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| Travel Guide 2 > Europe > Greece > Recipes |
Greek Recipes
Greek cuisine has absorbed influences from many sources, and some dishes (for example, Moussaka and Baklava) are shared with and have Turkish names. This is because Greece has been invaded many times during its long history, including being occupied by the Ottoman Turks for 400 years.
Perhaps the best-known Greek dish internationally is Moussaka, but the country also has much more to offer. While it is true that lamb is a traditional meat, other meats such as chicken, beef, and pork are also popular. Greek food also includes a wide variety of fish and seafood, which is unsurprising when you consider the country's long coastline, many islands, and the fact that no part of the Greek mainland more than 90 miles (144 kilometers) from the sea.
Common vegetables used in Greek cuisine include courgettes and eggplant. As lemons and olives also grow in Greece, these too are also widely used. Flavoring is added using basil, garlic, oregano and thyme.
Greece is also known for its unique feta cheese. This is a curd cheese in brine, which is traditionally made from goat's or ewe's milk. Feta is used both in salads and as an ingredient in other dishes, especially baked dishes.
Some popular Greek dishes include:
- Village Salad/Country Salad (generally known outside of
Greece and
Cyprus
as "Greek Salad") -
This is a salad based on tomato, cucumber, bell peppers
and red onion (lettuce is rarely used).
The salad is seasoned with salt, black pepper and oregano, and dressed
with olive oil. Additionally,
feta cheese, olives and capers are sometimes added.
- Pita bread - A flat bread prepared using wheat flour and yeast, but
prepared without being allowed to rise.
- Greek dips - A variety of dips are commonly served with Pita
bread, either as a starter or as a side dish. These include
Hummus (chickpea dip),
Melitzanosalata (eggplant dip),
Skordalia (garlic sauce dip),
Tahini (sesame paste dip),
Taramosalata (carp roe dip) and
Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber and garlic dip).
- Keftedes - Fried meatballs with oregon and mint.
- Dolmades - A memorable dish, made with grapevine leaves stuffed with rice,
vegetables and sometimes meat.
- Kleftiko - Lamb marinated in garlic and lemon,
and then slowly baked on the bone in a pit oven. The name of
this dish is derived from "Klepht" which refers to
bandits and warlike mountain people who lived in the Greek
countryside when Greece was
part of the Ottomon Empire - most of whom participated in
the Greek War of Independence. The word "Kleftiko"
can be translated as "stolen meat" or the
the "meat of thieves".
- Stifado - A beef and onion stew, flavoured with red wine and cinnamon.
- Moussaka -
Perhaps the best-known Greek dish
(outside of the Greece),
moussaka is a baked dish consisting of layers of minced meat and sliced eggplant and tomato,
topped with white sauce and baked.
- Souvlaki - Meat, fish or shrimp grilled on a skewer.
- Baklava - a sweet pastry made from layers of phyllo dough, with chopped nuts and sweetened with sugar or honey.
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