The Greeks don’t experience meals quite the same way as we do in the West. Breakfast is usually more of a light snack, lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and dinner could be simple leftovers or a light meal consisting of bread, salad, and cheese.
Greek cuisine is defined largely by wheat, olive oil, and wine triad, but many dishes feature healthy salads, grilled meals, cheese, grains, and bread. But how do you capture a piece of Greece in your next culturally inspired meal? Let's explore this concept together!
If you like to explore various cuisines, Greece is a great place to start. Considered one of the healthiest diets in the world, this Mediterranean way of eating highlights various delicious, healthy ingredients with a balance between vegetables, oils, legumes, and grilled meats. Balance is an important element of Greek cuisine as well; rarely is a significant meal served without the presence of a zesty salad and bread.
But for those of us on the home turf, you might not know where to get started when it comes to developing a truly Greek-inspired meal. From grocery shopping to preparation, we’re here to offer you some tips and suggestions for ingredients to create a wonderful Greek spread for your friends and family this spring.
To get a better idea of what to prepare, let’s explore some traditional meals experienced throughout a traditional day in Greece.
As mentioned, traditionally, breakfast consisted of a meal that was more like a light snack. However, in more recent times, a more traditional meal can be enjoyed. Herbal tea and coffee are commonly eaten with bread or dried bread (paximadi). For a truly authentic experience, coffee is brewed in a stovetop coffee pot.
Another simple but relatively common breakfast could be soft-boiled eggs and bread, sesame-style bagels (koulouri), cheese pie (tyropita), spinach pie (spanikopita)—or anything a busy Greek student or professional can grab on the way to school or work.
Seeing as breakfast isn’t usually a large meal, it’s common for Greeks to have a mid-morning snack before lunchtime. This could consist of a toasty sandwich with ham and cheese, savoury cheese pie, spinach and cheese pie, and other forms of pastry or bread like trouseki—which was traditionally eaten during Easter, but has gained popularity as a snack. More Western snacks are also available with a Greek twist, such as oregano chips and ouzo candy.
As we mentioned in the intro, lunch is traditionally the largest meal eaten during a traditional day in Greece, with enough food being made to have leftovers for dinner. It’s rare that you’ll have a lunch that doesn’t include some kind of salad (such as horiatiki or traditional Greek salad), consisting of fresh greens, olives, tomatoes, peppers, sheep’s or cow’s feta cheese. Also, it’s common to serve lunch with a side of bread, either pita or pieces of bread with a crisp crust, and a main dish that can feature legumes or meats, like moussaka, grilled meats, or giagantes plaki (or Greek butter beans).
Lunch can also include meze—or various side dishes to accompany a meal—especially if you have lunch later in the day. Meze can include various dips such as hummus, tzatziki, and htipiti, as well as salads such as tabbouleh, halloumi and lentil salad, and various other side offerings such as olives, nuts, falafel, or dolmades.
Greek meals are all about balance, infusing olive oils, cheeses, proteins, a variety of vegetables, and carbohydrates.
If you recall from the intro, dinner usually isn’t the biggest meal of the day, and it’s completely normal to consist of leftovers from the previous meal. However, if you plan on hosting a big Greek-themed celebration, you may want to do something a little more substantial.
Saganaki - To get a meal started off right, you can introduce several small dishes to whet the appetite and get your family or guests excited about the main course. Saganaki is a popular starter that consists of grilled Kefalotyri, Graviera, or Kefalograviera cheese. In restaurants, it’s often served in a hot skillet and lit aflame with the help of ouzo, but for your purposes, a hot skillet and lemon wedges will do. A cast iron skillet is a great method of getting the desired crisp on the outside and gooey centre, along with high-quality extra virgin olive oil. You can serve this alongside some pita or fresh bread.
Kolokithokeftedes - Zucchini fritters pan-fried with various herbs featuring mint, dill, green onions (you can also substitute with chive), egg, and flour. While a simple dish overall, it’s an excellent addition to the start of any meal and is certainly a delicious way to get some extra veggies into your diet. You can serve it alongside some yogurt or tzatziki.
Salantourmasi - A delicious dish consisting of stuffed onions with pine nuts, rice, and fresh herbs. Spices include cumin and cinnamon, salt and pepper, baked to golden perfection in the oven.
