[Good afternoon, everyone. This session I will be reporting to you the Greek Cuisine.

So before
anything else, lets have a short introduction about Greek Cuisine first.]

GREEK CUISINE

• A 4,000-year-old culinary tradition.

• Greek cooking offers an incredibly rich and diverse array of foods and beverages that are the
culmination of literally thousands of years of living, cooking, and eating. While each Greek meal is fresh
and inviting, it is also a trip back through Greece's history.

• Greece must be foremost in the ranks of having a "fusion" cuisine which is easily traced back to 350
B.C.

[Malaki ang naging impluwensiya ng Greek cooking sa iba’t-ibang panig ng lugar at aside from that,
habang nasa proseso ng pananakop na pinangungunahan ng bansang Greece, marami silang inadapt na
ways sa cuisine ng ibang bansa. That explains why it is foremost of having a fusion.]

LOCATION & CLIMATE AND ITS IMPORTANCE

• Mainland Greece and the islands generally experiences a Mediterranean climate ideal for farming and
viticulture.

[20 percent of Greece made up of islands – and no part of the Greek mainland more than 90 miles from
the sea – fish and seafood are a popular and common part of the Greek diet. At dahil nga rin ang Greece
ay located sa southernmost part ng Europe, it enables them na magkaroon ng direct access sa mga
sariwang lamang-dagat for the last 10,000 years.]

• Greece’s climate is perfect growing for olive and lemon trees, producing two of the most important
elements of Greek cooking. Spices, garlic and other herbs such as oregano, basil, mint, and thyme are
widely used, as are vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini, and legumes of all types.

• Production of mainly organically produced cheeses, oils, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and vegetables,
supplemented by an array of greens and herbs that grow in the wild. These are the foods that form the
base of the traditional Greek regimen, to which they add both variety and nutrition.

[Not only that growing spices, sagana rin sila sa supply ng mga lamb and goat (kid) which serves as
traditional meats nila during holidays and festivals. Aside from that, mataas din ang supply nila sa
poultry, beef and pork.]

[So as you can understand, Greek is a nation composed of small farmers. At ang klima location nilang
may fertile ground ay napakacrucial when it comes to their cuisine.]

HISTORY OF GREEK CUISINE

• 350 B.C.

Alexander the Great extended the Greek Empire's reach from Europe to India, certain northern and
eastern influences were absorbed into the Greek cuisine.

• 146 B.C.

Greece fell to the Romans which resulted in a blending of a Roman influence into Greek cooking.

• 330 A.D.

Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, founding the Byzantine
Empire which, in turn, fell to the Turks in 1453 and remained part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400
years. During that time, dishes had to be known by Turkish names, names that remain today for many
Greek classics.

With each successive invasion and settlement came culinary influences - from the Romans, Venetians,
Balkans, Turks, Slavs, and even the English - and many Greek foods have names with origins in those
cultures, most notably the Ottoman Empire.

[The Greeks brought their culinary innovations to the regions into which their culture expanded: places
we now call Italy, France, Spain, the Levant, North Africa, and India. Then, in 146 B.C., an envious power
rising to their west, the Romans, subdued them.]

GREEK CUISINE CHARACTERISTICS

Greek gastronomy is one of the healthiest and well-rounded of the world’s classic cuisines – a foodie’s
heaven. Vegetables have a huge impact on Greek food, as with many other Mediterranean countries.
Greeks tend to utilize what is in season, and often do shopping in local marketplaces (αγορά – agora)
daily. So, if tomatoes are in season, expect many dishes containing that to be cooking in Greek kitchens
and served at local restaurants. The Greeks love their food.

[So ang traditional Greek cuisine, ay nakabase sa kung anong seasonal vegetables or ingredient ang
meron at yun yung gagawan nila ng dish. It is all about seasonality, simplicity and healthfulness rather
that mga komplikadong techniques.]

[Greek cuisine mainly uses fresh local ingredients such as Mediterranean vegetables, olive oil, Greek
yogurt, Greek honey, feta cheese, various types of fish and meat, and muesli. Greek dishes are delicious
and packed with a variety of fresh and dried herbs.]

GREEK TRADITION
Meze (Appetizers and Shared Starters): Meze is short for “mezedes” and these are essentially small
shared plates similar to tapas in Spain and the meze of Cyprus. A spread of meze can be ordered as
starters, or paired with wine or ouzo and eaten as a casual meal. Meze are generally a means to drink
with a full stomach, and to prepare you for the rest of the meal to come. Meze are usually accompanied
by bread for dipping and served on small plates. Below are a few classic meze dishes.

