In continuation to my earlier article on Greek Cuisine
Greek food is somewhere in between Turkish/Middle Eastern food and Italian food. Most of the meats are grilled or roasted and most of the veggies are cooked in olive oil (fried or stewed).
Two ingredients that are common in Greek food might be perceived by some people as being bitter. Personally I don’t find them bitter, but they are:
Greek It’s a strong robust oregano, often used in generous amounts.
I’ve never understood why some people think of lemon as bitter. Bitter and sour are really opposites with respect to Ph values.
On a dish such as Greek chicken with oregano, olive oil and lemon, the oregano intensifies and becomes a bit more bitter as it bakes. The acidity of the lemon however helps to neutralize the alkaline bitterness. The essential step for this is basting. Greek chicken should be basted twice while cooking and once before serving. If you’ve cooked this and it was bitter, my first guess was that you didn’t baste.
Greek roasted lemon chicken with potatoes, properly basted.
~Jan Soloven, Trained chef, organic gardener, and experienced eater.
You may serve this with Tzatziki Sauce. Tzatziki sauce is an easy and tasty recipe, typical in Greece, and very popular in the neighbouring countries
Here is how to make it?
Greek food combines the freshest of ingredients from land and sea.
Greek lasagna, called pastitsio, is usually made with a tubular noodle such as penne rather than lasagna noodles. But it’s the white, creamy sauce that really sets this dish apart. The sauce is called béchamel and makes this Greek lasagna impossible to resist.
Pastichio (also spelled “pastitsio”) is like lasagne, but a big difference is using long tubes of macaroni, maccheroncelli, instead of flat layers of pasta, with a milk/cheese sauce.
The ingredients:
-2 pounds ground beef
-1 pound maccheroncelli
-1 small chopped onion,
-1 clove of garlic minced
-3 medium tomatoes chopped
-Chopped parsley
-Whites of two eggs
-About a stick of butter
-3/4 cup white wine (my mom used white zinfandel)
-Grated kefalograviera cheese (substitute parmesan or romano if you don’t have it)
-2 eggs with 2 additional egg yolks from the egg whites above (for four egg yolks total in this part)
Method–
Chop the ingredients listed above. Separate two egg yokes from the whites. Put the two egg whites in one bowl and the two yokes in another bowl that also has two whole eggs.
Boil a pound of the maccheroncelli pasta and add salt in it. Turn the heat to about medium on a large pot. Melt about half a stick of butter in the pan and add the chopped onions. Stir them and let it cook for a few minutes. Crumble 2 pounds of ground beef and add it to the pan and stir it (Trader Joe’s ground beef is my favorite). Add the minced garlic clove to the pan. Add pepper, salt, and keep stirring.
Drain the maccheroncelli and put it back in the pot. Put about 1/3 of a stick of butter in the pot with the maccheroncelli. Add tomatoes, parsley, and white wine to ground beef once it’s brown and stir. Let it cook for 45 minutes on a medium-low flame. Add a little salt to the pasta if you like and stir.
In a large pan, turn on the heat and melt one stick of butter in it. Gradually add 3/4 cup of flour to the pan and stir it thoroughly. Pour in the 4 cups of milk and stir it until it’s thick, but do not let it boil.
Add pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg to the milk and stir.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off heat to the ground beef after 45 minutes. Turn off heat to milk sauce when it’s thick.
Put some grated kefalograviera cheese into the milk and stir it. After it’s cooled down a little, beat the 4 eggs and add it to the sauce and stir. Add egg whites to ground beef mixture after it has cooled somewhat and stir it.
Put a layer of the pasta on the bottom of a baking pan like lasagna, then spread grated kefalograviera. Pour all the meat mixture onto the pasta and even it out. Put a layer of pasta on top of the meat and spread more grated kefalograviera cheese evenly. Then pour the milk sauce on the entire thing and spread the cheese evenly on top of the sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (my mom did one hour). Let it cool for at least 30 minutes. And you’re done!
They have lots of meat dishes, such as the ever-popular gyro or the souvlaki. Other popular dishes include the Greek moussaka as well as seafood. A large part of the country is along the coastline and therefore Greek cuisine offers a rich selection of seafood specialities like calamari, various types of fish, octopus etc.
