Greece is one of the top destinations for food lovers for sure. Besides the rich history, mythology , and breath taking scenes, eating Greek food is one of the my highlights when visiting this beautiful country.
I fell in love with Greek cuisine from the first time I tasted Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves ) made by yaya – a Greek grandma of a friend. And ever since, I’ve wanted to try all the Greek food ever existed.
I’m listing these 10 traditional food that you should not miss when in Greece.
1. Olives
Olive, olive, everywhere in Greece. Without a doubt they are delicious. Almost every restaurant in Greece would have a plate of olives for an appetizer. But in order to really satisfying your olive cravings, vising a local market and buy the olives there. It’s cheaper (see the price below in kilos) and they make a great snack anytime you want.
2. Gyros and Kebab
I group these two together because they both usually are sold at the same shop.
Gyro (yee–ro when in Greece) is shaved meat while Kebab is ground meat wrapped on a stick. Usually come with pita for easy bite while roaming around or in a platter for some serious eating.
If you’re in Athens and have no clues where to try Gyro, just head out to “Souvlaki Row” in Monastiraki neighborhood. A small street named Mitropoleos , off Monastiraki Square is full of restaurants serving these dishes. ( for map click link https://goo.gl/maps/tnwMffWkPaR2 )
You can try one of the oldest taverna , Bairaktaris , which is always packed at lunch time . Or try further down the street for smaller stalls that aren’t too crowd.
If you are in Santorini, I found that the best gyro is at Yogi Gyro in Thira ( for map click here https://goo.gl/maps/YmgxkDShfXq )
For less than €3.00, you’ll get chicken or pork or lamb gyro wrapped in pita bread stuffed with fries and veggies.
3. Souvlaki (Kalamaki)
I am a true believer of everything on a stick. Souvlaki is basically meat on a stick. In Athens it’s also called Kalamaki.
I ate at least one souvlaki a day while in Greece. The meat is usually chicken or pork which cost average about 1.70€ per skewer but occasionally there are lamb and beef in a sit-down restaurant. which will cost more.
I like to eat souvlaki off the skewer. Just squeeze a lemon on the meat, and you are good to go. It often come with a piece of bread or pita that you can pull the meat off and eat it as a wrap.
In Old town Athens, you can satisfy your souvlaki craving at Kalamaki Bar ( map here https://goo.gl/maps/4fsb2mqYB7D2) where they serve a wide range of souvlaki
4.Greek Salad
“When in doubt, Start with Greek Salad”
When you don’t know where to start your meal, go with Greek Salad. A pile of fresh veggies – tomatoes, onion, peppers, olives topped with feta cheese seasoned with oregano and drizzled with olive oil. That’s all you need to start a meal in Greece.
Remember.. a real Greek Salad doesn’t have lettuce.
5.Saganaki
Basically, Saganaki is a pan -fried a thick slice of cheese.
Fresh lemon juice squeezed on it when you eat. There are varieties of firm cheese used in this dish. Preferably Graviera cheese because it will be soft inside. I’ve had one prepared with feta cheese. To be honest, it was too hard and dry for me.
6. Tomatokeftedes
To my surprise, Greece’s tomatoes are very delicious.
If you’re in Santorini, you have to try this local favorite , Tomatokeftedes – Santorini Tomato Fritter .
The dish uses Santorini tomatoes which have distinctive texture due to the volcanic soil on the island. The tomatoes are crush to form a ball and fry them in oil.
“You are not in Santorini until you try Tomatokeftedes”
7. Grilled Octopus
I am a little bias here because I love octopus. I made sure that I get to eat grilled octopus while I am in Greece. Nothing can beat fresh octopus grilled to perfection.
If you’re not a fan of octopus, try any other seafood. I am told by locals to hold off on seafood while in Athens until I visit the island. And boy! It doesn’t disappoint. Especially ‘Catch of the Day’, whichever fish the restaurant gets in the morning and order it grilled. That’s all you need. Simple is best.
8. Spanakopita – and other pie
Spanakopita – Spinach Pie. I just love the mixture of soft spinach and feta wrapped in golden crispy phyllo dough.
This is my main breakfast everyday as is to many Greeks do in the morning. On their way to work , they just grab the Spanakopita or any one of these freshly made pie from a bakery shop.
You can easily find a bakery shop inn the neighborhood. It’s quick, easy, and cheap to get your day starting exploring.
9. Baklava -and other phyllo sweets
First thing I asked our local guide in Athens was “Where is the best Baklava?”. (Don’t worry, I will tell you what she said)
This heavenly rich sweet is probably the most well-known dessert coming from this region.
Obviously I could eat Baklava every day but Greek dessert isn’t just Baklava.
I also fell in love with Portokalopita – Greek Orange Cake. I love the chewy texture of the cake from phyllo dough soaked in orange syrup. I love it so much that I try to recreate the cake at home. So every time I taste one, it reminds me of the good time in Greece.
I bet you’re dying to know where is the best Baklava in Athens? Our tour guide pointed it to this small boutique shop in Plaka. Oh boy. She wasn’t kidding.
Unlike a big bakery shop, this shop has only two trays of homemade Baklava and that’s it. The layer of mix nuts is the thickest I’ve seen. And they use honey, instead of syrup. So it’s not overly sweet.
11. Koulouri Thessalonikis
You will find a street vendor selling ,Koulouri Thessalonikis , a bread ring coated with sesame seeds everywhere around Athens.
It may look like a bagel but it’s not because the dough isn’t boiled. So it has more crunchy texture than a bagel. But like bagels, there are variety of Koulouri Thessalonikis these day. You can get a plain one with sesame or fillings like chocolate or cheese.
BONUS: Ypovrichio – Submarine Sweets
If it wasn’t for our local guide, I would have no idea what and how I am supposed to do with this.
This tradition dessert is basically a big blob of sugar on spoon served in a cup of cold water. I guess this is where the ‘submarine’ name came from.
How do you eat it?
You leave the spoon in the water for a while for the sugar to be soften, then lick the sugar, and dunk it back in the water again and repeat until the sugar is all gone. Then you drink the water which is now very sweet at the end. Assumingly, it’s very refreshing , well-suit for the hot summer in Greece. Plus, I got to try a very unique Greek ‘Mastic’ flavor which comes from tree resin tastes similar to licorice .
I know I can’t even scratch the surface of what Greek cuisine is about. If only…if only I had more time and more stomach to try them all.
Happy Travellilng
Patt W
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