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If Greece is not on your travel wish list yet, be sure to add it, if only for the gastronomy.
Greek fare is an age-old tradition, influenced by both Eastern and Western Cultures. Fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood are the primary delights. Of course, a trip to Greece would not be complete without some slow cooked succulent lamb. Even on a budget, you will be able to experience the superlative cuisine in most Tavernas.
In between bronzing your body on the beach, visiting the islands and a viewing of the Acropolis, you need to put down your glass of ouzo and get busy tasting the flavours and experiencing the aromas of Greece.
Let’s get started with -
Kolokythokeftedes / Fried Zucchini Fritters served with tzatziki. Enjoy this delight in Oia, Greece’s most photographed village.
Dolmadakia (small dolmades). Vine leaves stuffed with lamb or beef and rice. Dolmades go back to the time of Alexander the Great when soldiers were given small rations of meat. They added rice and wrapped it in vine leaves to make it more filling.
Tomatokeftedes / Tomato Fritters. A glass of Vinsanto from the vineyards in Santorini will complement this treat. Santorini is known for its world class wines, perhaps because of its unique climate and volcanic soil.
Are you drooling at the mouth yet and ready to jump in to the next course?
Street type foods are very popular. Pack a picnic and head out to the Foloi Oak Forest in Elis, southwest Greece. Take along –
Gyros. Roast lamb with Greek salad in a pita dipped in tzatziki. Finger food at its best.
Souvlaki. Chicken, fish, beef, pork or lamb on a skewer, wash it down with a glass of Retsina.
Saganaki / fried cheese. Prepared in a copper, two handled dish and set aflame with brandy. Delicious cold with fresh figs.
What would travel in Greece be like without a generous slice of baklava and an Ellinikos (Greek coffee), to round off your meal. Baklava originated in Athens and it was the food of the rich. To this day you can often hear Greek people say, “I am not rich enough to eat Baklava.”
Gastronomic foods such as kleftiko, moussaka, halva, pastitsi and spanakopita will become everyday foods that will take your fancy when you travel in Greece.
