Greek Gastronomy

In the few days that we were in Greece we weren't able to try many of the typical Greek dishes, but all the Greek stuff we tried, we liked!

I'm going to give you a list of the fantastic dishes or snacks that were part of the short week we spent in Athens:

• Chicken Souvlaki: grilled pork skewer. In almost every road there was a little shop with a barbecue that was constantly serving this snack. It can be accompanied by various sauces, but the most popular is garlic sauce.
• Tiropitakia: little triangle shaped pastries filled with the quintessentially Greek cheese: feta, and with other cheeses. They're quite salty and excellent! They're normally eaten at breakfast.
• Feta Cheese: I had already tried this cheese in Portugal, but trying it in Greece was quite a different experience. It really is better to try it in its place of origin!
• Honey: Greek honey is totally different from what we consider to be honey! The honey we tried was a home-made money, quite thick. This is only due to the type of flower which influences its flavour and consistency. It was great mixed with the famous Greek yoghurt.
• Greek Yoghurt: in spite of already having tasted the "Greek yoghurts" which are produced for other countries like Portugal, the real Greek yoghurts are very different since they are actually genuine. I don't know how to explain the difference, you just have to try it and feel it.
• Yoghurt Sauce with Garlic: this is one of the most famous sauces in Greece. It's very frequently used to dress salads and meat dishes.
• Giant Beans with Tomato, roasted in the oven: this was one of the meals that we tried and which delighted us. The main ingredient, the giant bean, is produced in the North of Greece, so it's a very common ingredient in Greek gastronomy. This dish is essentially made with the giant bean, tomato, lots of olive oil, onion, pepper, parsley and black pepper. It's all put in a tray and roasted in the oven. It's a very simple recipe, quite healthy, and very tasty! You have to try it if you're visiting Greece!
• Bread with olive oil, garlic and oregano: beyond being very common in Portuguese cooking, this snack also appears in Greek cuisine! It's used to accompany main dishes.

• Greek Potato Salad: this salad is also an accompaniment for other dishes, and consists of, on top of potato, pepper, garlic and salad and is dressed in a way that highlights a sour taste that isn't from the vinegar or from the lemon.
• Kadaifi: this is a typical Greek pastry. It's made with a dough which has a very peculiar consistency. This consistency is due to the very many fine layers that compose the base. Its principal ingredients are honey and almonds and it's great! We brought this pastry back to give to friends and they loved it!
• Pastries with honey: I don't know the actual name of this pastry, but it's very easy to find it (and it's worth it! ) in pastry shops (of which there are many).
• Coffee: the coffee is more expensive than in Portugal, but it's just as good!

Beyond all these delicious things, we also tried a typical Greek dessert whose name I can't remember, but here's a photo:

Since Greek gastronomy is Mediterranean, it's very healthy and rich in distinct flavours. I loved the experience!

Apart from this, we also ate some good kebabs, but we couldn't try the typical Greek salad! I definitely will next time!

Photo gallery