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| Chef's delight: THe Greek
diet is believed to be one of the most healthy
in the world. |
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Courtsey
GNTO Archives
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Located at a geographical crossroads,
Greece is a captivating blend of the Balkans, Middle
East and Mediterranean. No where is this eclectic
mix more apparent than in the Greek diet. A Mediterranean
country, Greece boasts a diet which incorporates
the best of the regions food while also providing
an unparalleled diversity. The staple diet of today’s
Greeks is thought to be similar to that of the ancient
Greeks: bread, olive oil, wine, cheese, vegetables
and legumes, herbs, onions and garlic. Tomatoes
are one of the few exceptions - introduced to Europe
after the discovery of the Americas – tomatoes
have had a significant effect upon the taste of
Greek dishes over the centuries.
Over the past forty years the Mediterranean
diet has come to be recognized as being extremely
beneficial. Consistent use of olive oil, for example,
has been proven to reduce incidents of heart disease
and to combat high blood pressure, diabetes and
obesity, while there are indications that it also
prevents certain kinds of cancer. And so olives,
the humble, but vital element of the lunch of farmers,
shepherds and workmen have now assumed their rightful
place in Greek haute cuisine menus. Greeks cook
their vegetable and legume dishes in olive oil,
usually added to the food towards the end of cooking,
which gives these dishes their special taste.
The trinity of bread, olive oil and
wine form the backbone of the Greek diet. These
staples, the product of plants and trees that have
grown in the Mediterranean for centuries, were once
vital elements for survival and so have acquired
important symbolic and sacred connotations in ancient
and modern Greek culture.
For example, Bread (psomi in Greek),
in its various forms, is believed to accompany the
individual as he passes from one stage to another
in the cycle of life. Different types of bread are
eaten depending on the occasion, ranging from weddings
to funerals and memorial services. The symbolic
ingredients of bread, made up of grains, represents
a powerful symbol of fertility and regeneration.
Bread also accompanies the rituals, held in church
and at home, which mark the calendar cycle. Traditional
Christmas bread, known as Christopsomo, is made
with spices and has a whole walnut placed in its
center.
Easter culinary traditions include
Paschalina koulouria, sweet, in various shapes with
red eggs decorating them. Special unleavened bread
known as laganes is eaten at the end of the carnival
period before entering the great Lent preceding
Easter. Bread is home-baked or bought by women to
take to church to be blessed and used during the
Holy Communion. It is also used as the antidoron,
to be distributed to the congregation by the priest
at the end of a service. Moreover, bread symbolizes
the bonds formed through sharing food, embodied
in the Greek saying: "We have eaten bread and
salt together." Greek hospitality is normally
expressed through the offering of abundant and good
food. All Greek meals, be they high cuisine or an
afternoon snack, are accompanied by bread.
Wherever you travel in Greece, you
are bound to be offered the same national foods
and dishes, but with several local variations. At
the national level, there are meat and fish dishes,
vegetable and legume dishes, cheeses and sweets.
Legume dishes such as lentil and bean soup, fava
beans, and vegetable dishes such as tomatoes stuffed
with rice and pine seeds, stuffed vine leaves, eggplant
stuffed with chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes
or artichokes with lemon sauce, are amongst the
favorite dishes for locals and visitors.
Local specialties depend on the availability
of ingredients and on tradition. In Epiros, Western
Greece, there are wonderful pittes or pies made
with crusty pastry and a variety of ingredients:
greens, cheese, meat, eggs, etc. On the islands
of the Aegean zucchini, onions, tomatoes and chickpeas,
among other foods, are mashed and shaped into balls
which are deep-fried and served as an appetizer
or as a main course.
The cheeses of Crete, Naxos, Lesvos,
Epiros, Thessaly and the Peloponnese, are renowned
for being rich in taste and variety. Honey exuding
a wonderful perfume derived from sun-drenched flowers
and bushes like thyme, is produced all over the
mainland and on islands such as Kythera, Karpathos
and Kea.
No account of Greek cooking should
exclude the sweet dishes which abound in Greek culinary
tradition. They range from fruit preserved in syrup,
a typical sweet offered to a visitor in most Greek
homes, to baklava and other sweets made with filo
pastry and crushed walnuts and almonds. In summer
you can enjoy the traditional spoonful of iced vanilla
dipped in cold water. Indeed, many Greeks pride
themselves on the superior quality of the water
from their home village which, they claim, makes
people healthier and more intelligent than the inhabitants
of other villages.
Needless to say that food forges
a sense of communal identity and of a shared culture
among Greeks. Meals consumed together by members
of a parea or group of friends, family and communal
meals, are times when social bonds are created and
reinforced, people recall similar meals and so link
past and present together.
A group meal on special occasions
is often accompanied by singing and dancing. These
occasions best illustrate the fundamental Greek
values and practices, such as generosity and the
division of labor between men and women.
Above all, food is considered to
be a matter of procedure. One must dedicate time
to thinking about the dish being cook, prepare the
ingredients and look after it tenderly during cooking.
So strong are the spiritual associations with food
that many Greek women make the sign of the cross
three times over a tray of food as they are putting
it in the oven.
Last, but not least, to experience
Greek food to its full, you need to try it in the
right context. Eating appetizers or mezethes by
the sea-side or on the slope of a hill enjoying
the view and the warm sun, while drinking wine,
tsipouro or ouzo and listening to the background
noise of Greek music and voices, makes a meal memorable.
It engages all your senses in the perception of
an unforgettable experience. This is why Greek dishes
make Greeks abroad so nostalgic for their home,
as their special ingredients, tastes and smells
remind them of their homeland. The pleasure of such
a meal enjoyed in a tavern is rounded off with a
cup of coffee, preferably Greek-style, served in
a small, thick cup and drank in small sips.
Information
kindly provided by:
The Hellenic Folklore Research Centre,
Academy of Athens
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Greece 
