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Greece: Food Customs & Cuisine

• Identify the major influences, ingredients, flavors, and cooking

techniques of ancient and current Greek cuisine.

• Understand and demonstrate preparation techniques of pita bread and

tzatziki sauce

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PITA BREAD

• ¾ c water (110-115º F)

• ¼ t sugar

• 2 t active dry yeast

• 3/4 c whole wheat flour

• 3/4 c flour

• ½ t salt

• Place the water and sugar in a bowl, stir together, add yeast, stir

again and let rest for 5 minutes

• Mix in salt and flour gradually

• Knead well for 5 minutes until smooth, gradually adding more flour as needed

• Divide into egg size balls and let rest for 30 minutes with covered with floured towels

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• Archestratos wrote the

world’s first cookbook in

330 BCE.

Greece- Food Related History

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Ancient Greek Food Customs

• Consisted of foods that were easily raised in the

rocky terrain of Greece’s landscape.

• Breakfast was eaten just after sunrise and consisted

of bread dipped in wine.

• Lunch was again bread dipped in wine along with

some olives, figs, cheese or dried fish.

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Ancient Greek Food Customs

• Supper was the main meal of each day, eaten near

sunset.

• Consisted of vegetables, fruit, fish, and possibly

honey cakes.

• Sugar unknown to ancient Greeks, so natural honey

was used as a sweetener.

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Ancient Greek Proteins

• Fish was the main source of protein

• Beef was very expensive and rarely eaten.

– Beef and pork were only available to poor people

during religious festivals.

– It was during the festivals that cows or pigs were

sacrificed to the gods, and the meat was cooked

and handed out to the public.

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Ancient Greek Beverages

• Wine was the main drink in ancient Greece.

– It was watered down; to drink it straight was considered

barbaric.

• Milk

– Was rarely drank (also considered barbaric)

– Used only for cheese production.

• Water was another possible choice as a drink.

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Ancient Greek Eating Utensils

• The Greeks did not have any eating utensils, so they

ate with their hands.

• Bread:

– Bread was often used to scoop out thick soups.

– Bread was also used as a napkin to clean hands.

– After being used as a napkin, the bread was then thrown on

the floor for the dogs or slaves to clean up at a later time.

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Symposiums

• Men often gathered for dinner parties called

symposiums.

– Having guests in the house was a “male-only” affair.

– Women of the house were not permitted to attend.

• After giving a wine offering to the gods, the men

drank and talked about politics or morals.

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From Greek history to their future…

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OLIVE OIL

• Greece’s abundant olive trees have made perhaps the most

basic contribution to its cuisine and to its culture.

• Olive oil is the universal fat, and cured olives are widely eaten

and exported.

• Olive Oil Process

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Greece Food Culture

• Moussaka, a casserole of lamb and eggplant, is a dish synonymous

with Greece.

• Olive oil and lemon juice are the two most important flavoring agents

used in Greek cuisine.

• Hummus is a dip of puréed chickpeas seasoned with lemon juice, olive

oil, and sesame-seed paste.

• Mezze is Greece’s version of hors d’oeuvres or antipasto.

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• Baklava:

– Highly-sweetened

pastry, featuring

layered phyllo

dough with

chopped nuts.

Greece Food Culture

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• Tangy sauce served to

accompany a meat dish,

such as lamb chops or

meatballs.

• Also served with fried

eggplant or zucchini

• Used a dip for pita bread,

vegetables, or shish kabobs

Greece Food Culture: TZATZIKI

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TZATZIKI

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PITA BREAD

• After dough has rested for 30 minutes (or if in class

and time does not remain, spray dough eggs with

non-stick cooking spray, cover with saran wrap, and

place in the refrigerator until next class period)…

• Roll out each ball into a 6-8 inch circle,

approximately 1/8” thick. Let rest again for 30

minutes covered to prevent a skin from forming

on the dough.

Day 2

• Bake one pan at a time in the bottom 1/3 part of the

oven for 3-5 minutes at 450 degrees