The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Greek cuisine is the simplicity of the dishes, their freshness and the social aspect of eating, i.e. enjoying delicacies together and sharing them. In Greece, hardly anyone eats alone, and as proof of how deeply and long this has been rooted in the culture, there is a whole selection of tiny dishes, appetisers, or as the Greeks say – mezedes (from the singular meze), which we share while sitting at a common table. Meze(des) always occupy a large part of the menu in restaurants and taverns, and it often happens that a few selected from the menu constitute a whole meal for several people.
Some Greek appetisers are served hot, others cold, and the vast majority are vegetarian or vegan (in Greek, we would use the word nistisima, meaning fasting).
Here, I will write about four extremely popular dip-type appetisers. The first of these is tzatziki, which is a staple on 90% of menus. Tzatziki is a thick Greek yoghurt-based sauce mixed with finely chopped or grated fresh cucumber, dill and garlic. It is extremely refreshing on hot days.
Another dip served with bread or pita is fava. It is a delicious paste made from yellow split peas, seasoned with onion, garlic and lemon. Due to the availability of ingredients, it is one of the oldest known dishes. Archaeological excavations confirm that the peas needed to prepare fava were grown in Santorini over 3,500 years ago.
Another delicacy, sometimes called a dip, sometimes a salad, is melitzanosalata, which is roasted and peeled aubergine, garlic, olive oil and lemon. This dish is best when the aubergine is roasted whole and its skin has had a chance to brown a little – the dish then takes on a smoky aroma. Some people add chopped walnuts, which give it a little crunch.
The last dip requires the use of feta, the most famous Greek cheese. It is called tirokafteri and, apart from the cheese, it contains roasted peppers, chilli peppers, olive oil, vinegar and garlic. This appetiser is creamy and spicy, a real flavour bomb!
