GREEK CUISINESWEET TREATSThe preservation of food was integral to survival during the winter, espe-
cially on the isolated islands where sun-dried and cured fi sh is a speciality.
Excellent cured meats include vinegar-cured pork apakiiin Crete,
olive-oil stored pasto (the Mani), spicy wine-marinated and smoked
louzaa (pork) in Tinos and Mykonos and siglino (Crete and Peloponnese).
Barley, rye or wheat paximadhiaa (hard rusks), double-baked to keep
for years, are moistened with water and topped with tomato and olive oil
(and feta or myzithraacheese in the Cretan dakos).
Greece’s regions produce many diff erent types of cheeses, most using
goat’s and sheep’s milk, with infi nite variations in taste. Apart from feta,
local cheeses include graviera, a nutty, mild Gruyère-like sheep’s-milk
cheese (the best is made in Crete, Naxos and Tinos),kaseri, similar to
provolone, the ricotta-like whey cheesemyzithra (also dried and hard-
ened for pastas), and creamy manourii from the north.Saganakii is made
from fi rm, sharp cheeses such askefalotyriior kefalograviera.
Every region also has variations of thepitaa (pie), from the pastry to
the choice of fi llings, though cheese, and cheese and spinach, are the
most common.
Sweet Treats
Greeks traditionally serve fruit rather than sweets after a meal,
but there’s no shortage of delectable Greek sweets and cakes, as the
proliferation of zaharoplasteia (sweet shops) attests.
Traditional sweets include baklava,loukoumadhes (ball-shaped
doughnuts served with honey and cinnamon), kataïfii (chopped nuts
inside shredded angel-hair pastry), rizogalo (rice pudding) andgalak-
toboureko (custard-fi lled pastry). Syrupy fruit preserves, ghlika kutalyu
(spoon sweets), are served on tiny plates as a welcome off ering, but are
also delicious as a topping on yoghurt or ice cream.
Look out for regional specialities such as almond amygdhalota from
Andros and Mykonos or Syros’ renowned ‘Grecian delight’ (aka Turkish
delight).Mastiha – mastic-fl avoured ypovryhio or ‘submarine’ sugar
confectionary from Chios is served on a spoon dipped in a glass of
TASTES OF THE ISLANDSEach Greek island group – and sometimes each island – has its own specialities.
Fertile Crete produces the richest bounty and has the most distinctive regional cui-
sine. You’ll fi nd spiky, wild artichokes, and herb-rich dishes such as soupies (cuttlefi sh)
with wild fennel, wild greens with rabbit or anthoi (stuff ed zucchini fl owers). A Cretan
delicacy is hohlii bourbouristoi (snails with vinegar and rosemary). Lamb or goat is
cooked tsigariasto (sautéed) or ofto (grilled upright around hot coals), or stewed with
stamnagathi (wild mountain greens) or artichokes. Boureki (a cheese, zucchini and
potato bake) is a speciality of the Hania region, while kalitsounia are the tasty local
version of the pita (fi lled with myzithra, sheep’s milk cheese, or wild greens). Celebra-
tions invariably involve spit-roasted and boiled lamb, the stock of which is used to
make pilafi, known as gamopilafo (wedding rice).
The Venetian infl uence is refl ected in the food of the Ionian Islands, as seen in Corfu’s
spicy braised beef or rooster pastitsada, served with pasta and in a red sauce, and
sofrito (braised veal with garlic and wine sauce). Grilled pancetta (pork spare ribs) is
popular in Zakynthos,.
Islanders in the arid Cyclades relied on beans and pulses as the foundation of their
winter diet. Santorini is renowned for fava (split pea purée served with lemon juice and
fi nely cut red onions), fritters made from its unique waterless tomatoes and wild capers.
Sifnos trademark revythadha (chick-pea stew) is slow-cooked overnight in a specially
shaped clay pot. Spaghetti with lobster is another speciality of the Cyclades, while
Mykonos makes a mean sausage, as well as kopanisti (spicy creamy cheese).For the largest
collection of
Greek recipes
online try www
.greek-recipe.com
or http://www.gourmed.
com, or check out
Diane Kochilas’
Greek Food TV
segments on
YouTube.