Dolmades, one of the best-known of all Greek dishes, are grape leaves rolled around a mixture of ground meat and rice, simmered in a rich tomato broth. EPD Photos. Greece is a mostly Orthodox Christian country, and many Greeks observe the church's fast days. On these days, they eat either no meat or no food at all. There are strict dietary rules for Lent and Holy Week the week before Easter. During Holy Week and on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products are forbidden.
Greeks observe feasts as well as fasts. A roasted, stuffed turkey is eaten for Christmas, and a baby lamb or goat, roasted whole, is served for Easter dinner. A soup called mayeritsa, made with lamb parts is also eaten on Easter. Many traditional cakes are served for both Christmas and Easter. These include honey-dipped biscuits called finikia and shortbread cake-like cookies called kourabiethes. There is also a special New Year's cake called vasilopitta.
Before Easter, hard-boiled eggs are painted bright red and then polished with olive oil. On Good Friday the Friday before Easter a special holiday bread called lambropsoma is baked. On Easter Sunday, family members crack their eggs against each other for good luck.
The diet of people living on the islands and in coastal areas of Greece features abundant quantities of fruits, vegetables, and seafood. Cory Langley. To prepare Lambropsoma Greek Easter Bread for baking, tuck the four dyed eggs into the twisted coil of unbaked bread dough. Greeks are not known for eating big breakfasts. Typical breakfast foods include bread, cheese, fresh fruit and, for adults, coffee. In rural areas, the main meal of the day is eaten at around or in the afternoon.
It is followed by a rest period when schools and businesses close, allowing people to stay home during the hottest part of the day. In the cities, however, many people do not have time to go home for a large lunch.
Instead they eat a light meal at midday and a larger dinner later on. In the late afternoon, many Greeks help themselves to light refreshments called mezethes. These may consist of bread, fresh vegetables, cheese, olives, dips, or soup. Mezethes are sometimes served as appetizers at the beginning of a big meal.
Like many other Europeans, Greeks eat their evening meal late—sometimes as late as 10 P. In the city, dinner is the main meal. In rural areas where a big lunch is eaten, dinner is lighter. The most common dessert in Greece is fresh fruit, but the Greeks also love to eat sweets, either as a snack or dessert.
Greeks are known for their hospitality. A traditional offering for guests is glyko , a thick jam made with fruit or a vegetable such as tomato or eggplant. It is served with ice water and coffee. Since it is warm and sunny in Greece for so much of the year, eating outdoors is very popular. Greek potatoes, subtly flavored with lemon and oregano, can accompany grilled or roasted meat—lamb, chicken, or beef. Greece has an abundance of native herbs, including thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, and sage, and fruits, such as nectarines, oranges, peaches, and apples.
Many Greek villagers farm, and herd sheep or goats for a living. Fish providing protein and other seafood are plentiful, as four seas surround the peninsula of Greece. Many Greeks have adequate nutrition; however, there is a growing number of homeless children living and working on the streets. Laws to protect children are in place, but applied unevenly. Beatty, Theresa M. Food and Recipes of Greece. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, Halvorsen, Francine. We recommend : CookieLand, a young and hip bakery that takes a modern spin on traditional Greek cuisine. Nuts about walnuts? I know I am. Nuts feature quite heavily in a the Greek cuisine and form part of the Mediterranean diet. I will be celebrating the humble walnut by showcasing a full week of walnut recipes starting from today. You can find all these Greek walnut recipes on my blog and below so you can make them for yourself.
I will also be sharing your favourite walnut recipes on my stories so please make sure you tag thehellenicodyssey and use hashtag greekwalnutweek so we can share them with fellow nut lovers. Melomakarona Recipe for Greek honey biscuits. Melomakarona are traditional classic Greek biscuits typically served at Christmas time. They are made with flavours of orange, cinnamon and walnut making them very aromatic and full of flavour.
The biscuits are cooked and then submerged in a honey syrup, making them extremely soft, delicate and crumbly. There are a very popular dessert option served with coffee. One biscuit is more than enough. However, it is often difficult to stop at just one.
You can also find these biscuits dipped in chocolate, but most people prefer the classic version. Diples are a simple but ever-so-delectable Greek dessert. Fried dough is rolled into thin sheets, deep-fried, and served with a generous dollop of honey. Finely crushed nuts and cinnamon are then sprinkled over this pastry. Fun fact: you might be able to find different variations of this dessert across the world. In Tunisia, people also enjoy a similar treat called manicotti, while in Morocco they are called fazuelos or agriouez.
In the Spanish region of Morocco, they are called hijuelas. We recommend : Athanasiou , an adorable factory of sweets that serves artfully crafted sweet pastries including delectable diples. Is Greece on your travel bucket list? TourHero is a social travel platform that enables you to travel with like-minded people and fall in love with the journey. We work closely with handpicked local operators to ensure every experience curated is unique and exclusive to your travel group.
Come with us on epic adventures and create memories that last a lifetime! Home Travel. Must-eat Greek food: A guide to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! From baklava to gyro, we have put together the best selection of mouth-watering Greek food to try when you visit Greece!
Cheryl Ang. View this post on Instagram. Facebook Messenger. Cheryl can usually be found by the beach, at the gym, or bouldering up a wall. She enjoys going to music festivals and checking out the latest music.
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A bit more hands on, see our top tips for travelling in Greece , or learn about getting there , getting around the country and where to stay once you are there. And if you prefer to plan and book your trip to Greece without any effort and hassle, use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.
Planning to travel here? Go tailor-made! Greek food: 11 delicious dishes you need to try. Related tailor-made travel itineraries for Greece. Souvlaki Perennially popular all over the world, these grilled meat usually pork skewers are often served with tzatziki a sauce made from yoghurt, cucumber and mint , pita bread, salad or rice. In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice. Planning on your own? An alternative to bread is the paximadi, which originally was old bread rebaked.
Popular choices include lamb, goat, chicken, pork, and veal in northern Greece. The meat is usually prepared roasted in the oven with lemon, garlic, and oregano, or as a stew in tomato sauce. Meat is almost always accompanied by roasted potatoes. Fish For mainland Greece, fish was mainly consumed in a cured or salted form, whereas on the islands there were more fresh fish available.
Dairy Dairy was mainly consumed in the form of yogurt or cheese. Greeks are among the highest consumers of cheese, thanks to feta cheese, which accompanies almost every dish. Sweets Traditional sweets include Greek spoon sweets a type of fruit preserve , olive oil based cakes and cookies, as well as sweets with syrup and honey.
Fruits were also consumed as a snack or after a meal. Herbs and Spices It is important to note that the herbs and spices play a very important role in the traditional foods and dishes of Greece, the most commonly used are garlic, lemon, onion, oregano, parsley, laurel, mint, dill, cinnamon, cumin, and allspice. What are Greeks eating today?
The current Greek diet has drastically changed in the past 30 years. Reports are noting that Greeks are consuming more calories and saturated fat. The overall prevalence of obesity is This may be due to several factors: increased income, rise in the number of supermarkets, working women having less time to cook, eating out more often in fast-food restaurants, less exercise. Urbanization and economic growth led Greeks away from the traditional Mediterranean diet adapting a more westernized style of eating.
Today highly processed food and fast food has unfortunately become a very important element in the Greek diet. The good news is that even with these new dietary habits, Greeks are once agin embracing their traditional diet and cuisine and there is a strong movement of promoting these traditional eating habits.
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