Iconic Dishes of Greek Cuisine

Mezze (also spelled “meze”) is the Turkish and Greek equivalent to Spanish tapas. Platters of dips, olives, cheese and other culinary delights are served on platters with warm flatbread to accompany tea or cocktails, or as a pre-meal appetizer. [Photo by Half Baked Harvest]

Dolmades, in contemporary Greek cuisine, typically refers to a mixture of seasoned meat and rice that is wrapped in grape leaves and served as an appetizer, accompanied by lemons and tzatziki.

I recently read a blog-post stating that you wouldn’t find hummus on Greek menus. Apparently, the author of that post hadn’t visited the dozen or more Greek restaurants we visited in Athens that all have hummus on the menu. The velvety puree of chickpeas and tahini is a classic meze dish throughout the middle-east, Turkey and Greece. [Photo by Chelsea Kyle]

Melintzanosalata, perhaps better known in the west as the Middle Eastern dish of Baba Ganoush, is a creamy mixture of spices and pureed smoked eggplant served as an appetizer or part of a mezze platter. [Photo by Killing Thyme]

Tzatziki is the quintessential Greek condiment. It's a mixture of fresh creamy yogurt, lemon juice, shavings of cucumber and a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as oregano or mint. It’s the perfect accompaniment to almost any Greek appetizer or main course.

In restaurants in the USA, saganaki is typically served drenched in a shot of ouzo and set ablaze but this is not the style in Athens. You’ll more typically be served saganaki with a drizzle of honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Despite the lack of theatrics, it’s still a delicious appetizer.

A Greek Gemista can be any stuffed vegetable, but typically you’ll see the dish on menus in Athens as stuffed tomatoes or bell peppers.

In Greece, a kebab or kebab generally refers to minced lamb or other meat that is seasoned, pressed around a metal skewer and roasted over an open flame or coals. This is contrary to the western use of the term which has become synonymous with the Turkish phrase, shish kebab, which refers to solid cuts of lean meat skewered and cooked in the same manner. In Greece, this other type of skewered meat dish is referred to as souvlaki.

Moussaka is Greek’s answer to Italy’s lasagna. It’s a savory pasta casserole made with layers of diced or sliced eggplant and minced lamb in a cinnamon-laced tomato sauce, topped with a fluffy layer of a béchamel sauce topping.

In Greece, what is known in Turkish and western cuisine as shish kebab, is referred to as souvlaki. Cuts of lean meat, most typically lamb, are skewered and roasted over an open flame or coals. The skewered dish can also be made with chunks of chicken, beef or pork.

Spanakopita is made with baked flaky layers of phyllo dough separated by a crumbled cheese and spinach filling. It’s the perfect combination of texture and taste.

Bougatsa is a popular Greek pastry consisting of a sweet semolina custard wrapped in phyllo dough and baked until the dough is barely crisp. The dessert is often dusted with cinnamon and/or sugar.

Baklava, the most notable of Greek desserts, is a flaky layered pastry made with layers of phyllo dough surrounding a sweet filling of pistachios or walnuts, butter and honey, baked until golden brown.