Their desserts are amazing as well; you can go for extremely sweet options like the loukoumades and bougatsa or stick to lighter desserts like Greek yoghurt and honey.
Of course, you mustn’t forget to order a shot of ouzo or a glass of retsina for a complete Greek dining experience.
Almost any dish, contains either lemon or tomato, but almost never both. This is true for meats, vegetables, legumes, and what we call “Ladera” which means “oily foods” and contains a wide variety of foods from green beans to “gemista”.
Greeks use olive oil for everything. They eat bread with almost anything (especially with the aforementioned “Ladera”, perhaps not with pasta). Greeks eat cheese in almost all our meals, and if the salad contains tomato and oil (like “choriatiki” or the one you call Greek salad) many people will dip the bread in the bottom of the plate to moisten it with oil and tomato juice. This is called a “papara” (which in other contexts can be a swear word) or more rarely “vouta”.
Finding a good souvlaki, a good bougatsa, a good frappe or espresso, a good cheese pie, is a must wherever you go. Greeks refuse to eat in touristy places where quality, especially in these can be lower. Ask the locals for all of these things, and 9 times out of 10, they will show you to the best place in the area. They will be happy to assist you, and even proud. Seriously, they have tasted these things a million times, they know what they are talking about.
It’s incredibly easy to live on a vegetarian diet in Greece. Not so much vegan, but for a vegetarian, it’s infinitely cheaper than most places in Europe. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grain stuff are of incredible quality, and so cheap. I mean it, if a country in Europe has the comparative advantage in incredible quality mass-produced vegetables, grains and fruit, it’s Greece and the margin from the second country is huge.
Tap water is served without charge in all restaurants, with the exception of some small Aegean islands.
Greek and Turkish traditional sweets, are nothing like you’ve ever tasted in Europe. Try them, you must. Whether it’s galaktoboureko, baklavas, kataifi or the more obscure “ravani” and “samali”, they are something completely different from what you have ever tasted in your life.
Greeks cook their meats good, really good.
Greeks don’t drink many sodas. Mainly coca cola, but even that, not so much.
There are some extra things that you should know as well. First, chocolates are a bit milkier compared to other countries. Greeks revere our local hard liquor, like ouzo, tsipouro and raki and local red and white wine. Cocktails are mostly for the summer. Burgers have somewhat of a following as well as hot dogs, but we mostly stay away from them. Greek pizza usually has too much bread. If you want to eat fish, your best bet is to find a trustworthy fish tavern recommended by others or locals, and ask them what is the freshest fish they have right now.
The best food to try when visiting Greece?
Greece is not only known for its rich history, art and famous monuments. It is also known for its unique cuisine. It is a Mediterranean cuisine and makes wide use of vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, wine, and meat (white and red, including lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork).
Here are some of the best dishes you should try when you visit Greece,
Moussaka
Super Easy Moussaka | by Jules: stone soup
This iconic Greek baked dish is based on layering: sautéed aubergine, minced meat fried pureed tomato, onion, garlic and spices like cinnamon and allspice, a bit of potato, and then a final fluffy topping of cheese and béchamel sauce.
Loukoumades
Loukoumades – Nikos Cakes AUD4 for 3 | by avlxyz
A Greek delicacy loved by children and adults alike, loukoumades are small fried doughnut-like balls drenched in honey syrup and sprinkled with various toppings such as cinnamon or crushed walnuts. People usually order a large plate of them to share with friends or family.
Souvlaki
Souvlaki | by pastitio
Perennially popular all over the world, these grilled meat (usually pork) skewers are often served with tzatziki (a sauce made from yoghurt, cucumber and mint), pita bread, salad or rice.
Taramasalata
Taramasalata (that tasted of nothing) & Greek beer | by Smoobs
This creamy pungent dip is many people’s favourite. Made from smoked fish roe (cod, carp or mullet), blended with olive oil and lemon, homemade taramasalata is indisputably superior to the bright pink industrial version sold in supermarkets.
Greek Salad
Tomatoes Greek Salad Onions Salad Greek Food
You would have had a Greek Salad before, but you probably haven’t had it the prepared the “right” way, which is to say the way the Greek prepare it. A traditional Greek salad (also called Horiatiki) includes tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives and a rather large brick of feta cheese on top. It’s so fresh and light, that it’s hard to resist ordering it.
