The Five Features of Greek Cuisine

Greek Food
Greek cuisine is probably one of the most sought after flavors on the globe. Originally of Mediterranean decent, the dishes have gained a lot of popularity among foreigners and tourists who visit places like Cyprus and Greece. The tourists usually enjoy the food so much that they go home and look for cook books just so that they can try to cook it themselves. Foods from this area have the ability to fulfil the needs of both your stomach and your taste buds and will definitely get you going back for seconds.
If you are wondering what makes Greek dishes so exceptional, here are 5 characteristics that make it special:
1. To begin with, all the ingredients used in Greek dishes are nourishing. Some of the items put into the dish are inclusive of cereals, some legumes and various types of meat such as fish.

2. Believe it or not, if you have the right ingredients, you will realize that the dishes are actually quite easy to make. This is a major reason why people fancy Greek cuisine; easy to make and still delicious in the long run.

3. Another reason why Greek food has become popular all around the world is because no appetizers are required before the main course. Most appetizers are usually flavor packed and because the Greek food itself is already full of different flavors; you will want to jump right into the main course.

4. The spices and herbs used by the locals are rich in flavor and this makes them the perfect ingredients when garnishing the dishes.

5. Lastly, if the dish presented to you contains beef, then it is probably not a Greek dish. The main type of meat used when making the dishes is lamb.

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently used in most dishes. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, aubergine (eggplant), potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange, bigarade (bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey from willy trees. Mastic (aromatic, ivory coloured resin) is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.

Greek cuisine uses some flavorings more often than other Mediterranean cuisines do, namely: oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Persillade is also used as a garnish on some dishes. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use “sweet” spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews.

The climate and terrain has tended to favour the breeding of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes are uncommon. Fish dishes are common in coastal regions and on the islands. A great variety of cheese types are used in Greek cuisine, including Feta, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, Graviera, Anthotyros, Manouri, Metsovone and Mizithra.
The above are some of the characteristics that make Greek food unique.

About LindaS

Love to cook and share my culinary experiences. This blog is filled with recipes that were used by my mother and grandmother for 60 years or more. Lived in Dallas, Texas my entire life.
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