Greek cuisine: art in simplicity. Greek sweets! Greek desserts and sweets

Never, never, never refuse dessert in Greece! Because, firstly, he is always incredibly beautiful, and secondly, it hurts and offends the owners. Despite the fact that before this the table was first bursting with snacks, in the second round it was filled with giant dishes with the second, if you offer to end the meal on this, the Greeks with a sweet tooth, like babies deprived of candy, will be upset, disappointed, discouraged, in a word, between you an iron curtain of misunderstanding will fall, which is much worse than any language barrier.

Desserts from Crete

I tried to do this a couple of times. Once, during lunch in Crete, when it was already hard to think that the stomach would take even a milligram of food, I said that they might not bring me dessert.

"What, you don't like sweets?" several people exclaimed. It seems that in the blink of an eye I have become a general enemy. “No, I’m just already full,” such an excuse was ridiculed, saying that if I don’t try the best creation of the cook, into which he has invested all his skill, soul and something else, then from now on he will refuse to feed me at all .

I had to try everything. But from that day on, they still looked at me with disbelief all week, constantly looking into the plate and carefully watching so that I would not try to do any such trick a second time.

By the way, the dessert was really beyond praise! I especially liked it with a fresh white light soufflé-like manouri cheese from sheep's milk, sprinkled with fragrant honey, and xerotigana brushwood.

Did you know that this popular deep-fried delicacy - brushwood - comes from Greece? To be honest, until I ended up in Crete, I never thought about it. It turns out that in the 19th century it came to St. Petersburg through Little Russia, whose inhabitants spied it from their Byzantine neighbors.

In fact, xerotigana is considered a wedding dessert in Crete, but many Greeks cook it for both the feast and the world. You can try it too - here.

Labor-intensive sweets and not so

On one of my next Greek trips, I almost shied away from coffee with sweets for the second time.

It happened on the peninsula of Halkidiki at a time when the endless dinner had almost become breakfast. I tried to escape, citing fatigue, the fact that in the morning (after a couple of hours) I had to get up early. I again heard the same question about sweets and felt like the most treacherous traitor.

As a result, the rest of the night had to calm the disappointed hosts, listening to how they tried and thought about the menu, how they selected each dish and how much time their chef spent preparing dessert. Yes, indeed, some Greek dishes are incredibly time-consuming.

For example, the Greeks love phyllo puff pastry. It is very elastic, after baking it turns out tender, thin, slightly crunchy melting in your mouth. But it is extremely difficult to make it - you need to roll it out and stretch it until it becomes like a sheet of paper. So, if you want to cook something Greek, the dough is better to buy.

From filo you can make huge pies with feta, spinach, chicken, small envelopes with various fillings and, of course, sweet nut baklava, poured with honey syrup. There is something original in all these sweets. Sometimes they are made from products familiar from antiquity: from honey (instead of sugar, which was not yet known at that time), from milk, olive oil, wheat flour.

But sometimes there are recipes from borrowed products. For example, from walnuts, so named only because they were brought to Russia by Greek merchants. One of my favorite Greek pies caridopita- the most delicate pie with walnuts. It is best to do it the day before the celebration, so that it is well soaked. Try to cook it.

Do you remember that the main rule is to try sweets? However, more than your refusal of dessert, Greek culinary specialists can only be upset if you compare their sweets with Turkish ones.

Forget that you ate almost the same baklava in Istanbul or ate almost the same brushwood in Anatolia - none of this matters if you don't want to hurt the quivering hearts of local Greek chefs.

The Greeks consider their goodies (even if it's Turkish-style coffee) to be unique. However, this feeling is mutual: a few years ago, real demonstrations took place in Istanbul demanding to protect the original Turkish dish baklava from Greek encroachments. But I will tell you about Turkish sweets some other time ...

Greek sweets are very popular among adults and children in Greece, and are also very popular with tourists who want to get to know the country better through taste. Local cookies, sweets, waffles, nougat and much more do not lose their freshness for a long time, so foreigners buy all these goodies as a memory of a wonderful trip.

In this article, we want to tell you about six, in our opinion, the most delicious traditional Greek sweets that you can always cook at home if you wish.

6. Kourabiedes

Kourabiedes is one of the most delicious Greek desserts you will ever come across. Sometimes they are made with cognac, vanilla or mastic for flavoring. These delicious shortbread biscuits are traditional around Christmas and Epiphany. The main difference between courabiedes and your regular shortbread cookies is that these delicious cookies usually contain almonds and are immediately rolled in powdered sugar after they are baked. And here's a little free tip for those of you who've never tried them: try to hold your breath as you eat this sugary treat.

