Enjoy Culinary Exploration During Your Trips to Greece
There is a saying that states the way to any man’s heart is through his stomach. Though this might very well be true, an important edit to this statement might read that the way to any travelers’ heart is also through his or her stomach. Culinary exploration is an integral aspect of any trip, whether it is a luxury vacation or rugged backpacking. There is little that is more telling of how locals live than how they eat; travelers who wish to truly experience local culture would do well to follow their palate. Although Greek food is fairly common in most urban centers internationally, trips to Greece are a fantastic opportunity to sample truly authentic and fresh Greek food.
Greek cuisine is subsumed under the category of Mediterranean fare, and as such, shares many elements of flavor and composition with Italian cuisine. The flavor and ingredient palate that Mediterranean cuisine share are a generous use of olive oil, the sorts of vegetables, meats, and fish that are used, and typically the accompaniment of wine with various meals. Trips to Greece where the travelers are open to tasting local cuisine are most likely to include the consumption of many types of olives, cheese, eggplant, and a hearty helping of Greek yogurt. In addition, when it comes to desserts, the Greek are known for their use of nuts and honey (often tasting like an excess of the latter to foreign palates). It is also not uncommon to have dishes wrapped in phyllo pastry to give it extra texture.
Although it is possible to determine certain common elements in Greek cuisine, Greece is made up of a variety of geographically distinct regions and as such the cuisine also tends to vary. In additional to geographic differences, the available ingredients and style of cuisine varies greatly according to the season. Just as in any region of the world, the quality and quantity of available ingredients also depends on the weather conditions and soil quality of the crops. For any culinary trips to Greece, it would only be fitting to tour the different regions to sample the variance in food that this diverse country has to offer. As mentioned briefly before, Greek food is known for its use of the olive tree and all of it derivatives. Since olive trees are quite prominent throughout the Mediterranean, most Greek food is defined by its’ distinctive olive flavor. There are many other naturally occurring foods that feature prominently in Greek flavors including potato, okra, onions, and the juices of citrus fruits. The spice palate used in Greek food is often distinct from other Mediterranean cuisine and includes prominent use of oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. Trips to Greece, if done properly, will highlight the hearty nature of the country’s landscape and its people. This is also reflected in the quality of cuisine; refining the ingredients or producing too intricate of a dish is seen as going against the traditional Greek culinary aesthetic. That being said, in recent years there have been movements to create Greek fusion cuisine which combine the quality ingredients and spices of Greek food with more refined cooking techniques.
To travel to another country is to experience a different landscape and different cultural traditions; part and parcel of both of these elements is experiencing the full range of the local cuisine. Trips to Greece simply would not be complete without immersing oneself in the local cuisine.
Processing your request, Please wait....
