Greek Cuisine
Simple,nutritious and fl avoursome, Greek food is one of the pleasures
of travelling through Greece. In the 5th century BC, Archestratus wrote
one of the earliest Greek cookbooks,Gastronomia, giving rise to the term
‘gastronomy’. But Greek cuisine has taken a while to come to the fore as
one of the healthiest and tastiest, with far more to off er than the familiar
souvlaki and grills.
Greece’s rich culinary heritage draws from a fusion of mountain vil-
lage food, island cuisine, fl avours introduced by Greeks from Asia Minor,
and infl uences from various invaders and historical trading partners.
Rustic Greek cooking refl ects the bounty of its diverse regions and
relies on fresh, seasonal, sun-drenched local produce. Subsistence
living during hard times made Greeks adept at using every edible
morsel to make a delicious meal, making the most of the fruits of the
sea and whatever grew wild.
Greek food traditions have emanated from home cooks rather than
restaurant kitchens. Those fortunate to have eaten in a Greek home
would often lament that the cuisine was never done justice in a restau-
rant setting, let alone at generic or ‘tourist’ tavernas. More recent eff orts
at nouvelle-Greek cuisine with fancy foams and takes on international
trends were hit-and-miss aff airs.
But a welcome culinary awakening has been taking place, with a
new-found appreciation for traditional cuisine, regional specialities
and produce with a designation of origin. Changing lifestyles have
led to people cooking less at home, fuelling nostalgia for the familiar
fl avours off yiayia’s (grandmother’s) cooking. Classic, home-style
cooking or reinterpreted Greek dishes can now be found on the
trendiest restaurant menu, while the creative new generation of chefs
in Greece (and abroad) is taking their culinary heritage up a notch,
adding modern fl are and challenging perceptions of Greek food.The Greek Kitchen
The essence of traditional Greek cuisine lies in fresh, seasonal home-
grown produce and generally simple, unfussy cooking that brings out
the rich fl avours of the Mediterranean.
Greek dishes are simply seasoned. Lemon juice, garlic, pungent Greek
oregano and extra virgin olive oil are the quintessential fl avours, along
with tomato, parsley and dill, and spices such as cinnamon, allspice and
cloves.
Olive oil is the elixir of Greece, with extra virgin oil used liberally
in cooking and salads, making vegetables, pulses and legumes – key
elements of the healthy Mediterranean diet – tastier. Olive oil is
produced commercially and in family-run groves all over the country
and many tavernas use their own oil.
Meat was once reserved for special occasions but has become more
prominent in the modern diet. Grilled and spit-roasted meats are fa-Greek coffee
is traditionally
brewed in a briki
(narrow-top pot)
on a hot-sand
apparatus called
a hovoli – and
served in a small
cup. It should
be sipped slowly
until you reach
the mudlike
grounds at the
bottom (don’t
drink them) and
is best drunk
metrios (medium,
with one sugar).