Greek Food
Ancient Greek food as well as the Greek foods of today consist largely of olive oil, grains, fish, bread, poultry, rabbit, and other various meats, as well as wine. Some of the popular dishes that can be traced back to ancient Greek times are: trahanas, skordalia, lentil soup, retsina, and pasteli. The Hellenistic and Roman periods ate foods such as: loukaniko, and byzantium. Other foods were feta cheese, avgotaraho, and paximadi. Some of the known foods that are no longer used are, fish sauce, porridge (as their main food), and salt water mixed into their wine.
Many of the foods were named from the Ottoman cuisine tradition. Some of the names showed the roots of Turkish, Persian, and Arabic cultures. Some of these were: moussakas, baklavas, tzatziki, yuvarlakia, and keftedhes. It is believed that a lot of the names for the food dishes was probably introduced in Greek during the Ottoman era. A few of the Greek dishes are also from the Italian cuisine. Some of these are: pastitsio, and makaronia me kima. Mixing the pasta with the meat is believed to be found mostly in Greece, Antolia, and Asia Minor. Some of the dishes are believed to be pre-Ottoman era and it is written that there was earlier contact with the Persians and the Arabs so the food ideas may have been shared and later took Turkish names. It is also believed that the grape leaf dolmathes may have been made in the early Byzantine era.
In the translations of the Greek myths, there is often fruits, grains, and meat such as Cattle, sheep, fish, and fish mentioned. There were sacrifices to the Greek gods and goddesses according to their specific tasks or duties as rulers. The Greeks and the Romans worshiped many of the same gods and goddesses and food was often what the humans sacrificed to them.
Today there is more and more fast foods that are becoming popular in Greece and Europe. The fast food chains, such as Goody’s, are becoming more popular but the Greek are still relying on their own heritage foods the most. In time maybe this will change but for now, they are still eating souvlaki, gyros, pita/pites such as tiropita and spanakopita. These dishes are savory or sweet stuffed phyllo. The Greeks have been known to eat out often and they eat in the Taverna and Estiatorio. These places serve the traditional Greek food at prices that the people can afford. The Greeks have appetizers such as Boureki, deep fried vegetables, Dolmades (grape leaves, vegetables, and rice, sometimes meat is added), Fava, Greek Salad, and more. Their soups are Fakes (lentil soup) Fasolada, Avgolemono, Margiritsa, Revithia, and more. They have both Vegetarian and Meat main dishes.
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