A Guide to Greek Food

The Greek culture is perhaps best known for their ancient mythology, including Gods and Goddesses. The Greek people not only know about war, art, and culture, but they also know how to make some good food. For a culture that has been around as long as any, the Greek people have known how to enjoy a good meal for centuries. So, grab a knife, fork and some olive oil. It's time to enjoy some of the best Greek cuisine. 

Greek salad: What better way to start off a meal than with a nice salad? The Greek salad is also commonly known as a summer salad. It is made up of lettuce topped with sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, feta cheese, red onions, and kalamata olives. Add some salt, oregano and olive oil to top it off.

Avgolemono: This Mediterranean soup serves as a great appetizer to the main course. It means egg-lemon in Greek and starts with chicken broth. Orza, a Mediterranean type of rice is then added along with eggs and lemon. It is stirred until it thickens up and served hot. Don't leave any leftovers or the soup will curdle.

Gyro: There are many ways to make this delicious dish, but the Greek way includes lamb meat laid out on a pita. The meat is then covered with lettuce, tomato, onion and tzatziki (cucumber sauce). The pita is closed up and the a gyro is eaten similarly to a burrito. The gyro is perhaps one of the most common Greek dishes and what makes all the difference is the tzatziki sauce. Simply put, it is to die for.

Pastitsio: This pasta has a slight similarity to lasagna. It is made up of ziti or penne, a meat filling, and bechamel sauce. These three are layered in a pan and baked until golden brown. As always, olive oil is a main ingredient. Warning, this dish can be extremely messy to make, so be prepared to dirty a few pots and pans.

Moussaka: Similar to Pastitsio, Moussaka is a casserole that is made up by layering eggplant, meat and bechamel sauce. The meat is often spicy, which helps add to the flavoring. Like the gyro, it is one of the most widely known Greek dishes. 

Spanakopita: As one of the most popular Greek pastries, Spanakopita is spinach, feta cheese, onions, eggs and seasoning wrapped into phyllo (flour dough). Add butter and olive oil to the phyllo and enjoy this tasty desert.

Baklava: A meal is not complete without the grand-daddy of them all, Baklava. This tasty treat is an extremely rich pastry that is also made of phyllo along with chopped nuts. It is sweetened with honey. This is one of the most well-known deserts in the world and will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Now that you have a basic knowledge of Greek food, try the best restaurants in Athens.