful houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, the correct execution of the transaction, the subsequent maintenance is a difficult task that our team has been solving for many years.

Russian Greece

Subject immigration remains relevant not only for ethnic Greeks living outside their historical homeland. The forum for immigrants discusses how legal issues, and the problems of adaptation in the Greek world and, at the same time, the preservation and popularization of Russian culture. Russian Greece is heterogeneous and unites all immigrants who speak Russian. At the same time, in recent years, the country has not justified the economic expectations of immigrants from the countries of the former USSR, in connection with which we are seeing a reverse migration of peoples.

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)

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.

1. 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.
2. Vegetables - fresh or baked, they are present in almost every dish. Fresh tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, green peppers, onions, and olives are especially often used.
3. 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.
4. Cheeses - feta, kasseri, kefalotiri, ladotiri. They are served fresh as an appetizer, added to salads and popular vegetable, meat and pasta casseroles.
5. 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 (pastitsio). 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.

Mezes 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 or goat milk with mint), stifado (beef with spices 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:

1. Grease a 9x13 cm baking dish with butter.
2. 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).
3. Boil 450 g of pasta until half cooked.
4. 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.
5. 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 the 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, 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 just 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 salad, and in our opinion the very “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 spit 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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Dessert

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.