Dining in the taverns has a different character from eating in our restaurants.
The typical way is to order many smaller foods which will become one large buffet
table from which everyone can pick their favourite dish. Another typical sign is
that you will get a piece of bread with everything you order. It is normal to see
someone eating pasta and completing the dish with a slice of bread. If you order
a full course meal, you will usually get a free dessert, either fruit, baklava,
chalva, depends on what the restaurant currently has.
Food
Mousaka
A dish which is usually served in a baking dish is made up of three main
ingredients - eggplant, minced lamb and béchamel sauce. Different regions of
Greece add different ingredients, like tomatoes or potatoes.
Souvlaki
Traditionally, it is a fast-food appetizer from various small pieces of
meat and sometimes vegetables, grilled on a skewer. Do not be fooled, however,
if someone uses the term for souvlaki gyros in pita. It is used probably
because souvlaki can also be served in a pita like gyros.
Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a traditional dish that is served as a starter, a salad and even a
dressing to gyros. It is made of yoghurt, sliced cucumber and garlic, dill and
olive oil. It is a custom on Crete to make it with sliced carrots, too.
We have prepared a photo-recipe for this delicious food from ingredients you will be able to find all supermarkets. You can find it here (we are working on english version).
Greek salad
Greek salad is similar to our well known mixed balkan salad - it is made of tomatoes,
salad cucumbers, peppers and onions. The main difference is in the cheese used. For
the mixed salad, we use balkan cheese, for the greek salad we definitely need to use
feta cheese, made of goat milk, and olives. You should add some oregano and olive oil
to make it taste better.
You can find our photo recipe here.
Feta
Except for it being added to the tradition Greek salad, feta is also eaten just
on its own. There are many options to prepare it. In some taverns, you will get the
feta baked in the oven with tomatoes, in some gyros places it is grilled in a pita
as a vegetarian version of gyros. Feta is also great as a snack for beach BBQ’s.
Gyros
Gyros is a well spiced meat (chicken, pork or lamb), which is grilled on a big
grilling rod and sliced off for every person. The traditional way of serving gyros
is in a pita with onions, tomatoes, tzatziki and chips. You can also order it in a
restaurant to be served on a plate and you will basically get everything that there
is in the pita but on a bigger area.
Tyropita
A bakery made of dough similar to pastry which is available in all supermarkets
and smaller shops. It is usually filled with feta cheese, but you can also eat it
with meat, spinach or even something sweet.
Baklava
Baklava is a sweet dessert served in different variations in all countries which
used to be a part of the Ottoman empire . The Greek dish is made of layered filo
dough (the same as in tyropita), filled with nuts and sweetened with caramel and
syrup.
Chalva
Traditionally made from the extract of Saponin plants mixed with sugar syrup,
but today it is produced from roasted oily kernels (sunflower, nuts, sesame) and
candied materials with starch syrup. You can also buy halva in shops and tearooms
with eastern goods or healthy ingredients. The halva you can buy in Greece has
a more crystalline structure.
Drinks
Frappe
Coffee is very popular in Greece. Just like everyone in the Czech republic
loves their beer, the Greeks always have a coffee to drink - frappe. It is
made of soluble coffee, ice and sugar, you can also add some milk but you need
to say this to the waiter. All of this will be mixed up so that a foam is
formed on top. It is served in a plastic cup with a straw.
Freddo espresso, capuccino...
A different type of frappe is a freddo. Freddo espresso is an ice coffee
where you use espresso instead of soluble coffee. Freddo cappuccino is also
made of espresso but some cream is added to the foam. This cream is quite thick,
similar to our sour cream.
Kanelada
Typical sweet drink from southern Crete. It is a lemonade made from cinnamon, best
served with ice and little bit of water - tastes delicious.
Raki
A traditional balkan alcohol made of the leftovers after the making of wine.
If you know raki from a different country, like Croatia or Bulgaria, you need
to know that every has its own recipe.
Rakomelo
Rakomelo is a different type of raki, which is mixed with honey during
fermentation. It is sweeter than traditional raki and has a light brown colour.
Ouzo
A variation of a spirit made of wine which is seasoned with herbs after burning.
The most distinctive flavour is anise, so it can be compared to licorice. Ouzo is a
clear substance and if you put it in a freezer, it will become milky white.
