Greek food - 25 classic dishes you must try

Writer: Helena Bergström

Greek food is food to gather around and savour! Who doesn't like classics like moussaka, tzatziki and souvlaki? Here we list a number of Greek dishes, specialities and delicacies that you won't want to miss.

What to eat in Greece? - a quick overview

In Greece, the food is simple, fresh and tasty. Here are some typical examples of what people eat in Greece:

• Meat: Souvlaki and gyros
• Oven dishes: Moussaka
• Small dishes: Meze like tzatziki and dolmades
• Salads: Greek salad with feta cheese
• Dessert: baklava

We really like the Greek food in Greece - not least the small dishes and starters. One tip is to sometimes order a whole bunch of small dishes/starters to share, instead of the main course.

Typical Greek food - 25 Greek dishes

Here we list Greek dishes that are interesting to try, including desserts, sweets and drinks.

1. Greek salad

A dish that is probably familiar to most people, and which can be found in almost all Greek restaurants, is some variation of Greek salad. This salad, which can sometimes also be called farmer's salad, usually contains lettuce leaves, tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives and feta cheese. Different local variants can also be found, with some variation on the ingredients.

2. tzatziki

Another favourite of many in Greek cuisine is the cold garlic sauce tzatziki. The recipes can vary, of course, but the base can be said to be yoghurt, grated drained cucumber and garlic. In addition, the sauce may contain olive oil and various herbs. Good as a starter, with bread, or as a sauce for meat or fish.

3. Taramasalata and other stir-fries

Various cold mixes are commonly used as starters, preferably with bread. One of the most famous is taramasalata, which is a kind of stir or sauce made from tarama - salted and dried fish roe from carp or cod. The roe is mixed with potato or breadcrumbs, olive oil and lemon juice.

4. fava

A popular Greek starter or side dish made with yellow peas. We fell in love with this dish, which is a bit like hummus, during our recent trip to Greece. At first we thought it was made with fava beans, but that's not the case, it's yellow peas that are used.

5. feta cheese

You can't talk about Greek food without mentioning feta cheese. This is a Greek sheep's or goat's cheese in brine, which can be served in many different ways. For example, it can be served in a salad or baked, for example with paprika or with honey.

6. saganaki

Saganaki literally means 'little frying pan' and refers to various Greek dishes cooked in this small pan. The dish can contain anything from prawns to cheese, and cheese is a popular variant of saganaki. Very tasty!

7. Oliver

No Greek food without olive! In Greece, there are hundreds of different varieties - green and black, large and small, round and oval. Perhaps the best known are Kalamata and Halkidiki olives. Olives are often served whole as a side dish, or perhaps in the form of tapenade.

8. Gemista

Gemista or Yemista is a Greek dish consisting of tomatoes or peppers stuffed with rice and herbs, then baked in the oven. There are also variants where the vegetables are stuffed with, for example, minced meat, cheese or pine nuts.

9. courgette steaks

Courgettes are often used in Greek cuisine, for example in the form of courgette steaks or courgette patties. These can be served as a starter, or as a main course with tzatziki and bread. Very tasty!

10. Cheese balls

Various forms of fried cheese balls are common on Greek menus. These are often good to order as a small starter, or together with other small dishes.

11. Vine leaf dolmens

This dish is classic in both Greek and Lebanese cuisine. The dolmas are often filled with rice and herbs, but there are also meat-filled versions.

12. sardines

This dish is popular in Greece and can be served in different ways. For example, you can have them pickled or grilled.

13. calamari

Squid rings, which are often deep-fried. These crispy little rings can be served as a small starter, perhaps with some lemon and a sauce.

14. moussaka

When it comes to Greek food, moussaka is probably one of the most popular dishes. Greek moussaka usually contains layers of minced meat sauce, sliced aubergine, cheese sauce and cheese, which are then gratinated in the oven. Really good to eat just as it is, or perhaps with salad and bread.

15. pastitsio

This dish can be described as a Greek version of lasagne, and is a dish that dates back thousands of years. A traditional pastitsio contains minced beef, onion, hollow bucatini pasta, bechamel sauce, tomato, cheese (pecorino or kefalotyri) and feta cheese.

16. Souvlaki and gyros

Two popular meat dishes, often available as fast food. Souvlaki can be described as skewers, usually made with pork. The dish can be served on a plate, with chips, or in pitta bread.

Gyros consists of sliced pork, alternatively sliced chicken or lamb, cooked on a rotating spit. The dish is often served in pita bread, and French fries can sometimes be a side dish.

17. Kleftiko and stifado

Savoury meat stews are also popular Greek food. adhesive tape is a Greek lamb stew that usually includes potatoes, vegetables, garlic and herbs in addition to lamb. Stifado is a spicy Greek stew that may contain beef, crushed tomatoes, garlic and herbs.

18. Keftedes

Greek meatballs that can be made with ground beef, mixed meat or ground lamb and flavoured with onions, garlic and herbs. The meatballs can be served as a single dish, for example, with split potatoes, tzatziki and pita bread.

19. squid

A common dish in Greek cuisine, but what is the difference between squid and octopus? While in Swedish we only have one word, in Greek (and English) there are several different words.

• Octopus = eight-armed octopus. Has a small head and eight arms, and squirts ink. Available in both tiny and very large sizes.
• Squid = ten-armed octopus. A smaller animal with a narrow cone-shaped head, which points backwards when it swims. This is used to make calamari.

20. fish

Greece is a Mediterranean nation with lots of islands, so it's no wonder that seafood is an important part of many menus. You can eat tuna, swordfish and seabream, for example, but also many other fish. Fish can be served grilled, for example, or in a sauce with tomato and onion.

21. shellfish

Greek menus include different types of shellfish, such as prawns and mussels. You can, for example, have the shellfish served with garlic flavouring or in the form of 'saganaki', i.e. in a small frying pan.

22. Regional specialities

Which city, place or island in Greece are you visiting? Make sure to try local Greek food and regional specialities! When we recently visited Karpathos Island we tried macarounes and Carpathian baklava.

23. baklava

When it comes to sweet pastries and desserts, baklava is one of the more common specialities. Baklava is not only found in Greece, but also in Turkey and the Middle East, but nevertheless you can enjoy this treat while travelling in Greece. Baklava consists of filo dough with nuts and honey.

24. Greek yoghurt

A creamy, protein-rich yoghurt that you can eat for breakfast or dessert, preferably with a little honey.

25. loukoumades

A deep-fried pastry that can be described as small doughnuts. These are often served as a simple dessert, preferably with fresh fruit, such as melon.

Greek food - what to eat in a restaurant?

In Greece, it is very common for restaurants to serve traditional Greek food, as listed above. Of course, there are also restaurants that serve international food, such as pasta and hamburgers. Here you can find tips on restaurants in Greece:

• Restaurants on the island of Andros
• Restaurants on Karpathos Island

Combining Greek food and drink

So how should you combine Greek food with drink? There are many good wines in Greece, and 70 per cent of the wine produced is white wine. The country is known for its white wine retsina, which in addition to grapes also contains resin. There are also beers in Greece, such as KEO and Mythos.

Another drink that is common in Greece is the spirit drink ouzo. This is an aniseed-flavoured drink that is often mixed with water, which gives it its typical milky colour.

More about food in other countries

Here you can find more stories about food in different countries:

• Spanish cuisine - 25 classic dishes
• Italian food - 25 Italian dishes
• Croatian food - 25 Croatian specialities
• Turkish food - 20 Turkish delicacies
• Food in North Macedonia - 20 dishes