Cuisine Focus – Greek – Spicing Things Up The Greek Way
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We are familiar with Greek gods and goddesses, in line with its typified fiction and myth. Like surprising gifts, these legendary tales speak of beauty and enthrallment, along with powers that seemingly exude human and god-like sense. With that being said, we can only expect one thing from Greek cuisine- the warmth of good food spiced in its own way.
Over the years, foreigners and tourists have only a thing to say- it is so delicious that it is something that they want and will naturally crave. To them, Greek cuisine is something that is woven with special hands using special spices and herbs. And having the opportunity to taste it is simply heaven.
On the contrary, Greek cuisine also has its share of ups and downs. In fact, there was a time when traditional dishes are seemingly confined within household kitchens. Still, the locals decided to adapt and learn while enriching their traditional recipes and truly they have succeeded. As of the present, key cities and places throughout the world serve Greek food like a medium of art typified in various languages. The evolution of this cuisine is also attributed to the people’s fervor and dedication to traditional cooking, not to forget their continual passion for everything Greek.
Greek cuisine is also famous for its herbs and spices. In fact, the so called ‘Greek herbs’ are among the best, for each plant is cultivated with much love and zest. Historically, these spices are used by the Greeks since the ancient times to compliment local ingredients. And during the Middle Ages when everything gets spoiled easily, the Greeks thought of using these herbs to preserve foods longer.
Ingredients Utilized in Greek Cuisine
Meat:
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Game meats (Venison)
Seafood:
Fish, Squid, Lobster, Shrimps
Vegetables:
Potatoes, Olives, Cabbage, Carrot, Mushroom, Pepper, Aubergine (Eggplant), Cucumber, Beetroot, Spinach, Leeks, Celery, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Green Beans
Fruits:
Lemon, Lime,
Dairy:
Cheese (usually Feta), Eggs, Milk, Yogurt
Spices, Herbs and Seasonings:
Cloves, Basil, Oregano, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Parsley, Mint, Garlic, Cumin, Paprika, Sage, Rosemary, Dill, Bay Leaves, Thyme, Parsley, Saffron, Marjoram, White Sesame
Typical dishes speak of salads, soups, desserts, meat dishes, vegetarian meals and appetizers. The most common would be the Greek Salad that is normally comprised of onions, feta cheese, cucumber and kalamata olives. One can also enjoy Fakes, a lentil soup that is served with vinegar and cheese or you can simply indulge in Moussaka, a casserole dish that makes use of eggplants, rice or zucchini.
Greek cuisine, in general, is very diverse. It will also be very difficult to associate Greek food with a particular niche, since the country is made up of regions and villages. You may go from one place to another and taste a variation of a local treat. Nevertheless, households will always be gracious enough to feed and entertain guests.
Authentic Greek Recipes
Greek Spetsiotiko Fish
Recipe Source: realgreekrecipes.blogspot.com
This is a method of baking fish that comes from the island of Spetses – hence the name Spetsiotiko. It can be used for a few different types of fish. The one we prepared which you can see in the photo is Fagri or sea bream. You can also use large Lavraki or sea bass, Sinagrida or dentex, Sfirida or white grouper, large Tsipoura or dorado. As far as I have checked, these are the correct English translations of the fish names.
Ingredients
1 kg fish
3 cups grated tomatoes
1 ½ cups olive oil
3 tbsp parsley finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1 cup crumbled rusks
Salt & pepper
Preparation
Clean the fish and salt it.
You can leave the fish whole, but if it is large you can cut it into slices.
Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl, apart from the rusks.
Place the fish in an oven dish and pour the sauce over it.
Take half of the rusks and sprinkle them over the fish.
Put a little of the sauce over the rusks to moisten them.
Sprinkle the rest of the rusks on top.
Put in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approx. 1 hour.
During this time, once or twice you can spoon some of the sauce in the oven dish over the fish. If, for some reason, you find that there is not enough sauce, you can add a little white wine.
When it’s done, the sauce should be like a crust on the fish.
Mediterranean Greek Salad
Recipe Source: allrecipes.com
Original Recipe Yield 8 serving
Ingredients:
- 3 cucumbers, seeded and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- 3 cups diced roma tomatoes
- 1/3 cup diced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
Directions:
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and red onion. Chill until serving.
Image Credit: travelguide2greece.com
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[...] European cuisine. On the other hand, we also have the Mediterranean cuisine which includes Greek, Turkish, Italian, Sicilian, Portuguese and Spanish [...]