Maroulosalata - A simple but refreshing salad consisting of finely chopped romaine lettuce, herbs, creamy feta cheese, and a lemony dressing. Best served alongside crispy bread. It’s exceptionally easy to make but offers a great alternative if you want to change things up from the usual Greek salad and need something that can be served quickly.
Briam - Greek-style roasted vegetables offer a deeper, savoury take on getting your veggies in. Consisting of potatoes, zucchini, red onions, and tomatoes seasoned with garlic, parsley, and high-quality olive oil, roasted to perfection in the oven for a delicious vegetable dish.
Yemista - Consisting of either a pepper or tomato stuffed with rice, onions, garlic, herbs, and olive oil. This delicious take on a stuffed pepper is vegetarian friendly but can easily be made into a main dish by adding some ground meat such as lamb or beef to bulk up the protein.
Horiatiko Psomi (Greek Village Bread) - A crisp peasant bread that’s relatively easy to make, Horiatiko Psomi is amazing for dipping into olive oil, a rich sauce, or even with a touch of honey. It pairs well with cheeses, olives, tomatoes and even savoury fishes such as sardines.
Tiganopsomo - A delicious stuffed bread of several varieties, this fried dough delicacy is delicious when you stuff it with feta or graviera. You can even make a variety made with phyllo dough and fried to a crisp and delicious perfection. Of course, you can also make it more dessert-like by including honey or even cinnamon sugar.
Eliopsomo - Greek olive bread is baked to a crusty perfection and makes an amazing gift as well as an addition to any Greek meal. Loaded with salty kalamata olives that offer an earthy depth of flavour.
Pita - When homemade in the traditional way, these pitas are fluffy and perfect for ripping, dipping, or even stuffing and wrapping. Whether you want to enjoy it as an accompaniment with hummus, baba ghanouj, or tahini, or as a vessel for some beautiful lamb gyro meat, pita is an excellent choice to add to any Greek meal.
Youvarlakia - A delicate yet hearty meatball soup based on a light lemon broth and Greek beef meatballs. Instead of using breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs, they are mixed with rice while the broth is made with egg and lemon. The eggs add a cloud-like appearance to the broth that makes it almost appear creamy, and can be enjoyed as a starter or a main dish.
Kleftiko - A roasted Greek lamb in parchment, roasted alongside potatoes and other various vegetables, low and slow. A show-stopping protein, this roasted lamb with herbs (such as mint and oregano) and spices is an essential part of any Greek-inspired meal. The best cut of lamb to use for this recipe is a leg of lamb - you can do either bone-in or boneless based on your preference.
Roasted Snapper - A delicious fish dish made with olive oil, herbs, peppers, red snapper and finished with lemon, roasted snapper is a lighter but no less delicious way to enjoy a high-protein meal.
Htapodi Ksydato - A beautiful grilled octopus dish seasoned with red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, garlic, pepper, and kalamata olives, this dish can be enjoyed as a meze or a main dish. This dish features the tentacles of the octopus and is boiled and cooled before being marinated.
Youvetsi - A comforting Greek stew featuring beef or lamb along with small noodles such as orzo cooked with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and other herbs and spices. This stew is perfect to feature during the colder months alongside plenty of crisp bread. Hot and deeply nourishing, you can’t possibly go wrong with this stew.
Sharing food is deeply ingrained in Greek culture and society. Referred to as koinonía, this tradition emphasizes the communal aspect of dining and sharing meals to create connection, strengthen relationships, and promote a culture of hospitality.
Greek culture places great value on hospitality, which often expressed through sharing food with guests. Inviting others to share in a meal is a way to welcome them into their home to make them feel welcomed.
The quality of food is also very important in terms of conversation, and it’s very common to swap recipes. That’s why your dishes should feature only the best quality ingredients—which Vincenzo’s is an expert supplier. Vincenzo’s has been in operation since 1967 and offers a myriad of cultural food items that are sure to provide you and your family with the best quality ingredients for your future meals.
Hopefully, this blog helped you decide on not only some excellent Greek dishes but also some great food items to include on your next shopping list! If you’re curious about any of the links we’ve shared, all of the food items are listed below:
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