Greek cuisine by right is one of the brightest and various. Fish and seafood, vegetables, meat, cheeses — from these products the most tasty dishes are cooked. Keep in mind that in the Greek taverns very large portions therefore it is better to order each dish for two give.
Greek cuisine belongs to Mediterranean. So, it is rich with fish, seafood, various vegetables. A basis is, of course, olive oil — it is added everywhere where it is only possible. But also meat dishes take an important place in a diet. Especially mutton is held in high esteem.
At the Greek restaurants it is accepted to bring at first to each guest still water, perhaps, with some small snack, and at the end of a lunch or a dinner — a compliment from restaurant (it can be fruit or a dessert).
Salads and snack
The meal begins with them. The most known is the "Greek" salad, or horyatik. In taverns it is served in big salad bowls, by vegetables (ripe tomatoes, a paprika, cucumbers, onions, lettuce leaves) are usually largely cut, feta cheese is laid out by a big piece and strewed with fragrant herbs. Salad is generously seasoned with olive oil. The baked eggplants salads are also popular. As snack it is possible to take cheese, many types of cheeses, especially from goat milk are manufactured in Greece. The fried cheese can be also hot appetizer.
Pies and hot appetizers
Surely it is worth tasting the Greek pies with spinach (spanakopit) and cheese (tiropit). It products from thin puff pastry with a large number of a stuffing. A specific place in Greek cuisine is held by a musaka. It is one of the most important national dishes. Musaka represents the casserole from forcemeat with eggplants watered with creamy sauce.
Second courses
What can be better than fresh shrimps, seafood and the fish fried on a grill! As a garnish usually give a fresh vegetables. Various meat dishes aren't less loved by Greeks. Greek "shawarma" is called гирос and represents thinly cut, prepared on a spit, the pork wrapped in thin flat cake from wheat flour — pita. But also to vegetarians will be what to choose — eggplants and zucchini dishes, vegetables on a grill. Both to snack, and to hot dishes, it is possible to order the well-known sauce of a ttsatsika.
Desserts
Sweeties can be not only very tasty, but also useful. Many Greek desserts contain nuts, spices, honey and even olive oil. On the first place it is possible to put баклавас, the dish which came from Turkish cuisine. Various pies with stuffings will also please sweet teeth: with nuts, with cheese, with fruit. On New Year's holidays it is accepted to bake курабьедес — a crisp biscuit with grated almonds.
Drinks
Any lunch or dinner at Greeks doesn't do without glass of wine. Vina drink generally local origin. From hard liquors the inhabitants love ouzo — the vodka on the basis of an anise and other fragrant herbs possessing a peculiar flavor. Ouzo can be drunk with water and ice. At water addition, drink becomes hazy. And the Greek brandy with petals of roses Metaxa is known also outside the country.