We have great memories of our trip to Greece, of the places we visited, of the people we met, the adventures we lived, and of course, of the Greek food. A decade ago I would have been scared to try new foods, nowadays, if it’s not liver, spicy or doesn’t have curry, bring it on! So I was more than excited to discover the tastes and textures of the Greek food, only to prove to myself what I already knew, that it’s amazing.
We got to try most of the famous Greek dishes, on the islands and in Athens. There wasn’t anything we tried that we didn’t like. Some of these dishes are well known, some are basic, others you might never have heard of, among everything I tried, here are my favorites, 10 must try Greek foods you can’t miss while in Greece:
Gyros
This very famous and beloved dish is very similar to Kebab, as the meat is cooked in a vertical rotisserie as well. It is normally chicken, beef, veal, lamb, pork and mutton meat, served in a flatbread such as pita, with salad, tzatziki sauce, etc.
Fried Calamari
Another very traditional Greek dish. Fried calamari is part of basically every restaurant’s menu in the country, and can be served and prepared in different ways, breaded or not, with pasta or salad and so on.
Moussaka
This potato/eggplant-based dish with ground meat, resembles a piece of lasagna. It is layered with a milk based sauce, meat, eggplant or potato, baked and served hot. Its texture is soft and it’s full of taste. It was one of the highlights among the Greek foods I tried.
Souvlaki
Does the idea of small pieces of grilled meat on a skewer sound good to you? Assuming that your answer is yes, you are going to love Souvlaki. This very popular dish is served with pita bread, sauce and French fries. Delicious!
Dolmadakia
I admit I was very skeptic about trying out this one, but I had no idea how much I would love it after the first bite. Dolmadakia are grape leafs stuffed with meat, which in this case is served hot, or with vegetables, served cold. It is very tasty and the leafs make all the different.
Loukoumades
For the sweet tooth readers, Loukoumades are fried small balls of dough with honey, also known as Greek Honey Dumplings. These are little pieces of heaven and a must try. I tried them on Astypalea island and loved it!
Roasted Lamb
The most traditional dish of the Greek Orthodox Easter, when on Saturday, the local families prepare the lamb to on the following day, for the Sunday feast. It is prepared with lemon juice, herbs, salt and spices, and depending on the region, the animal can be roasted entirely or just some parts. It tastes amazing, and it can be served with a typical rice with cinnamon.
Fava
Fava (in this case not the fava beans many of you know) is a purée of yellow split peas flavored with onions, and cooked and served with olive oil as a meze, as appetizer or as a side dish to be eaten warm. I confess I didn’t find the idea of eating split peas purée appealing, but the yellow one taste nothing like the green.
Seafood pasta
Of course, this one can be made anywhere in the world and it’s nothing new to any of you. However, you must try it in Greece, where the seafood is fresh and normally served in abundance over the cooked pasta and juicy sauce, varying from big chunks of lobster to calamari, mussels and so on.
Xerotigana
I bet most of you never heard of this one, previous to my trip to Astypalea I also hadn’t. It was the most delicious discovery I made in Greece, and I’m sure many of you would love if you tried it too. Xerotigana is a weird name for a delicious and delicate honey fried dough stripes that resembles a cinnamon roll. The texture of this sweet is amazing, and it’s served with honey on top.
Bonus!
Drinks:
Raki
This aperitif drink is famous and traditional in the whole country, it is normally served with seafood or meze, but honestly? It’s served about any time, who’s judging? With about 40-45% volume of alcohol, raki is a distilled drink, unsweetened and anis-flavored, served cold. Yamas!
Beer
Greece does produce its own beer, and the most famous ones are Fix and Mythos, both great, though Fix was my favorite.
Frappe
Everywhere you go on Greece, it’s impossible not to notice how much the Greek love drinking a Frappe, especially on the warmer months. Even though I don’t like coffee I gave it a try, but nope, not my thing.
Found anything you would tried or would like to try? I hope these are inspiration enough to have an idea of what to eat in Greece during that trip you’ve been planning.
Pin it up!
