The Taste Of Greece
Delicious Greek dishes and their origin
Moussaka
A popular dish that is well-known is a delectable creation made with spiced meat that is either beef or lamb in tomato sauce. Moussaka is layered with fried eggplant and topped with bechamel sauce Since bechamel sauce is used in other Greek dishes too it is important to note that bechamel sauce is a white sauce that is made with flour, milk, and butter. Moussaka has become one of the traditional dishes of Greece. This dish has many variations all over the world and has become a favorite in the Balkan nations, the Middle East, and in Turkey.
It is thought that this dish was introduced to Greece by the Arabs when they brought over the eggplant. There is a 13th-century Arab cookbook called the Baghdad Cookery Book, including a recipe that could be an ancestor of the dish mousaka.
Moussaka is baked in a casserole dish with layers of ground beef or lamb, layers of sliced eggplant, and it is all topped with a thick layer of bechamel sauce. Then baked until the flavors combine and the top is golden. The delicious moussaka is cut into squares and served warm, not hot. It is not an everyday dish and usually made for guests or on holidays.
Papoutsakia (Stuffed Eggplants)
When making papoutsakia, the eggplants are first baked until they're soft and then they're filled with a meat sauce with tomatoes, topped with bechamel sauce, and cheese, Then baked until golden brown. The name of the dish, papoutsakia translates to little shoes. This is because the shape of the stuffed eggplants looks similar to little shoes.
The origin of this delectable dish is not really known but eggplants were introduced to Greece during the Ottoman occupation. The dish is similar to the original with one difference the bechamel sauce was introduced to the dish by famous Greek chef Tselementes in 1920.
Pastitsio (Greek lasagna)
Pastitsio is another Greek dish that is referred to as the Greek Lasagna. This dish is baked with layers of pasta, minced beef. bechamel and tomato sauce and all of the layers are topped with cheese. It all begins with sauteeing the minced beef with tomato sauce and spices.
Pasticcio di Maccheroni is the Italian dish that inspired the Greek Pastitsio and quickly became popular4 with Italian Nobles. From the beginning of the 13th century until the decline of the Republic in the 18th century, the Republic of Venice occupied large areas of the Balkan and Greek coasts. It was at this time that Venetian chefs imported their Pasticcio di Maccheroni into the regions and with time the recipe changed and became the Greek version Pastitsio.
Souvlaki (Gyros)
Souvlaki is considered to be one of the best-known and popular Greek dishes. It is available all over the world. Souvlaki consists of skewered cubes of grilled pork, chicken, lamb, or beef. This made its debut in ancient Greece where it was called kandaulos and was a combination of grilled meat, pita bread, cheese, and dill, The name of this dish is a diminutive of the Greek word souvia, which means spit.
Om 1951 the first souvlaki opened up in Livadia and today it is sold in almost every Greek city. You can have it as a street food, a take-away, or enjoy it in a restaurant. Souvlaki comes served with pita bread, chips, tomatoes, yogurt, and onions.
Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)
Stifado is a traditional Greek beef stew that is a combination of tomatoes, onions, cinnamon, vinegar or red wine, and a mix of spices and herbs. Traditionally the stew is served with rice, chip potatoes, hillopittes (egg pasta), or orzo/kritharaki pasta.
This dish was introduced to the Greeks by Venetians in the 13th century.
Kleftiko
Lamb is a specialty in Greece and they make some of the best lamb dishes. Kleftiko is a traditional Greek dish with lamb slow-cooked in the oven with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. This recipe was originally made in an earthenware oven to keep the smoke and heat inside.
Kleftiko is a word that translates to stolen and the dish originally came from Klephts who were descendants of Greeks. They were a group of bandits who fought Ottoman rule in Greece between the 14th and 19th centuries. The Kleftiko would steal goats or lambs to cook the meat inside of ovens that were hidden underground so that the scents and flavors could not be detected.
Slow-cooking makes the lamb exceptionally tender and the best cut is the lamb shoulder.
Tiropita (Greek Cheese Pie)
Tiropita is a Greek cheese pie and is popular al throughout the country. It is eaten for breakfast or as a mid-day snack. It is made with crumbled feta cheese that is mixed with other kinds of yellow cheese for added flavor. Then this mixture is folded into phyllo pastry, making triangles and brushed with olive oil or melted butter and baked until crispy and golden.
The origin of Triopita comes from either Byzantine, Roman, or Turkish cuisine. There are variations of this recipe.
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Spanikopita is known as Greek spinach pie and is very popular. It can be eaten at any time of the day. To make the pie you have to crumble feta cheese and mix it with spinach that is then wrapped up in phyllo pastry and brushed with olive oil or melted butter. It is then baked to a crispy and golden brown. To the spinach, you can add dill, onions, and eggs that will hold the mixture together.
Spanakopita is a pie dating back to ancient time. It was referred to by the poet Philoxenos in the 5th century B.C. He referred it to at the end of a banquet when the hosts served a cheesecake with milk and honey, baked into a pie. Others from ancient Greece liked cheese pies that were wrapped in fig leaves due to the fact that the literal translation of phyllo is a leaf.
About the Creator
Rasma Raisters
My passions are writing and creating poetry. I write for several sites online and have four themed blogs on Wordpress. Please follow me on Twitter.
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