Greece
Greek food is a part of Mediterranean cuisine and has been a culinary tradition throughout the history of Greek culture. It has had both Turkish and Persian influence over the centuries and also shares some of its staple foods such as tzatziki, and baklava with Turkey and a few other countries. Greek cuisine is a historical precursor of western cuisine, and has had a significant impact on culinary practices throughout Europe, as well as the rest of the world. Greece isn't
typically fond of overly refining food since it's believed to squander
the spirit of the timeless Greek cuisine. Even so, recent emerging
trends have encouraged Greek cuisine to produce more refined food
products.
The flavours of Greek cuisine change depending on the geography and season. It consists of several different ingredients such as olive oil, wine, meat, fish, and vegetables, while some other notable foods include bread, herbs, eggplant, olives, cheese, yogurt, and zucchini. In Greece, wheat is the most popular grain, followed by barley. Some typical ingredients found in Greek desserts include fruits, nuts, filo pastry, and honey.
Some typical vegetables in Greek cuisine include okra, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Greek honey is primarily extracted as nectar from fruit trees like orange, and lemon trees. Greece also uses some seasonings more frequently than other cuisines in the Mediterranean. These include onion, bay laurel leaves, dill, oregano, garlic, and mint, while some other common spices and herbs are fennel seed, thyme, basil. A common garnish used for some foods is parsley. Several Greek dishes, mainly those originating from northern Greece, season meat with a mixture of sweet spices, such as cinnamon.
Olive oil is a
common ingredient in several different dishes, and it's the most
distinctive element of Greek cuisine. The olives are picked from olive
trees, which are very abundant throughout the country. The terrain and
climate of Greece caters is more ideal for raising cattle, sheep, and
goats, while fish is a very popular
food on the Greek islands and coastal regions. Greece has also incorporated numurous different cheeses into its cuisine
such as Metsovone, Feta, Manouri, and Kasseri. Greece has a wide variety of cheeses, so for more information be sure to take a look at this Guide to the Cheeses of Greece.
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