Among all varieties of yoghurt, Greek yoghurt is the healthiest. It has the perfect ratio of protein and carbohydrate and is a brilliant post-workout snack. If you have a bowl of Greek yoghurt within 60 minutes of your workout, it releases amino acids that help repair muscles. Have a glass of water with your yoghurt and it improves the absorption of water by intestines thereby enhancing your hydration and also helps in colon detox.
A bowl of yoghurt is said to have 300 grams of calcium. So, if you are worried about your debilitating bone health, it’s always good to add yoghurt to your diet. It will not only maintain your bone density but also strengthen them. For the elderly who are at risk of osteoporosis, a cup of yoghurt daily after lunch is a healthy option.
People consuming yoghurt proved that if you replace an unhealthy snack in a day with yoghurt, it will help you cut down calories. This also helps burn belly fat.
In conclusion, Greece isn’t the most beautiful country in the world, but a very beautiful one. It doesn’t have the warmest or smartest people, although Greeks are one of the friendliest, creative and hard-working.
It is said that the desire of exploring new destinations cannot stop the tourists from exploring new destinations, especially if they are searching for the venues of their choices. You will agree that there are a plethora of tourist places across the world which are visited by the citizens of different countries throughout the year across the world. Among these places, some destinations are recognized for their tranquillity and plethora of scenic views. Let us, for instance, talk about the Paxos Island in Greece.
Signature Behind Tour of Greek Island
The country of Greece is recognized for its beautiful islands that are visited by the thousands of visitors from different corners of the world for the whole year. Among these islands which despite being under-developed succeed in fascinating the tourists them. Interestingly, Paxos Island is among such islands which are mainly visited by the tourists willing to go for a tranquil vacation. The island is located in the last corner of Greece in the Ionian sea and is the smallest island within the country. But, besides this, it witnesses the arrival of visitors in huge number.
Short Review of Paxos Island
One more surprising fact about the Paxos is that it doesn’t have its own airport and the tourists have to hire a ferry from the Corfu for reaching to Paxos because Corfu is the only nearby city which has its airport.
Well, about the Paxos Island it has been under the control of different rulers since the ancient times and therefore the influence of their rule can be witnessed in the lift style of natives, whose population is below 3000. The main occupation of the people is farming of olive groves, fishing and some sort of commercial activities which mainly refers to offering services to the visitors.
Story Behind The Aura of Paxos
There is also an interesting story behind the origin of this island. According to this Greek God Posedian blown his trident to the southern coast of the Corfu over the Ionian sea, resulting in the formation of Paxos Island. He developed this island to spend some quality time with his lady-love secretly at some tranquil location away from his wife.
Scenario Of Tour In Paxos
Anyhow, talking about current Paxos, it would be interesting to know that despite being small in size, it offers everything to the tourists of all age groups. If you are a newly married couple and searching for seclusion destination then it offers you the privilege of staying in Paxos Villas that are specially built for the tourists.
The worth mentioning feature of these villas is that they are located in the green hills which are covered with the olive groves, offering a soothing view to the visitors. Another interesting feature of these villas is that they offer them the facility of enjoying the stay without any restrictions as applicable to the hotels.
Shelter Facilities of Paxos Villas
Glyfada Beach Villa
These villas are mainly developed with different infrastructure so that the tourists can book them according to their requirement. For instance, if you are visiting the island with your family then Glyfada beach family villa or Glyfada house can be the best option for you. Similarly, if you are going only with your spouse then Ionian studio will offer you the comfortable relaxation. In short, it can be said that the Holiday Villas in Paxos are build keeping the number of visitors coming in each group. Anyhow, one thing which is common about these villas is that all of them are well equipped and maintained. Each villa is of B+ category and has big rooms with king sized beds, living room with sofas and chairs, kitchen with dining facilities. An interesting feature which makes these villas different from luxurious hotels is that despite variation in their size all of them have a balcony and terrace that offer an iconic view of the island.
During your visit to the island you can sail around the neighboring villages, play different types of water sports, enjoy the taste of local food in tavern, enjoy the pleasure of walking over the beaches, however for that you will be required to put on shoes, because beaches of the eastern coast have pebbles, whereas the western coasts have rocks and cliffs.
In short, it can be said that Paxos Island in Greece is heaven for the tourists searching for a tranquil place to enjoy a relaxing vacation.
