month of Greece (10)

Month of Greece

Greek cuisine is a South  Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, Turkey, Lebanon Syria and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including  poultry, rabbit and pork. Also important are olives, cheese, eggplant, zucchini , tomatoes cucumber, bell peppers fresh herbs (parsley thyme tarragon dill oregano) and yogurt

Mezés,  is a collective name for a variety of small dishes  and is often used as a reference to eating a first course of a cuisine other than Greek cuisine. Dips are served with bread loaf.

Greek cuisine has a long tradition and its flavors change with the season. Greek cookery, historically a forerunner of Western cuisine, spread its culinary influence - via ancient Rome - throughout Europe and beyond. It has influences from the different people's cuisine the Greeks have interacted with over the centuries, as evidenced by several types of sweets and cooked foods.

It was Archestratos in 320 B.C. who wrote the first cookbook in history.

Greece has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 years. 

 The Byzantine (Greek Empire) cuisine was similar to the classical cuisine including however new ingredients that were not available before, like caviar, nutmeg and lemons, with fish continuing to be an integral part of the diet.

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently 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 basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato eggplant, potato, green beans,  green peppers, and onions. 

Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange trees. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece: lentil soup,bean soup , pine wine and pasteli (candy bar with sesame seeds baked with honey),are  some to the Greek  and Roman periods: The Greek sausage (dried pork sausage) and feta cheese,  paximadi (traditional hard bread baked from corn, barley and rye). Many dishes are part of the larger tradition of Ottoman cuisine and their names reveal Arabic, Persian or Turkish roots: moussaka, tzatziki, ,keftedes, etc.

 Many dishes' names probably entered the Greek vocabulary during Ottoman times, or earlier in contact with the Persians and the Arabs. Some dishes may be pre-Ottoman, only taking Turkish names later.

Tthe main ingredients of Greek cooking are olive oil, honey, yoghurt, fresh fruits , lamb and fish – the manner in which they are prepared seems to have an endless variety and taste. There is also an additional delight, pretty much unique to Greece, of being invited into the kitchen to view the offerings and make your selection. There is as well a wonderful benefit that the Greek diet provides, whether you eat meat or are vegan: it is arguably the healthiest diet on the planet as well as user-friendly to those who want to eat well while not having to worry about putting on weight.

If You are from Philippines and you want to taste some of the Spectacular Greek dishes the Best restaurant Nationwide in Philippines is CYMA GREEK TAVERNA you can locate them in Green Belt 2 Makati,  in Shangri-La Mall in Ortigas, in Libbis  in Alabang area  in Cebu in Boracay  and in several other areas nationwide.

A few classic dishes with a quick explanation:

Tzatziki: Greek yogurt with finely chopped cucumber, garlic and olive oil. Ideal to eat with fresh Greek bread, fried potatoes or fried meatballs.

- Saganaki: Fried cheese. Different sorts of cheese can be found in saganaki. Excellent with a zest of lemon.

- Keftedakia: Fried meatballs of beef, garlic and bread. Excellent dish. 

- Spanakopitakia: Small spinach pies with crushed feta cheese.

- Tiropitakia: Small cheese pies, usually made of feta or kasseri cheese.

- Horta: Boiled wild greens with olive oil, salt and lemon.

- Briam: Mix of roast potatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic, tomato sauce and olive oil.

- Dolmadakia: Grape leaves filled with rice and onions and sometimes minced beef.

- Kalamarakia: Small pieces of fried squid with lemon juice.

- Htapodi: Small pieces of octopus served either fried with lemon juice or boiled, with olive oil, vinegar and oregano.

- Feta cheese: The famous Greek cheese can also be eaten alone, as a meze, with olive oil and oregano.