In Greece great food isn’t hard to come by, according to greekreporter.com, however, a great idea is also making a meal out of delicious Greek mez?des and accompanied by the perfect complimentary Greek drink.
Mez?des, or starter salads and finger food can offer you a variety of creative dishes; just think of it as tapas, Greek style! Let’s look at some great combo platters that can do justice to the famous Greek cuisine that everyone loves.
Going to Tavernas and Ouzeris
Whether you are dining at a taverna or ouzeri, you can experience a variety of flavors and regional dishes that are distinct and full of customs and tradition throughout Greece.
The biggest difference here is that at a ouzeri you are definitely going to have a variety of drinks to select from that will best compliment your dishes. In fact, that is a ouzeris’ specialty — drink selection. So when you are there be sure to ask for recommendations regarding which drink best compliments your meal.
What To Order
You can order spicy to sweet dishes made with fresh ingredients, that give you a well-rounded sampler of any Greek yiayia’s kitchen. Here are some favorites for you to consider:
Pipers yemist?s: Typical summer dish that is eaten year-round made of red or long-green peppers stuffed with soft cheese or a rice, nut and black currant mixture.
Taramasalata pur?e: Made from salted cod roe and breadcrumbs, with a little lemon juice and olive oil thrown in. If it’s pink it has food coloring, but the natural color of this dish is a pale yellow-gray and it is a typical dish eaten around Easter time as well as year-round.
Plevr?tous oyster mushrooms: Served up grilled are a great treat!
Tyrokafter? spicy cheese dip: Made with pur?e cheese and hot chili powder or fresh pieces of Green chili as well makes this dish just spicy enough and is great with fresh bread.
Dolmades made with vine leaves or cabbage leaves: These delicious little rolled logs are filed with either a meat mixture or stuffed with rice and herbs and are eaten at room temperature with a dab of Greek style yogurt.
Pites (Pies or turnovers): Pites can be eaten at anytime during the day in Greece. You will see people enjoying a cheese pie for breakfast, lunch or dinner as they are quite versatile and filling. Made with phyllo or a light bread covering depending on what regional style of pita you are eating, these pies can be filled with anything from spinach, created the ever-loved spanakopita, chicken, resulting in a kotopita and cheese as mentioned above, or what Greeks call tiropita. These are just some of the more popular options, there are even more varieties to select from.
Cheese: Try flaming saganaki, or feta, gravi?ra, kefalot?ri or kefalogravi?ra, just to name a few. Usually cheese is eaten with meals in Greece, so why not include a sampler with your mez?des feast. Usually you can order cheese as a side or appetizer.
Dessert: Many tavernas and ouzeris will end your meal for you with a complimentary bowl of Greek yogurt with nut and honey drizzled over top or a seasonal fruit platter might be enjoyed as well. Don’t be surprised if there is just one bowl or plate offered with many utensils, as Greeks often share the yogurt at the end of a meal.
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