Greece, or more properly, the Hellenic Republic is considered by many to be the cradle of Western civilisation. One fifth of the country is made up of islands in the Aegean, Adriatic and Ionian seas and it has borders with Bulgaria, Albania, the Macedonian Republic and Turkey to the north and west.
The area has been inhabited for over 5,000 years but since the time of Christ had been under the control of the Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman empires until achieving independence in 1829.If there is one food item that many people naturally associate with Greece it has to be the olive. The climate and countryside are ideal and olive oil has always played a central part in Greek cuisine which actually stretches back about 4000 years.
The world’s first known cookbook was written by a Greek, Archestratos, in 330 BC.Most Greek meals will start, like many other Mediterranean countries, with a mezze. Traditionally this could contain olives, bread, feta, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves containing pine nuts, currants and rice), sardines, grilled octopus or squid and marinated mackerel.
No where in Greece is more than 85 miles from the sea and hence fish is a major protein source. Bouillabaisse is the very popular Greek boiled fish but it may also be served fried or grilled. Lamb is also popular and often served in stews but can be roasted. Moussaka is one of the best known Greek dishes consisting of spicy minced lamb with potatoes, aubergines and béchamel sauce in layers.
While most Greek food is very spicy (in fact they probably use more spices than any other Mediterranean country) the spices are not hot, for example a Turkish kebab is generally much hotter than one from Greece.
There are many types of cheese available in Greece but the best known has to be Feta. Made with sheep’s milk or a combination of goat’s and sheep’s it is pure white and often preserved in olive oil. Feta is often served as part of a Greek salad. The Greek fast food is Souvlaki, sometimes referred to as the Greek burger but made with lamb or chicken served in pita bread with a salad and a cucumber and yoghurt dip.
Wine has also been central to Greek culture for a long time and has also heavily influenced that in other Mediterranean countries, as might be expected from a country that has been drinking it for thousands of years. In fact there is evidence that wine was being produced 6500 years ago. Retsina is perhaps the best known but there are many others with a resurgence in quality in recent years. The classical Greek alcoholic drink is, of course, ouzo, a strong spirit made from grape skins, berries and herbs often served as an aperitif perhaps with plates of mezze.