The food and drink of Greece are world famous for quality and taste. Some dishes are
served across Greece and the Greek Islands, whereas others are local culinary
specialties.
Here is a brief overview of the kinds of dishes/foods you will find on your holiday:
MEZEDES
The mezedes (single: mezes) are appetizers served on small plates, served before or with
the main dishes, usually accompanied with ouzo or tsipouro.
- Briam: Mix of roast potatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic, tomato sauce and olive
oil.
- Dolmadakia: Grape leaves filled with rice and onions and sometimes minced beef.
- Feta cheese: The famous Greek cheese can also be eaten alone, as a meze, with olive
oil and oregano.
- Horta: Boiled wild greens with olive oil, salt and lemon.
- Htapodi: Small pieces of octopus served either fried with lemon juice or boiled,
with olive oil, vinegar and oregano.
- Kalamarakia: Small pieces of fried squid with lemon juice.
- Keftedakia: Fried meatballs of beef, garlic and bread.
- Saganaki: Fried cheese. Different sorts of cheese can be found in saganaki.
Excellent with a zest of lemon.
- Spanakopitakia: Small spinach pies with crushed feta cheese.
- Tiropitakia: Small cheese pies, usually made of feta or kasseri cheese.
- Tzatziki: Greek yogurt with finely chopped cucumber, garlic and olive oil. Ideal to
eat with fresh Greek bread, fried potatoes or fried meatballs.
SALADS
The most famous is the Greek salad, or else Horiatiki (Village Salad), but there are also
many other types with dipping sauces.
- Horiatiki Salata: Also know as "Greek salad", the horiatiki is a mix of fresh
tomatoes, olives, cucumber, onions, green pepper, feta cheese, olive oil and
oregano.
- Melitzanosalata: An eggplant puree with finely chopped garlic and olive oil. It is
succulent with fresh bread.
- Taramosalata: Crushed fish eggs.
DRINKS
Tsipouro: Very strong alcohol similar looking to ouzo, but with a stronger taste of anis.
It is served best with ice and sometimes with a bit of water. It is always accompanied
with mezedes. In different parts of Greece, such as Crete, some islands and the northern
Greece, people make their own home made Tsipouro, also called Raki (depending of the
region) which is very very strong.
Ouzo: This is the most famous Greek alcoholic beverage and the trade mark of the country.
It is a strong alcohol, served neat with ice or with a bit of water. It is ideal to
drink with all kinds of mezedes. The best ouzo is made in Lesvos and the most famous
trades are Ouzo Plomariou and Barbayanni.
Mavrodafni: This sweet wine is made in Patras Peloponnese. It is really thick and dark
(almost black) and can be compared to the Portuguese Porto. This strong wine is used for
the Holy Communion in the Greek Orthodox Church.
Retsina: The famous Retsina is a Greek white wine with a particular resin taste. This
taste is due to the way of production of this wine: they put the grapes in new cask
which have still the wood resin on, giving to the whine that special taste.
There is also a huge diversity of Greek wines: red, white and rose, sweet or dry.