When people think of the best European country in terms of cuisine, some may say Italy (it is delicious, can confirm)
or maybe even France (have never been, so cannot confirm). Some people may not think of Greece as the
number one choice, however, I am here to tell you not to sleep on Greek food. It is AMAZING. I have always been a fan of Greek food, but there is truly nothing like it until you have it in Greece. Looking out over the caldera views, sipping champagne and eating a Greek salad was truly a highlight of this trip.
Of course food was not the only wonderful thing about this country. The history, the culture and of course the views were magnificent, however in my opinion one of the very best things about Greece was the people - everyone was so kind and welcoming (making it that much harder to leave!). We leaned on advice from the staff at our hotel and a lot of the locals, so when they complimented one of my restaurant picks I felt pretty proud!
I am a foodie at heart, and I would be remiss if I didn't share my favorite foods from this trip. It was hard to narrow it down to five, but these were some of the best!
5. Tzatziki
Tzatziki (pronounced like tsah-see-key) consists of Greek yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. There were a few times when it was served to us that it was also topped with olives. Be warned that olives in Greece are not pitted, so avoid chomping down too hard! Tzatziki is best served with pita bread, but if you're like me you will just douse every single food item you have in it!
4. Souvlaki
Souvlaki is marinated meat (normally pork, chicken, or lamb) grilled and served on a skewer. Typically the marinade is some combination of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and a few other spices mixed in. I love any type of kabob, but sometimes in my experience they have been dry. That was not the case here! It was delicious and incredibly tender.
3. Moussaka
If you are a fan of eggplant, you will love moussaka. Even if you don't like eggplant, I still encourage you to try this dish! To me, Moussaka is the Greek take on lasagna and it is pretty darn good. In addition to layers of eggplant, it contains potatoes, ground beef, and a béchamel topping. My mouth is watering just talking about it...
2. Greek Salad
Did you really go to Greece if you didn't order a Greek salad? You will have plenty of opportunities to order one as it's on pretty much every single restaurant menu. It was the very first thing I ordered when I got to our hotel in Santorini. My favorite part was when they brought it out and Tyler said "they forgot your lettuce!" I knew, but he did not. Spoiler: authentic Greek salad does not contain lettuce. A traditional Greek salad is made out of tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, peppers, and feta cheese. To my excitement, when the salad came out there were literal blocks of feta cheese on top of it - I had never seen anything like it and still haven't to this day.
1. Gyro
And last but certainly not least....the gyro! Even though I gave it one, this pita pocket filled with deliciousness needs no introduction. Gyro (pronounced like yee-row) roughly translates to "revolution" or "to turn" in English, which makes sense as gyro meat is typically cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Gyros can consist of either lamb, pork, or chicken and then are filled with veggies and tzatziki.
Bonus/Honorable Mention: Baklava
A dinner is nothing without dessert, right?? If you have a sweet tooth, you have to try baklava! Baklava is a crispy, flaky pastry made of phyllo dough, walnuts, honey and cinnamon. This was the perfect sweet treat to end our final meal in Greece!
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