Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(oven-baked or one-pot dishes), literally 'oily' dishes, because of the liberal use of olive
oil.
Mayirefta
are prepared early and left to cool, which enhances the flavour (they are
often better served lukewarm).
Most tavernas will ofter a range of popular
mayirefta,
including Greece's signature
dish,
mousakas
(baked layers of eggplant, minced meat and potatoes topped with cheese
and béchamel sauce) and the summer favourite,
yemista
(tomatoes and seasonal veget-
ables stuffed with rice and herbs).
Common pasta dishes include
pastitsio
(a thick spaghetti and meat bake) and
youvetsi
,
slow-cooked chicken, lamb or beef in a tomato sauce with
kritharaki
(risone or rice-
shaped pasta).
Staple meat dishes include tasty tomato-based stews
(kokkinista)
, roast lamb or chick-
en
lemonato
(with lemon and oregano) with baked potatoes, rabbit or beef
stifadho
(sweet stew cooked with tomato and onions),
soutzoukakia
(spicy meatballs in tomato
sauce) and pork or lamb
fricassee
(braised with celery, lettuce and
avgolemono
).
Hearty Greek soups such as
fasoladha
(bean soup),
fakes
(lentils) or chicken soup with
rice and
avgolemono
(egg and lemon) are regrettably seldom found in restaurants.
Greek Grills
Greeks are masterful with grilled and spit-roasted meats, and the distinctive smoky
aromas waft through every neighbourhood restaurant strip and celebration.
The souvlaki - arguably the national dish - comes in many forms, from cubes of
grilled meat on a skewer to the pita-wrapped snack with pork or chicken
gyros
(kebab-
style meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie).
At tavernas, tasty
païdakia
(lamb cutlets) and
brizoles
(pork chops) are usually
ordered by the kilo.
Some places also make the delicacy
kokoretsi
, a spicy, spit-roasted or baked seasoned
lamb or goat offal, wrapped in intestines.
MEZEDHES
Sharing a range of mezedhes (appetisers) is a great way to dine and try new
dishes. Beyond the classic dips of tzatziki (yoghurt, cucumber and garlic),mel-
itzanosalata(aubergine) and pink or whitetaramasalata(fish roe), you should also
tryfava,a creamy split-pea purée served with lemon juice and finely cut red
onions. Named after the pan it is cooked in,saganakiis a wedge of fried hard
