Greek cuisine

Greek cuisine is the cuisine deriving from Greece mainland and its associated islands. Given the geography and history of Greece, this style of cookery has heavy leanings towards Middle Eastern cuisine. The terrain has tended to favour the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common, although today most of the fish is imported since the Mediterranean Sea is quite overfished. Olive oil, produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. Many dishes use filo pastry. Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine. Traditionally, Greek dishes are served warm rather than hot as easting too hot was deemed unhealthy.

Table of contents

1 Appetizers
2 Famous Greek dishes
3 Desserts
4 Drinks

Appetizers

Most of these are served with pita bread -- a round flat wheat bread made with yeast.

Tzatziki (yogurt with cucumber and garlic puree, used as a dip)
Taramosalata (fish roe pureed with some boiled potatoes; tarama = fish roe, salata = salad).
Spanakopita (spinach pie wrapped in filo pastry)
Tyropita (cheese pie wrapped in filo pastry)
Saganaki (fried cheese)
Dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed either with meat or rice and vegetables)
Avgolemono soup (made with eggs and lemons

Famous Greek dishes

Moussaka (eggplant casserole). There are other variations besides eggplant, such as zucchini or rice, but the eggplant version ("melitzanes moussaka") is most popular, so "moussaka" alone is assumed to mean with eggplant.
Kleftiko: lamb slow-baked on the bone, first marinaded in garlic and lemon juice.
Souvlaki (lamb and vegetables on skewers)
Gyros (pork, yogurt, tomato sandwich on pitta bread; this is a popular "fast food").
Pastitsio (macaroni, meat, and white sauce in the oven)

Desserts

Baklava (A popular sweet desert, layers of filo pastry with nuts, sugar, honey, cloves)
Loukoumia
Creamy yogurt with honey

Drinks

Ouzo (an 80-proof clear alcoholic beverage that is flavored with anise; it turns milky white with water or ice; the best said to be produced on the island of Lesbos).
Tsipouro (Mostly home-brewed, a clear drink very similar to Ouzo, often with higher alcohol content).
Metaxa (a fine brandy; 40% alcohol content)
Retsina (a white wine that has some pine tar added, originally as a preservative, but nowadays for the flavor; this is an Athens region specialty. It should not be aged.).