Greek Food

There is much, much more to Greek cuisine than the well-known Greek salad. Greek food has a fascinating and delicious history that makes a large use of vegetables, olive oil, cheese, herbs wine, honey, filo pastry, various meats, fish, and much more. While many of the country’s regions and islands are isolated – causing inhabitants to eat what’s nearby – many dishes have become very widespread and exemplify Greek cuisine. Regional variations on dishes are also a large source of local identity. Additionally, Greek food has been heavily influenced not only by Greece’s own history and geography, but by the Ottoman Empire, resulting in arguments regarding the origin of various dishes. From modern day fast food such as the gyro, to popular meze
Greek scriptures suggest cheese dates back roughly 8000 years, with a mention in Homer’s “Odyssey” when Odysseus and his men come across it upon entering the cave of Cyclops Polyphemus. In the myth, Polyphemus made the cheese by accident, after realizing that milk he was transporting had taken a solid form. Today, feta cheese remains a staple in Greek cuisine, used commonly as an ingredient or a meze. It’s also exported on a large scale all over the world. Like many other Greek foods, spanakopita can be served with wine, which is very significant in Greek culinary history. Wine was considered a gift from the gods in ancient Greece, with wine festivals being held to honor Dionysus, the god of wine. Wine cultivation was passed down through generations and continues today to accompany many
The Turkic nomad’s practice of using portable griddles to make thinly layered bread suggest they have a strong claim to baklava, as this is similar to the layering of phyllo dough. Other historians point out that the word “baklava” suggests Armenian influence because of its closeness to the Armenians words “bakh” and “halvah”, which mean Lent and sweet respectively. However, one of the most prevailing theories is that baklava dates back to the Assyrians of the 8th century (BC), because they layered flat bread with chopped nuts between it, covered it in honey, then baked it in a wood burning oven, which is very similar to modern