Greek food - 35 traditional dishes to eat in Greece (2023)

FAQs

Greek food - 35 traditional dishes to eat in Greece? ›

The main foods the Ancient Greeks ate were bread, made from wheat, and porridge, made from barley. They used lots of olive oil to cook and add flavor to dishes. They also ate a range of vegetables, including chickpeas, olives, onions, garlic, and cabbage.

The main foods the Ancient Greeks ate were bread, made from wheat, and porridge, made from barley. They used lots of olive oil to cook and add flavor to dishes. They also ate a range of vegetables, including chickpeas, olives, onions, garlic, and cabbage.

1. Delicious baked moussaka. Probably the most famous of Greek dishes, moussaka consists of layers of fried aubergine, minced meat and potatoes. That's all topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and then baked until golden brown.

Moussaka is the go-to when you need a heartier Greek meal. It's an ultra-traditional dish, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in Greece that doesn't serve some iteration of it. Usually, moussaka is made with eggplant and potatoes, along with either beef or lamb.

It uses vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, and meat, including pork, poultry, veal and beef, lamb, rabbit, and goat. Other important ingredients include pasta (for example hilopites), cheeses, lemon juice, herbs, olives, and yogurt.

Greek lunches are traditionally a light meal that consists of a homemade vegetable stew or casserole. It is served with staple sides of cheese, bread, salad, and most importantly, wine.

A typical Greek meal includes one or two appetizers, a slice of freshly-baked bread, the main meal, a glass of the alcohol or soft drink of your choice, and dessert for the end.

Breakfast was a light meal that typically consisted of bread or porridge. At lunch, the Greeks might eat fish, cheese, legumes and fruits.

Ancient Greeks typically ate two meals a day. For elite members of ancient Greek societies, meals were prepared and served by slaves under the supervision of the female head of household.

Trahana is one of the oldest foods in the Eastern Mediterranean, a tiny, pebble-shaped grain product that varies widely all over Greece.

What is famous ancient Greek food? ›

The Ancient Greeks grew olives, grapes, figs and wheat and kept goats, for milk and cheese. They ate lots of bread, beans and olives. In the Summer months there were plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to eat and in the winter they ate dried fruit and food they had stored like apples and lentils.

Some of the most common dishes of Greek cuisine prepared for the Sunday dinner table include moussaka, pastitsio, roasted lamb or chicken with potatoes, dolmades, and gemista, which are Greek summer dishes, tzatziki, and, of course, the world-renowned Greek salad.

Thanks to Greece's unique history, the food is a mash-up of different cultures. A delicious blend of citrus, cheeses, herbs, oils, and grilled meat help set Greek food apart.

What is Greece famous for? Greece is famous for its ancient philosophers, like Plato, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Aristotle, to name a few. It is known as the birthplace of democracy in the West; they invented the Olympic Games and theater. Ancient Greeks invented monumental temples with Greek columns.

In the ancient Greek myths, ambrosia (/æmˈbroʊziə, -ʒə/, Ancient Greek: ἀμβροσία 'immortality'), the food or drink of the Greek gods, is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it.

Do not leave the table until everyone has finished eating. It is polite to offer the host your help in preparing and cleaning up the meal. That being said, do not expect your gesture to be accepted unless you insist.

Greeks generally eat very late in the evening, rarely venturing out until after 9pm and often arriving at midnight or later.

Greeks typically have four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee and dinner. Traditionally the largest meal was lunch, but many have changed their habits to a more Westernized style of living.

Fruits, fresh or dried, and nuts were typically eaten as dessert. Important fruits were figs, raisins (grapes), and pomegranates. In the early third century A.D., the historian Athenaeus describes a dessert made of figs and broad beans in his written historical work, Deipnosophistae.

What do Greeks drink for breakfast? ›

But popular culture demands that you also discover the frappé – instant coffee whizzed up with water, milk and sugar that was once a breakfast staple. The more common go-to morning coffee for Greeks today (not just in the summer) is an iced freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino.

Greeks, absolutely adore bread – their dear psomaki! Since ancient times, bread was considered very important to the dietary habits and had, and still has, a very important place on the daily table, next to the main course, whether this is a salad, or a soup, or meat, or even pasta.

Ouzo is considered the national drink of Greece. In technical terms, it is either produced by partial distillation or the admixture of plain alcohol with aromatic herbs.

