As we have mentioned before, Greeks adore legumes. They are undoubtedly a staple in our cuisine. We cook them in different ways, we make soups, dips, salads, we even bake them in the oven. Plus the fact that we eat them all year around.
Not without reason Greek pies are becoming more and more popular. They’re not only delicious and rich in taste but they are also easy to make. Amongst the most popular ones is the cheese pie, which we had presented in a previous post, and of course equally popular is the famous spinach pie, a classic Greek favorite.
40 days before Easter, Orthodox Greeks begin a fasting period that will lead to the biggest religious feast in Greece, which is none other than Easter itself. The first day of this particular fasting period is Clean Monday or as we call it here in Greece “Kathará Deftéra”. It’s a national holiday, schools and public services are closed, and if it’s possible most people leave the city to celebrate this certain day. Those who stay at the city go to parks, or the sea side if there is one, and do what everyone else in the country is doing: flying a kite!
Savory pies are more than common in Greek cuisine. In fact, they are a staple. The most famous is the cheese pie, the one that we prefer mostly as a street food. Everywhere, at every corner of our cities and towns, you can find a “tiropitádiko”, which is basically a small shop with no tables to sit, and where you can be a cheese pie or other kinds of pie and eat them as a street food. As a matter of fact, many Greeks prefer them as a part of their breakfast on the foot –something that we are very used of.
Galaktoboúreko is a Greek dessert, probably the most popular in the country, often served at feasts, such as birthdays, name days, Christmas etc.
It has almost all the elements that characterize Greek pastry, which means that it is a syrup based dessert made with phyllo sheets. Yet what makes it unique and tremendously popular is the wonderful luscious custard cream that is spread between the layers of the phyllo sheets drenched with abundant lemon flavored syrup.
Many Greek dishes, especially soups and stews, are made with a sauce based on two ingredients, lemon and eggs. It is called avgolémono, and it provides the dish with a light texture and a pleasant zesty flavor.
As we have mentioned before in our blog, Greeks have a strong love for legumes. We eat them in every possible way, in soups, mashed up or even baked in the oven! Legumes are among the best protein sources and in difficult periods they used to be eaten as an alternative to meat. Greeks have never abandoned their habit of eating legumes even when times went better. It is typical of us to eat at least once a week such a dish. Legume soups are very popular this time of the year, when days get colder and dark rainy clouds cover every inch of our blue skies. Soups made from beans, lentils, chickpeas or even black-eyed peas are on our daily menu.
