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Greek cuisine uses a variety of imported and native spices, with regional variations. Mastic gum is a popular local spice used in sweet bread and liqueurs. Anise, allspice, and cloves are commonly used in desserts, while coriander, nutmeg, and cumin are used in meat and vegetable dishes. Sumac and black pepper are also used sparingly.
As in many countries, traditional Greek foods and the spices used by cooks vary according to various regions of the country, such as the coasts and mountainous regions. Most of the spices used in Greek cooking, such as allspice, aniseed and curry powder, are imported, although mastic or mastic gum originates from Chios, a Greek island. Many Greek spices, including cardamom, coriander seed, and nutmeg, are internationally known, and some are less popular with the average cook.
People often shorten putty to just putty. It is the sap of the evergreen mastic bush, which the people call the mastic tree. The Greeks exported it to many Mediterranean countries to flavor sweet bread, especially Easter bread. The Greeks also use it in the production of liqueurs.
One of several regions of Greece is the coastal areas where the native Greeks interacted with foreign sailors. Through trade with these sea merchants, spices such as four spice from New World countries became popular. Inland lowlands and mountainous areas were more isolated. Foods from these areas no longer incorporated spices.
Anise is one of the spices that ancient Greek writers wrote about and is the base flavoring for ouzo, a Greek liqueur. Anise is a popular flavoring for sweet breads and other pastries, and because it has a strong flavor, cooks use it sparingly. Another popular flavoring for sweets is allspice, which tastes like a blend of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cloves are the unopened flower buds of an evergreen tree in the myrtle family and is another strong-flavored spice that Greek cooks use sparingly.
Other Greek spices used in desserts and aromatic sweets include cardamom, which is a pungent and complex spice in the ginger family; coriander seeds, which comes from the Greek word koris; and nutmeg. Mahlab, also called St. Lucie cherry kernels or ground cherry stones, has an almond-like flavor, and Greek bakers use it in sweet breads, especially holiday loaves. Traders sell vanilla powder in glass vials, and Greek cooks use it to flavor desserts and drinks.
Many of the Greek spices that cooks use to flavor desserts are also used in meat and vegetable dishes. Some of these include coriander seeds and nutmeg. People spice pork, stuffed cabbage, and mushroom dishes with cilantro, while nutmeg adds flavor to sausages, potato dishes, and pastitsio, which is a ground beef and macaroni dish covered in béchamel sauce.
Other Greek spices that people use for meat and vegetable dishes include curry powder, saffron, and sumac. Sumac is a nontoxic variety and cooks use it in meat stews, rice dishes, and some vegetable dishes. Cumin, which is the dried fruit of an annual herb in the parsley family, is an ancient spice and Greek cooks use it for meat and vegetable dishes. Black pepper is another Greek spice that is known internationally, although many Greek cooks use it more sparingly than many other regions.
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