Olive oil, which is used in most Greek meals, is the most distinctive and traditional component in Greek cooking. It enhances the unique flavor of Greek cuisine and is made from the olive trees that are common in the area. Many people also consume the olives themselves. Onions, green beans, okra, tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, and green peppers are all important vegetables.
HOMECOOKING
The island of Chios in the Aegean is home to mastic, an aromatic, ivory-colored plant resin.
Seasonal vegetables stewed with olive oil, herbs, and tomato sauce are common home-cooked dishes. Green beans, peas, okra, cauliflower, spinach, leeks, and other vegetables are utilized in these recipes.
Numerous foods, including kotopita, spanakopita, hortopita, kimadopita, kolokythopita, and others, are wrapped in filo dough in either huge sheets or bite-sized triangles. They have pitas in innumerable varieties.
Fried pitas, also known as piroski or pirozhki, are filled with feta cheese, Greek Protected Destination of Origin-certified
- Kasseri cheese
- Ground beef
- Mashed potatoes
, or a combination of these. Served hot. The majority of piroski, and even fewer today, may be purchased in Greece in specialty stores that offer them only.
Moussaka
This dish, which is based on potatoes or eggplant, is common in the Middle East and the Balkans and has a number of regional and local variations.
Greek salad
Frequently made with tomato, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, and olive pieces, it is seasoned with Greek oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Green bell pepper or caper berries are common additions. Greek salad is often considered a farmer’s breakfast or lunch because its contents are similar to what a Greek farmer could have on hand.
Spanakopita
Throughout the Balkans, pastry is consumed. Chopped spinach, egg, and typically feta or white cheese make up the filling.
Chopped spinach, feta cheese, scallions or onions, egg, and seasoning make up the classic filling. It’s also possible to mix feta cheese with other white, ideally salted cheeses, like kefalotiri, or use part of them in place of feta cheese.
Greek meatballs
What a wonderful dinner to prepare on a hot summer day. They are made with ground pork, feta, mint, parsley, garlic, and a few other ingredients, and they can be prepared in less than half an hour. After that, the Greek meatballs are topped with handmade feta tzatziki and garnished with fresh mint, lemon, and dill.
Papoutsakia
Greek and Turkish cuisine both use eggplant. The basic dish is made with boiled or roasted eggplants that have had their tops chopped off lengthwise. and scraped up and combined with other ingredients, such as olive oil, tomatoes, lemon, green peppers or bell peppers, eggs, green onions, and occasionally ground beef. It is grilled after being covered with a hard, salty cheese, like kasseri, Mihaliç Peyniri, or kefalotyri.
