FOOD IN ANCIENT & MODERN GREEK

By: Rebecca Lee Date: August, 25th, 2009

Mealtimes in Ancient Greece The Greek diet consisted of what could be easily grown in the rocky terrain of the Greek landscape.

Breakfast was eaten just after sunrise. Breakfast consisted of bread dipped in wine.

Lunch consisted of bread dipped in wine along with olives, figs, cheese or dried fish.

Dinner was the main meal of the day & it was eaten near sunset. Dinner consisted of vegetables, fruits, fish & sometimes honey cakes.

Since sugar was unknown to the ancient Greeks, they used natural honey as a sweetener.

Food & Drinks in Ancient Greece

Food: Fish, Beef & Pork. Fish was the main source of protein since beef was very expensive, it was not eaten as much. Beef & pork were only available to the poor during religious festivals. It was during religious festivals that they made sacrifices of pigs or cows to the gods, cooked the meat & handed it out to the public.

Drinks: Wine was the main drink, however it was watered down. The Greeks believed that to drink it straight was ‘barbaric’. Milk was also rarely drunk, was used mainly for cheese production, & was also considered ‘barbaric’. Water was another possible drink.

Did the Greeks use utensils?? The Greeks did not use any utensils because they didn’t have any. Instead they used their hands to eat.

Bread was used as a spoon to scoop out thick soup & was also used as napkins to clean their hands afterwards. After being used as a napkin, it would be thrown on the floor for the dogs or for the slaves to clean up later.

Parties?? Men often gathered for dinner parties called symposiums. Having guests in the house was a “male-only” affair, however 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. Often young girls and boys would be employed to entertain guests with music and dance.

INCLUDES: Starter Soup Salad Side Dishes Main CourseDessert (pastries & sweets) Breads Drinks

What’s on the Menu? Starter: Riganatha (Greek version of Bruschetta) Ingredients: - 3/4-inch slices of country style bread - chopped tomatoes - crumbled feta cheese - extra virgin olive oil - dried Greek oregano (rigani)

Cooks in 10 minutes.

Grilled bread topped with tomatoes, feta cheese, and oregano

Soup: Kotosoupa Avgolemono (Chicken & Rice Soup with Egg and Lemon) Ingredients: - 1 chicken, 3-4 pounds, cut in pieces - 12 cups of water - 2 cups of round rice - sea salt - ground pepper - 1/4 teaspoon of Greek oregano - 3 tablespoons of olive oil - 2 eggs - juice of 2 lemons - 1 tablespoon of water

Serves 8 -10 people.

Salad: Lahanika Marinate: Marinated Mixed Vegetable Salad Ingredients: -1/4 pound of fresh cap mushrooms, cleaned (2/3 cup of canned) - 2 cups of cauliflower flowerets or approximately 15 flowerets - 1 1/4 cups of diced celery - 1 1/2 cups of chopped carrots - 1/4 pound of pearl onions, peeled ---------- Marinade: - 1 3/4 cups of water + 1/4 cup of hot water - 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil - 1 cup of dry white wine - 1 vegetable boullion cube - 12 peppercorns - 12 coriander seeds - 1 clove of garlic - 1 bunch of fresh parsley, trimmed and cleaned

Prep time takes 10 minutes and cook time takes 15 minutes. This salad requires at least 4 hours in the fridge before serving.

Side Dish: Stafylia sti Skhara (Grilled Grapes) Ingredients: - 1 small cluster of seedless grapes per person - olive oil

Cook time takes around 8 minutes.

Main Course: Kreata me Feta: 4-Meat Oven Stew with Feta Ingredients: -1 pound of boneless chuck -1 pound of boneless lamb -1 pound of boneless turkey -1 pound of boneless pork - 2 teaspoons of sea salt - 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper - 1/8 teaspoon of savory - 2 tablespoons of prepared mustard - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil - 4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce - 1 pound of feta cheese, crumbled - 2 cups of water

Prep time takes 10 hours and cook time takes 1 hour & 35 minutes.

Dessert: Kok: Coke Cream Filled Pastry (Cream Puffs) Ingredients: For the cookies: - 2/3 cup of sugar - 6 eggs, separated - 1 cup of flour - 6 1/4 tablespoons of cornstarch ---------- For the filling: -1 cup + 3 1/2 ounces of whole milk -2/3 cup of heavy cream -6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of sugar -1 egg -1 egg yolk -1/3 cup of cornstarch

---------- For the syrup: - 2/3 cup of water - 3/4 cup of sugar ---------- For the chocolate glaze: - 2/3 cup of heavy cream - 8 3/4 ounces of bittersweet or semi-sweet couverture chocolate (or baking chocolate) - 1 teaspoon of honey

Prep time takes 1 hours and cook time take 12 minutes.

Breads: Christopsomo: Greek Christmas Bread Ingredients: - 8 cups of all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon of salt - 1 1/2 tablespoons of dry yeast - 1 cup of warm water (105F, 40C) - 1 cup of warm red wine - 1/2 cup of olive oil - 1/4 cup of orange juice - 1/4 cup of brandy - grated peel of 2 oranges - 1 cup of sugar - 1 1/2 cups of raisins - 1 1/2 cups of walnuts, coarsely chopped - 1/3 cup of pine nuts - 1 tablespoon of grated gum mastic or 1 tablespoon of crushed anise seed

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ---------- For the Topping - milk - 2 whole walnuts in shells - sesame seeds

Prep time takes 4 hours and cook time takes 45 minutes.

Drinks: Ouzeri (Alcoholic Beverage) - Ouzo is a delightful anise-flavoured spirit with a liquorice taste that goes down easily, but it's a potent drink. - In the bottle, ouzo is a clear liquid, but once ice cubes or water are added, it turns a milky white. Diluting ouzo with water tones down the liquorice taste, but it still very strong.

How to Serve Ouzo - It is generally served as an appetizer or an after dinner drink, To the Greeks, serving ouzo is an art. It is drunk slowly, and is always served with at least one small dish of food because of its potency. - Ouzo can be served straight in a shot glass over ice in an old-fashioned or highball glass with a pitcher of water to dilute to taste.

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