To make Greek Kourabiedes cookies, you will need:

butter 200 g

powdered sugar 1 ½ cup

egg 1 pc.

chopped almonds 200 g

vanilla sugar 2 tbsp. l.

wheat flour 300 g

baking powder 13 g

almonds 30 g

1. Dry ingredients - chopped almonds, vanilla sugar, flour and baking powder mix

2. Soften butter at room temperature until white, add 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat well.

3. Continuing to beat, add the egg yolk. Mix the egg-butter mass with dry ingredients. Knead the dough thoroughly.

4. From pieces of dough (it is elastic, does not stick to hands, and does not require additional use of flour), form a ball, put a whole almond in the middle and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake cookies for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

5. Koulourakia

Koulourakia! It's so delicious! Especially after you dip it into your cup of coffee. These traditional Greek cookies are perhaps the most popular you'll find in bakeries. These butter-based sweets have a vanilla flavor and are the color of a shiny egg glaze. Koulourakia can also be recognized by the sesame seeds they are sometimes sprinkled on top of their distinctive serpentine shape. In fact, these cookies are formed in this way, because the ancient Minoans worshiped snakes for their healing powers.

We invite you to try making these wonderful cookies yourself at home. You will need the following ingredients:

200 g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond essence or Amaretto
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Grease the baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, beat softened butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add vanilla and almond essence. Add flour, knead the dough, at the end you may need to knead the dough with your hands. Take 1 tsp. dough and roll into balls, bars or other shapes, for example in the form of an S. Place on prepared baking sheets at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other

Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven (200C), or until the cookies are browned and firm. Let cookies cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

4. Greek baklava (baklava)

Baklava is a traditional Greek dessert that was adopted by Greek sailors and merchants in ancient Mesopotamia and brought to Athens. Baklava, a sweet pie made from a thin, crispy pastry, the recipe of which the Greeks perfected by combining several layers of filo pastry, sprinkled with ground walnuts, sprinkled with honey and cooked in the oven.

3. Diples

Diples is another wonderful traditional sweet, similar to our brushwood. This is a festive sweet, it is usually prepared for celebrations: for the New Year, Christmas, wedding, etc.
The dough for Diples is rolled out as thinly as possible. Then they are fried in a large pan until golden brown. They are fried gradually rolling into a roll, but they can also be wrapped in an envelope or rolled into a bundle, it happens in different ways. After frying, the dough is allowed to rest on a paper towel so that the oil is glassed. Then it is dipped in boiling syrup and sprinkled with nuts or powdered sugar already on a plate.

Greek Diples cannot be confused with any of the similar delicacies. To taste, add cinnamon, orange peel, liquor, honey, and sprinkle with nuts or powdered sugar.

2. Galaktobureko

Galaktoboureko is a Greek dessert in which pudding is dipped in semolina and wrapped in thin phyllo dough. Sometimes the cream is seasoned with lemon or orange. Galaktoboureko is baked in the oven, spread on a baking sheet with several oiled layers of phyllo dough and pudding, or rolled into 10 cm long rolls filled with semolina custard topped with oiled phyllo dough.

Loukoumades are one of the most popular and delicious desserts in Greece! These are a delicious type of deep fried honey mini donuts that are perfect as a dessert all year round, and even during Lent. You can try traditional loukoumades with honey and cinnamon, or any other flavors you like, such as chocolate or syrup.

- big sweet tooth. It is impossible to imagine an adult or a child in Greecewho would not rejoice at the next trip to zacharoplastio (confectionery shop). Sweets are also an integral part of any table, from the usual reception of guests to a solemn wedding banquet. For a thousand years of the rule of the Byzantine Empire, which combined the traditions of dozens of peoples, a huge number of oriental dishes were brought to Hellas, which eventually became national. This article will focus on the most popular confectionery.
One of the most favorite Greek delicacies baklava(baklavas).

By the look Greek baklava very reminiscent of a puff pastry stuffed with nuts, sesame seeds, raisins, soaked in sweet cinnamon syrup. It has almost nothing to do with fried baklava, which is sold by the hundreds on the beaches of the Black Sea resorts. History has preserved the mention of one of the Turkish Sultan's court chefs. He wrote in his cookbook that the first baklava was prepared and presented to Sultan Mehmed II in August 1453. It is not surprising that this happened in August, because in May of the same year the Byzantine capital fell under the blows of the Ottoman Empire.

The next Greek delicacy is Turkish Delight.

These sweets have a history of over 400 years and were brought to Greece from the east in the 17th century. Lokum it has taken root in the country so much that even in the monasteries of Athos it has become a traditional treat for pilgrims. Loukoumades are made from a large amount of sugar and glucose with the addition of various aromatic and color additives. Almonds and pistachios only complement the range of taste sensations of this unearthly delicacy, which is not only very tasty, but also useful for some diseases of the digestive system.