The Greeks typically ate three meals a day. Breakfast was a light and simple meal that usually consisted of bread or porridge. Lunch was also a light meal where they would again have some bread, but would also have some cheese or figs. The big meal of the day was dinner, which was eaten around sundown.

Before the Tomato Conquered Greece

The diet also consisted of milk, yogurt, and cheese – Cheese that was very similar to the modern-day feta. They made bread from barley and wheat. They preserved and ate olives and used olive oil in their cooking.

Because Greek food is generally savory rather than spicy, there is not as much concern with livening up a dish so much as there is with making each taste combination work well with other uniquely Greek foods, such as feta cheese.

Drum roll… the oldest reference to hummus bi tahina are not from Greek food history, but rather from Cairo, Egypt, in the 13th century! While this is not conclusive enough to determine a point of origin, most historians agree that hummus was likely created in the Middle East, and eventually found its way to Greece.

Simple, Basic Dishes

A good option is souvlaki, which is roast chicken or pork on a skewer usually with some roasted bell peppers thrown in as well. Souvlaki will appeal to the pickiest eater.

The most common meats in Greece are pork, lamb, beef, goat, chicken, veal and rabbit not necessarily in that order. Because it was expensive in the past, before the Greeks became affluent enough to eat it every day, meat was eaten perhaps twice a week and usually with vegetables, pasta or grains.

What do families from Greece eat? ›

Greek diet mostly relies on its produce of the country: fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, goats, sheep, fresh fish, and, of course, the ever present olive oil. Cheeses and yogurts are also fundamental. Eating is focal in Greek culture. It is around the dining table everything is shared.

Greeks are in love with lamb and consider it as their main centerpiece meat. A recipe that is made for a festive table is honey glazed roast lamb with potatoes.

Ultimately, traditional Greek food is both healthy and flavorful. On top of that, it's rich in antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins. By incorporating Greek staple ingredients like vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and lean meats in your diet, you will provide your body with a full nutritious balance.

The ancient and modern name of the country is Hellas or Hellada (Greek: Ελλάς, Ελλάδα; in polytonic: Ἑλλάς, Ἑλλάδα), and its official name is the Hellenic Republic, Helliniki Dimokratia (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία [eliniˈci ðimokraˈti. a]).

98% of the Greeks are Christian Orthodox. The rest of the population are Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Jewish. Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a big proportion of Orthodox Christians.

Greek Meat Dishes. The most common meats in Greece are pork, lamb, beef, goat, chicken, veal and rabbit not necessarily in that order. Because it was expensive in the past, before the Greeks became affluent enough to eat it every day, meat was eaten perhaps twice a week and usually with vegetables, pasta or grains.

Greeks typically have 3 meals a day. Traditionally the largest meal of the day was lunch, but many habits have changed due to Greeks adapting a westernized way of living.

Greeks make lunch their big meal of the day, and eat it between 2 and 3pm. Especially in summer, Greeks often head to a cafe for some ice cream around 8pm. Dinner is often a light meal, seldom eaten earlier than 9pm, but when Greeks do go out to dinner, they usually don't think of eating before 10pm.

Koulouri (Greek sesame bread rings) Loukoumades (Greek donuts with honey) Nuts and Dried Fruits. Bogatsa or Bougatsa. Bougatsa (custard pie with phyllo)

What is Greek comfort food? ›

Comfort food in Greece

- Galaktoboureko (phyllo and cream with syrup dessert), Baklava (phyllo with syrup and pistachios or/and walnuts), Kadaifi (pastry which looks like angel hair pasta with syrup and nuts), Ravani (Semolina cake), Samali (Semolina cake with Chios Mastic), Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding).

A classic Greek meal includes one or two appetizers, the main course (entrée), a drink, and a dessert. A typical Greek lunch tends to be light and traditionally includes a homemade casserole or vegetable stew. It is served with a side dish of cheese, bread, and salad, but more importantly, wine.

Greeks love their bread, marmalade, pastries, cheeses of all sorts, and baked goods for breakfast. Washing it down with strong coffee or a glass of milk, depending on the age, makes them ready for anything!

While ouzo is considered the national drink of Greece, many other drinks are popular. A refreshing beer is common during summer, while wine and tsipouro, also called raki, are also consumed. In addition, most bars serve cocktails with rum, vodka, tequila or other imported spirits.