EATING & DRINKING IN GREECE
 Greek cuisine is colourful, using fresh, seasonal ingredients and bursting with flavour. It is based upon traditional home cooked dishes which are both deliciously simple yet healthy reflecting the Mediterranean diet.
The Greek diet consists predominantly of fresh seasonal vegetables and salads, grilled fresh fish and meat, fruit and yogurt. The dishes are flavoured with a combination of olive oil, lemons, garlic, wine and herbs, such as thyme and oregano, which grow abundantly on the Greek hillsides and are used liberally in most dishes. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice and cumin are used in many dishes which reflect the influence of the Arab and Turkish occupations on some of the Greek Islands. In Greece food is a celebration of life, and if people are what they eat, then Greece is a vibrant, fresh and incredibly healthy nation. Whilst residing in or visiting Greece you will soon discover the important role food has to play in the lifestyles of the Greek people, and it won't be long before you too are caught up in this passion and enjoyment of eating and drinking.
The simple but flavoursome food, which relies on superb local produce and clean flavours, appeals to all palates. There is plenty of choice for vegetarians too, who will be happy to find that Greeks treat vegetables as enticing meals in themselves rather than just dull side dishes.
In Greece everything seems to revolve around food and drink, and a meal never seems to be a small affair. Dining is always a celebration - an excuse to get friends and family together on an almost daily basis - to relax, banter, and discuss the topics of the day. You will often see vast groups of families and friends, of all generations, whiling away hours sipping a glass of ouzo and feasting on great hunks of barbecued lamb or fantastically fresh seafood in the tavernas and restaurants. The mild climate allows the Greeks to eat in the open air most of the year. Lunch, usually eaten between 2 and 3 pm, is enjoyed at a leisurely pace, when time allows, and is usually followed by an afternoon siesta. Dinner is usually eaten late between 9 and 10 pm.
A typical Greek meal usually starts with a mezze, a selection of appetizers, with an aperitif of ouzo mized with chilled water. The mezze is shared and eaten at a leisurely pace whilst talking and enjoying the company of good friends and family. Afterwards the main course is served with plenty of freshly baked bread and salad. The meal frequently ends with fresh fruit. The Greeks eat their after-dinner desert and sip Greek coffee at the pastry shop, Zacharoplastio, on their way home.
 
To help you understand and enjoy the pleasures of Greek cuisine we, at Greek Properties For You, have included a guide to some of the tastes you are likely to savour whilst you are in Greece.
Mezedes
A great way to get to know Greek cuisine, especially if you do not have a local host helping you choose your dishes, is to head to a taverna and order Mezedes. Mezedes offer a little taster of many traditional specialities, and takes the decision making out of your hands. The following dishes are typical of the types of dishes you could be served when ordering mezedes. These dishes can all be ordered separately.
Freshly baked bread
Feta cheese baked in the oven
Olives
Sliced artichokes
Loukanika (smoked sausage)
Tzatziki (cucumber, yoghurt and garlic dip)
Houmous (ground chick peas, with olive oil and garlic),
Taramasalata (fish roe dip) Melitzanosalata (aubergine dip) Octopus
Calamari (deep fried battered squid rings)
Giant prawns
Tiropitakia (small pastry triangles filled with feta cheese) Spanakopitakia (small pastry triangles filled with spinach and feta)
Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves)
Greek salad (tomato, onion, cucumber, olives, peppers and a large slice of feta)
Greek Main Dishes:
Kleftiko – knuckle of lamb with herbs and slow roasted at a low heat in a clay oven until the meat falls away from the bone and melts in the mouth.
Moussaka – a hearty dish made from minced lamb or beef and herbs covered with layers of sliced potatoes, aubergine and courgette and sometimes topped with a béchamel sauce.
Pastitsio – a rich bake of meat, macaroni and béchamel sauce – similar to lasagne.
Stifado – winter stew made with beef and onions with red wine and spices.
Keftedes – fried spiced pork and/ or beef meatballs.
Fasolia – white bean stew
Avgolemono – delicious and very soothing chicken, lemon and egg soup.
Souvlaki - Cubes of pork or chicken on a skewer.
Arni-Yiouvetsi - roast leg of lamb served with pasta.
Barbounia - red mullet.
Xifias - sword fish.
Tsipora - sea bream.
Sardeles - sardines.
Garides - prawns.
Garides saganaki - prawns, feta, tomatoes in a special sauce cooked in the oven.
Astikos - lobster
Greek Deserts from the Zacharoplastio (cake shop):
Kataifi – nut-filled shredded pastries
Baklava – nut-filled filo pastry bathed in spiced syrup
Loukoumades – deep-fried pastry fritters soaked in honey syrup
Milo pitta - apple pie
Some friendly advice – try, whenever possible, to eat where the Greeks eat! Tourist tavernas and restaurants usually cook what they consider is suitable for the foreign taste, a great pity. When in Greece sample the traditional "Unadulterated Greek Cuisine" and you won't be disappointed!
Drinking in Greece
Retsina - a unique resinous white wine, which was a favourite of the ancient Greeks. Pine resin is added in fermentation as a preservative in the hot climate. It takes a few minutes to acquire the taste and discover how well it goes with both seafood and lamb dishes.
Wines - these are varied and can be bought from the bottle or you can order the locally produced village wine which is served by the carafe.
Ouzo – A perfect aperitif, or as an accompaniment for mezedes, ouzo is an aromatic, white spirit made of aniseed. Try it neat, with ice or with water.
Greek Coffee – Greek coffee is very different to the types of coffee you might be used to drinking in the rest of Europe. It is served black and short, alongside a glass of water. Sugar must be requested when the coffee is ordered due to the coffee being unfiltered; nothing should be stirred into it after it is served, as this would agitate the coffee remnants that would have sunk to the bottom of the cup. Gliko is a very sweet coffee, Metrio is medium sweet and Sketo is without sugar.
A very common sight in Greece is that of old men sitting outside their local kafeneio (coffee shop) drinking coffee and playing tavli (backgammon). This would be the ideal place to taste Greek coffee.
Nescafe - for those who prefer a more familiar coffee!
Nescafe Frappe - iced coffee in a tall glass which is very refreshing on a hot afternoon.
For information on some of our favourite tavernas on Corfu click here
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