Have you tried these top 5 Greek street foods?

Greek street food can be healthy, hearty and comforting. There are dishes that have a lot of influences from history, such as the occupation from the Ottoman Empire and there are a lot of traditions carried on from Ancient Greece.

If you ever visit Greece, you need to try the street food that they offer, because it is an experience that will tickle your tastebuds and will make you never forget. If you have already visited Greece, have you tried these top 5 street foods listed below?

Souvlakia

There is still an ongoing debate between Athens and Thessaloniki about what Souvlaki actually is. But what we can all agree on is that it's a skewer of cubed meat cooked on the grill and is usually marinated with salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil. The most common meats used are pork and chicken and can either be served on its own as 'chicken/pork Kalamaki' with lemon wedges and chips or it can be served as a 'tulixto' which is a pitta bread wrap with tomato, tzatziki or sauce, onions, chips and lettuce.

Spanakopita

When people think of Greek food, they usually think of lamb, lamb and more lamb. But there are actually delicious vegetarian street food options as well. Spanakopita is a very popular one and in English, it's called spinach pie. The phyllo pastry on top is golden and flaky, and there is usually a generous amount of cooked spinach inside. You can also get spanakopita with feta cheese, which is even better. Spanakopita can be bought in nearly every bakery in Greece and there are even supermarkets that sell good quality frozen versions.

Loukoumades

Everyone loves doughnuts, which is why Loukoumades is a popular street food treat. Loukoumades are small deep-fried dough balls and are traditionally drizzled in honey, sprinkled cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

There are now modern twists of loukoumades, with some food spots serving them with chocolate filled inside or on top. They are typically sweet street food, but there are also savoury versions too.

Pontikaki cake

There are a lot of patisseries in Greece and most patisseries, you will see a section of cakes. The most common cake that you will see in nearly every patisserie is called the Pontikaki cake. In English, this means mouse cake and it is a chocolate mousse cake shaped like cute mice. This certain cake is soft, light and always fresh to eat.

kolokithokeftedes (courgette fritters)

This is a popular Cretan meze but can be found all over Greece in tavernas, restaurants and even bakeries. There is also a vegetarian version of souvlaki with kolokithokeftedes being the star of the show in the wrap. These are salty, light and filling to eat.

When it comes to Greek street food, it's more common to order food from a souvlatzidiko (for souvlakia), a bakery or a small food joint. There aren't night markets or street food stalls in the country, and if there are, there are only very few stalls that are set up for shop around the country.

However, it's very common to see street food vendors selling nuts and seeds, corn on the cob and roasted nuts. Another common thing to see is street food vendors selling a hard, round bread called Koulouri. It can cost 50 cents and it can be filling. It also pairs well with your coffee.

Wherever you go in Greece, you will find something that is unique to the local cuisine in that area. You can find the street foods listed above anywhere in Greece, and they're certainly worth trying. Greeks are major foodies and will always welcome you with great hospitality.