The meze tradition of feasting on small dishes, which has spread throughout the Mediterranean and the
Middle East, is a casual, companionable way to eat that suits the human spirit. The inherent
healthfulness of Greek meals only adds to their appeal: plenty of olive oil, wild and garden vegetables,
plus beans, chickpeas, and other legumes, as well as fish, some dairy, and not too much meat. What's
more, Greeks who practice traditional ways of cooking and eating are the living embodiment of the
term_ locavore_—even today, most Greeks eat predominantly what's grown nearby, a circumstance
necessitated in part by the remoteness of many of the country's regions and islands.

*Dinner was and still is the most important meal of the day in Greece. In ancient times, it was when
everyone would gather with friends—not family—and discuss things like philosophy or maybe just daily
events.

Men and women normally ate separately. If a family had slaves, the slaves would serve the men their
dinner first, then the women and finally themselves. If the family didn't have slaves, the women of the
house served the men first and they ate when the men were finished.

The ancient Greeks were essentially vegetarians. In very exceptional cases they ate meat. The rest of the
time they ate various types of porridge, cereal, and legumes with bread, vegetables, and lots of fish.

FUN FACT ON GREEK CUISINE

• The first cookbook was written by the Greek food gourmet, Archestratos, in 330 B.C., which suggests
that cooking has always been of importance and significance in Greek society.

• Modern chefs owe the tradition of their tall, white chef's hat to the Greeks. In the middle ages,
monastic brothers who prepared food in the Greek Orthodox monasteries wore tall white hats to
distinguish them in their work from the regular monks, who wore large black hats.

• To a large degree, vegetarian cuisine can be traced to foods and recipes which originated in Greece.

• Many ingredients used in modern Greek cooking were unknown in the country until the middle ages.
These include the potato, tomato, spinach, bananas, and others which came to Greece after the
discovery of the Americas–their origin.
GREEK STAPLE

10 Traditional Greek Ingredients

From freshly grown produce to Greek-made cheese, Greek cuisine relies heavily on locally-sourced
ingredients. In any Greek kitchen, you’ll find most of the following ingredients:

1. Olive oil: If one ingredient could represent all of Greek cuisine, it would be olive oil. There are many
varieties that are used for cooking, baking, and simply drizzling over any traditional dish.

2. Olives: Along with olive oil, olives themselves are a staple on any Greek table—particularly the
national favorite, kalamata. Stuffed with herbs and spices and marinated in vinegar or oil, olives are
added to salad dishes or simply placed in a bowl at the dinner table.

3. Mastic: This crystallized resin from the pistachio tree, called mastiha, is only grown on the Greek
island of Chios. It has been used for thousands of years, as both a medicinal treatment and to flavor
foods, both sweet and savory.

4. Feta cheese: The national cheese of Greece, feta can only be produced in certain regions of the
country. This white, crumbly cheese is made from sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep’s milk and
goat’s milk.

5. Greek honey: Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners in Greece. Its flavor depends on the season and
what flowering plants the bees are taking nectar from. Greek honey is used in many dessert recipes, like
baklava.

6. Herbs: Like other ingredients, herbs grow easily here thanks to the climate. Greek cuisine incorporates
dry herbs in many traditional dishes, with thyme, oregano, mint, and savory as some of the most
popular

7. Fruits: Greece has a year-round growing season and dishes often reflect what is ripe on the vine or
tree. From apples in winter to citrus in the summer to berries in the spring, there is no end to the fresh
fruits used in recipes or simply eaten after a meal.

8. Legumes: Greek recipes often use native legumes, like fava beans, lentils, chickpeas, and split peas.

9. Fish and seafood: Greece is surrounded on two sides by the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, which
are a source of one of Greek cuisine’s most traditional ingredients: fish. While oily fish, like sardines and
anchovies, are a staple, a favorite seafood in Greece is octopus.

10. Yogurt: One of Greece’s most famous culinary exports, Greek yogurt is known for its sour taste and
thick consistency.

GREEK DISHES

1. Moussaka
A classic Greek casserole layered in ground lamb meat, rich meat sauce, eggplants, potatoes and topped
with creamy Béchamel sauce. Baked to golden perfection in the oven, moussaka is considered the
ultimate Greek comfort food.

2. Gyros

Pronounced ‘yee-rohs’, this vertical rotisserie sliced meat dish is Greece’s

3. Saganaki

Known in North America as the ‘flaming cheese’ and often served with
plenty of theatrics. But in Greece, you’ll find saganaki brought to the table
with little fanfare. Pan-seared to crispy gold, this square cut cheese
appetizer pairs nicely with ouzo, Metaxa, and beer.