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Traditional greek cuisine and what to order in greek taverns

Many people have heard about delicious greek cuisine, but, perhaps, only a few people can mention some of the national greek dishes besides mousaka.

Every time I was in Greece and had meals in taverns I tried to enjoy so praised greek cuisine, but failed.  I couldn’t make the right choice from the long menu: chosen dishes were not particular tasty or original! I started to look at what greek people order in taverns and I noticed that there were approximately the same set of courses on each table.

Also I paid attention that the greek people as distinct from most Europeans order food, not for each person, but for the whole company and then share and enjoy different dishes. Being tired from abortive attempts to find something worth in the menu I asked my greek acquaintance to make a list of typical greek dishes, which they order, and are not only considered greek national dishes.

I give the names of the dishes in greek language with Latin letters to make your order in taverns easier.

1. Chtapothi sti schara – grilled octopus.

2. Kalamari sti schara – grilled calamari.

3. Kalamari gemisto – stuffed calamari with feta.

4. Kalamaria tiganites – calamaria rings tempura.

5. Garidomakaronada – spagetti with royal schrimps.

6. Gavros  – small fried fishes.

7. Horiatiki salata – Greek salad. It is called “village” salad in Greece.

8. Kolokithakia tiganites –  fried zucchini.

9. Bouyourdi – baked cheese with tomatoes and peppers.

10. Garithes saganaki -royal shrimps in tomato sauce with feta.

11. Midia saganaki – mussels in a tomato or lemon-mustard sauce with feta.

12. Tzatziki – salad made of yoghurt, cucumbers and garlic.

13. Melidzana psiti -baked eggplants with tomato and cheese.

14. Tiri saganaki – fried cheese. There are different types of fries cheese: haloumi, feta, cheese with honey and others.

But it is not right to finish the list without mentioning traditional  “touristic” dishes: Mousakas. Moussaka – baked pudding with potatoes, minced meat, eggplants and beshamel souce.

Pasticio – baked pudding with pasta, minced meat and beshamel souce.

And the list will not be full, if I don’t mention traditional greek bougatsa pie, which greek people usually eat for breakfast and buy in Bougatsa café in the morning. The pie can be with cheese (bougatsa me tiri), with spinach (bougatsa me spanaki) or with sweet cream and canella (bougatsa me crema).

Also loukoumades are very popular sweet dish – it is a doughnuts baked in honey.

Of course, taverns offer a lot of other worthy and tasty food besides the above mentioned, but if you start to be acquainted with my list of the above greek cuisine you will not be disappointed. You will find and  try all these dishes in every tavern in Halkidiki.

We recommend taverns Angelos and Ilias in our village Paralia Dionisiou Beach.