Greek cuisine
Greek cuisine is the cuisine deriving from Greece mainland and its associated islands. Given the geography and history of Greece, this style of cookery has heavy leanings towards Middle Eastern cuisine. The terrain has tended to favour the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common. Olive oil, produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. Many dishes use filo pastry.
Appetizers
Most of these are served with pita bread - flat, unleavened, bread.
- Tzatziki (yogurt with cucumber and garlic puree, used as a dip)
- Taramosalata (fish roe puree; tarama = fish roe, salata = salad).
- Spanakopita (spinach pie wrapped in filo pastry)
- Tyropita (cheese pie wrapped in filo pastry)
- Saganaki (fried cheese)
- Dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed either with meat or rice and vegetables)
- Avgolemono soup (made with eggs and lemons
Famous Greek dishes
- Moussaka (eggplant casserole). There are other variations besides eggplant, such as zucchini or rice, but the eggplant version ("melitzanes moussaka") is most popular, so "moussaka" alone is assumed to mean with eggplant.
- Kleftiko: lamb slow-baked on the bone, first marinaded in garlic and lemon juice.
- Souvlaki (lamb and vegetables on skewers)
- Gyros (pork, yogurt, tomato sandwich on pitta bread; this is a popular "fast food").
- Pastitsio (macaroni, meat, and white sauce in the oven)
Desserts
Drinks
- Ouzo (an 80-proof clear alcoholic beverage that is flavored with anise; it turns milky white with water or ice).
- Tsipouro (Mostly home-brewed, a clear drink very similar to Ouzo, often with higher alcohol content).
- Metaxa (a fine brandy; 40% alcohol content)
See also: cuisine