Beyond moussaka: The foodies’ guide to Greek dishes you must try

Greeks are a nation of food lovers – meals are made to share, servings come larger than Mount Olympus and leisurely lunches stretch into the late afternoon.

Australians are no strangers to Greek cuisine; you can probably reel off dishes faster than a gyros spit – the rotisserie on which meat is grilled and then stuffed into pita bread, with dollops of tzatziki, fresh tomato, onion and fried potato chips. Moussaka, souvlaki and taramasalata? Tick. Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and saganaki (fried cheese)? Tick again. But these are mere tasters in the colossus of Greek cuisine.

Local specialties exist all over Greece – at a seafood shack in Rhodes, village tavern in northern Greece or contemporary restaurant in the shadow of Athens’ Acropolis. Each region, island, village or local cook usually has their own take on a recipe.

The following are mere tasters to help get you started.

Dip in to mezedhes

A selection of dips and small dishes (mezedhes) can be a meal in themselves. Fava is a smooth, creamy dip made from broad beans; Santorini’s version includes split peas. Skordalia comprises pureed potato combined with oodles of crushed garlic and olive oil, often served with fried cod fish, a specialty of Greek Independence Day. And a reliable bite? Kolokithokeftedes (zucchini balls). The best have a fritter type exterior and a moist interior with enough feta and herbs to flavour but not dominate.

Cheese, please

Using the milk of mountain sheep and island goats, Greeks have made cheese (tyri) – fresh, aged and hard – for centuries. While feta is among the most known of Greek cheeses (and the cheese in the ubiquitous Greek salad), wherever you go, cheese is likely to feature strongly on any menu. One of the best is graviera, a hard, yellow cheese that’s made frequently in Naxos, Crete and Lesvos. You’ll find manouri, a specialty of Sifnos island (also known for its chickpea soup – try it at Tsikali in Vathi village), xynomyzithra, a tangy ricotta-like cheese from Crete, and ladotyri or “oil cheese” because it’s preserved in olive oil, a specialty of Lesvos.

Grills and thrills

Mountain eateries serve meats, such as goat, rabbit and lamb kleftiko (slow-cooked lamb in baking paper). Zerzova (Panagia village, near Dimitsana) in Arkadia serves one of the best. Islands and coastal areas prepare fresh seafood, including urchins, shrimp, octopus and squid. Either way, preparation is key: it doesn’t get better than flame-grilled octopus or lamb chops (paidakia) with a squeeze of lemon and a decent sprinkle of salt. Add a glass of wine, a mountain vista or the ocean lapping at your feet, and it’s hard not to think “best meal ever”.

Sweet treats

A word of advice? Pack elastic-waisted pants. Greece is made for sweet lovers thanks to honey, spices and filo pastry. Any Greek pastry is good, but those worth seeking out are portokalopita, a “cake” made with filo and orange-flavoured syrup, and bougatsa, layers of light filo with custard cream or savoury fillings. Queue with locals at Bougatsa Giannis (106 Mitropoleos Street) in Thessaloniki and snaffle an oven-fresh batch.

Moustalevria, a grape-juice and semolina concoction, is one of Greece’s most ancient desserts and is served in Crete, Naxos, the Peloponnese or where grapes are grown locally. It might not have Aphrodite’s beauty appeal, but taste definitely wins over appearance.

Elsewhere, bakeries lay out slabs of kataifi – bundles of angel hair pastry, chopped nuts and a honey-based syrup (baklava, although similar, is made with filo pastry). The traditional Stani in Athens is a great place to binge. Not sweet, but a satisfying savoury, the koulouri, a baked sesame seed-covered bagel-style ring, is sold from food carts, especially in Thessaloniki. If you don’t cross paths with one, head to Bakolas Bakery (20 Chrysostomou Smyrnis Street, Thessaloniki), which is said to prepare among the best around.

Eat your greens

More than 300 varieties of wild greens are picked and used in Greek dishes. Chicory, dandelion and purslane are boiled and then drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. The best spanakopita (spinach pie) can be found in mountainous Greece where greens are gathered. In Crete, don’t miss hortopitakia, small pies stuffed with greens and feta, found in most bakeries.

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The author travelled at her own expense. She now lives in Nafplio, Greece.