Greek cuisine is influenced by neighboring countries and varies by region. Traditional dishes include stuffed peppers, skewered meat, spinach pie, and dolmathes. Lentil soup and feta cheese are also popular. Baklava is a popular dessert made with phyllo dough and spiced nuts.
Traditional Greek dishes are influenced by many of its neighboring countries and vary by region. The wide variety of cultural influences that have shaped Greek dishes means that traditional dishes contain a wide variety of ingredients, including different types of herbs, vegetables or meats. Cheese is a cornerstone of many Greek dishes. Some traditional Greek traditional dishes include stuffed peppers or grape leaves, skewered meat, and spinach pie.
A popular dish believed to have roots in Greece is lentil soup. Traditional Greek lentil soup is also called falsi, which is pronounced FAH-keh. This dish is made with boiled lentils flavored with lightly caramelized onions, carrots and garlic with tomato paste and herbs. The herbs in Greek lentil soup are similar to Italian seasonings and include oregano, sage and rosemary.
One of the most common traditional Greek dishes is dolmathes, or stuffed grape leaves. This dish is made from grape leaves boiled in a brine. Prepared grape leaves are usually filled with rice and vegetables, and are sometimes filled with meat. Dolmathes may be called dolmas or dolmadakia and appear as a staple on the menu in most Greek restaurants.
Greek dishes include a lot of cheese, usually feta. Feta is a crumbly, aged cheese that is traditionally made from goat or sheep’s milk, although most of the feta sold is made from cow’s milk. A wide variety of dishes ranging from salads to baked goods are included. Greek salads usually consist of olives and feta cheese atop a pile of greens, onions and peppers with olive oil, herbs and vinegar. Other types of cheese used in traditional Greek dishes are many, but they include Graviera, Mizithra and Kasseri.
Two popular Greek pie dishes, spanakopita and tyropita, feature feta as the main ingredient. Spanakopita is a spinach and caramelized onion dish layered with ricotta cheese, shredded feta cheese, and phyllo flaky pastry. A tyropita is a pan-fried phyllo and cheese cake.
Greek baklava is a popular dessert dish that is also made with phyllo dough. Like other types of baklava, Greek baklava is made by layering ground, spiced nuts with phyllo dough, baking the dough in layers, and dousing it with hot honey syrup. The main difference between Greek baklava and other baklava dishes is that the Greek variety is made with all nuts.
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