GREEK CUISINETHE GREEK KITCHENvoured when eating out and are the centrepiece of celebrations. Local
free-range lamb and pork dominate, though kid goat is also a favourite
(beef is largely imported).
Traditional tavernas normally off er a selection of appetisers, food
cooked tis oras (to order) such as grilled meat and seafood, and dishes
known as mayireftaa (ready-cooked meals), which refl ect what Greeks
eat at home.
Soups such asfasoladaa (bean soup),fakes (lentils) or chicken soup
with rice and avgolemono (egg and lemon) make a hearty meal, but are
not often found in restaurants.
Bread is a mandatory feature of every meal and fresh loaves of crusty
bread are bought daily, the most common being the white crusty village
loaf. Sliced bread is only available in supermarkets and used for toast.
Mayirefta
Mayireftaa is a catch-all term for a variety of home-style, one-pot, baked
or casserole dishes. Somemayirefta, mostly braised vegetable dishes, are
also referred to as ladhera (oven-baked or one-pot dishes), or ‘oily’ dishes,
because of the liberal use of olive oil. Mayireftaa are usually prepared early
and left to cool, which enhances the fl avour (they are often better served
lukewarm). Commonmayireftaa include Greece’s signature dish, mousa-
kas (baked layers of eggplant or zucchini, minced meat and potatoes
topped with cheese and béchamel sauce) and the summer favourite,
yemista (tomatoes and seasonal vegetables stuff ed with rice and herbs).
Pasta is widely used, from pastitsio (a thick spaghetti and meat bake)
to the hearty youvetsi, slow-cooked lamb or beef in a tomato sauce with
kritharakii (orzo or rice-shaped pasta).
Staple meat dishes include tasty tomato-based stews (kokkinista),
roast lamb or chicken lemonato (with lemon and oregano) with baked
potatoes, rabbit or beef stifadho (sweet stew cooked with tomato and on-
ions),soutzoukakiaa (spicy meatballs in tomato sauce) and pork or lamb
fricassee (braised with celery, lettuce and avgolemono).
Greek Grills
Greeks are the master of the charcoal grill and spit-roasted meats. The
aromas of meat cooking fi lls the air of every neighbourhood psistaria
(grill house) and restaurant strips.
The souvlaki – arguably the national dish – comes in many forms,
from cubes of grilled meat on a skewer to the pita-wrapped snack with
pork or chickengyros (kebab-style meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie).
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around the globe.MEZEDHESSharing a range of mezedhes (appetisers) is a social and fun way to dine. Beyond the
classic dips of tzatziki (yoghurt, cucumber and garlic), melitzanosalata (aubergine) and
pink or white taramasalata (fi sh roe), you should also try fava, a creamy split pea purée
originating from Santorini, served with lemon juice and fi nely cut red onions. Named
after the pan it is cooked in, saganaki is a wedge of fried hard cheese, but you will also
come across saganaki mussels and prawns, cooked in tomato sauce with cheese.
Popular meat mezedhes include bekri mezes (spicy meat pieces cooked in tomato
and red wine), keftedhes (meatballs), loukaniko (pork sausage), village sausage and
spetsofai, a spicy sausage and pepper stew. Seafood dishes include crispy fried or
grilled calamari, whitebait (eaten whole like fries), marinated or grilled gavros (white
anchovies), octopus and lakerda (cured fi sh). Among the vegetarian options, try dol-
madhes (vine-wrapped rice parcels), yigantes (giant lima beans in tomato and herb
sauce), kolokythokeftedhes (zucchini fritters) and Cycladic specialties, revythokeftedhes
(chick-pea fritters) and domatokeftedhes (tomato fritters).