Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6. SOUVLAKI
Souvla
means spit-roasted, and this is the Greeks' favourite way to serve meat.
Souvlaki
refers to the ubiquitous street favourite: hunks of chicken, pork or lamb
spit-roasted for hours, slathered with tzatziki, and stuffed along with onions and to-
matoes into a hot, freshly baked, oiled and fried bread-dough.
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7. GEMISTA
Gemista
simply means “stuffed”. Greeks stuff tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes (zuc-
chini), peppers and vine leaves with all manner of ingredients, including rice, herbs,
mince, raisins, pine nuts and an array of spices. Often topped with a creamy, lemony
sauce,
gemista
make a fulfilling meal on their own.
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8. FASSOLADA
The staple winter dish for the ancient Greeks,
fassolada
is still Greece's most popular
soup. White beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes and oregano are simmered in stock un-
til tender, then topped with the crucial ingredient: extra-virgin olive oil. In summer,
cold
fassolada
is often served as a meze in the afternoon.
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9. KOKORETSI
New EU food laws have made this essential Easter dish technically illegal, but in back
gardens and old-time tavernas Greeks continue to serve it year round. They take the
intestines of lamb, marinate them in herbs, garlic and lemon juice, and roast the
whole thing for hours over coals, until it drips with flavourful juices.
10. KOKKINISTO
This is a simple, classic taverna dish, whose name means “red-sauced”. Lamb, chick-
en or pork is cooked with tomatoes, wine and herbs in a clay pot, which keeps in all
the moisture and pungent flavour. The tender, infused meat should fall off the bone
at the mere touch of a fork.
