Common Ingredients

• Olives and Olive oil• Cheese• Bread

Olives and Olive Oil

Olives• Ancient Greek ripe black olives in

vinegar • Good for health

Olives and Olive Oil

• Most well-known olive:Kalamata olives

• From the town of Kalamata in Messenia

• Usually used in Greek Salad

Olives and Olive Oil

Olive oil• Healthiest oil—can reduce “bad”

cholesterol level• Greek olive oilthe best in the world• Has been in use since the days of the

ancient Minoans and Myceneans • In ancient Greek, it is extracted by

pressing the olives

Olives and Olive Oil

Types of Olive oil• Extra Virgin

– Extracted by high speed centrifugation– Healthiest and most expensive – Used in Salad

Olives and Olive Oil

Types of Olive oil• Pure or refined

– Extracted at high temperatures – Less healthy and less tasty– Higher burning temperature- for frying

Olives and Olive Oil

Types of Olive oil• Pomace

– Extracted chemically – Used to make soap instead of cooking

Cheese

History• Aristaios, son of Apollo and Cyrene • was sent by the gods to give the gift

of cheese-making to the Greeks• "gift of everlasting value“• Greek cheeses are among the finest in the

world

Cheese

• Many types are under the European Union's Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO)

• No other EU member nation can use the name

Cheese

Types of cheese• Feta (Φέτα)

– most well-known– a white cheese with small holes– introduced into the Greek in the 17th century– comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice")– cutting the cheese in slices to serve on a plate – used as a table cheese, salad, pastries and in

baking

Cheese

Types of cheese• Anthotyros (Ανθότυρος)

– sweet, creamy taste– eaten for breakfast with honey and fruit– ideal for spaghetti dishes

Cheese

Types of cheese• Kefalotiri (κεφαλοτύρι)

– Means “ head cheese” – Hard and salty yellow– Used to cook spaghetti, meat, and vegetables– Usually matched

with ouzo

Bread

• A staple food• In ancient Greek, they offer the ritual

bread to the chthonic gods, known as psadista

• Was made of fine flour, oil and wine

Bread

• Usually served with– Olive oil

– tsatziki (garlic-cucumber-yogurt dip)

Bread

• Usually served with– tarama salata (fish roe salad)

Common Greek Dishes

• Greek Salad (χωριάτικη σαλάτα)– made with

• pieces of tomatoes, • sliced cucumber, • red onion, • sliced or cubed feta cheese, • kalamata olives, • dressed with olive oil

Common Greek Dishes

• Soup– Avgolemono (Αυγολέμονο)

• made with egg and lemon juice mixed with broth

• translates to "egg-lemon“ in Englidh

Common Greek Dishes

• Soup– Fasolada (φασολάδα)

• "national food of the Greeks“• made by simmering beans with

tomatoes and other vegetables

Common Greek Dishes

• Meat and Seafood Dishes– Pastitsio ( παστίτσιο)

• baked pasta dish including pasta, meat sauce and a custard

• comes from the Italian tradition of "pasticcio", literally mess or scramble

Common Greek Dishes

• Meat and Seafood Dishes– Souvlaki (Σουβλάκι)

• popular Greek fast food• small pieces of meat and

vegetables grilled on a skewer• eating out of hand, in a pita

sandwich