Another famous dessert that you should definitely try is loukoumades. Dessert is donuts with a lot of sugar syrup or condensed milk. Donuts are made from yeast dough with the addition of fruit or cheese and fried in boiling oil. small loukoumades, sprinkled with powdered sugar or coconut flakes, it is customary for the Greeks to eat with a fork.
Greek jam is in demand all over the world. An amazing variety of fruits, makes it the most diverse. Given the fact that even oranges grow on the streets, we can safely say that any Greek confectioner knows all the intricacies of making this dessert from his youth.

Also popular in Greece galaktombureko(Γαλακτομπούρεκο) - roll with milk filling, kadefi - honey sweets, halva (not very similar to that produced in the CIS countries), ravani and samali – Greek pastries, profiteroles– biscuits with various types of mousse, root me cream – waffle roll with sweet filling or condensed milk and delicious courabiedes- crumbly biscuits. At weddings, guests are given bonbonnieres - gourmet sweets, consisting of nuts and fruits, filled with a special cream or chocolate.

Greek mythology

Athens. Standing Attala

Standing Attala - a long gallery - a portico was built by the king of Pergamum Attalus II (159-138 BC), as a gift to the Athenians. Attalus spent a lot of time in Athens, learning philosophy and other sciences. Stoya is a large two-storey complex portico with a double colonnade and rows of shopping arcades behind the colonnade. The building was made from local materials: marble for the façade and columns, and limestone for the walls. The building was 116 meters long and was designed for 42 trading places. From that time on, the Stoa became the largest trading building in Athens, until it was destroyed by the ancient Germanic Heruli tribe in 267 AD. e. From its remnants, the city walls of Athens were fortified.

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Amazing ancient cities, warm sea wind and cozy verandas of taverns - welcome to Greece! Every guest is valued and generously welcomed here, because Zeus himself favors hospitable hosts.

And hospitality in the understanding of the Greeks is not only open doors, but also a table full of viands.

The meal in Greece occupies a special place. This is the time to meet with family and friends, relax, discuss news and events. That is why the locals are reverent in cooking, creating real masterpieces from simple products.

Greek cuisine - features

There are at least a hundred varieties of it in Greece, and each has its own original recipe for making it.

Cheeses are part of appetizers, added to main dishes, used in baking, deep-fried and eaten just like that. We recommend trying at least the most popular of them:

• A traditional dense white cheese made from sheep's (and sometimes goat's) milk;

• engraver- hard sheep's cheese with a sweetish aftertaste and exquisite aroma;

• cephalogravier- semi-hard cheese with a piquant touch of taste, most often served with strong wine;

• manuri- soft, tender and high-calorie cheese made from whole sheep's milk;

• kasseri- spicy white-yellow cheese made from sheep's milk with the addition of goat's;

• kefalotiri- hard salty or piquant cheese with a porous structure.

Salads

In Greece, there are two types of salads - hot and cold. The first are prepared from boiled vegetables and are usually called by the name of the main ingredient.

For example, "broccola" from broccoli or "pandzari" from beets. The most exotic (and, moreover, typically Greek) is Hortu (radikyu) - dandelion salad.

Cold salads consist of fresh vegetables with spices and sometimes cheese. Any salad must be dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Grape or wine vinegar is also served at the table.

If you can learn anything from My Big Big Greek Wedding, it's that Greeks love food. But Greek cuisine is not only about kebabs and yogurt. Greece has one of the most mouth-watering cuisines, from hearty meat dishes to rose-scented desserts. Check out the list of dishes that you should definitely try in Greece.

Paputsaki

The name of the dish is translated as "little shoes", it is an eggplant stuffed with meat, tomato sauce and bechamel sauce.

Pastizio

This pasta dish is somewhat reminiscent of lasagna. It requires several layers of pasta, ground pork or beef, tomato sauce with mint and cinnamon, as well as béchamel and grated cheese. It is very tasty as an independent dish, but also goes well with a salad.

Taramasalata

This is a delicious spread of caviar mixed with olive oil and potatoes or bread. It's incredibly delicious when eaten with pita bread. The dish has a lot of fat, but it also has enough protein and omega-3 acids.

Avgolemono soup

Complemented with beaten egg, lemon juice and rice, this delicious chicken broth is the perfect dish for winter weather and a great cold remedy. Chop some chicken and bell pepper to give the broth even more flavor.

halloumi

This cheese is made in Cyprus. Halloumi has a delicate texture with a slight salty taste, it is made from sheep's and goat's milk. This is a versatile cheese that can be eaten both in pure form and in a salad, on a sandwich, and even with watermelon. Unlike other cheeses, this one does not melt when grilled, baked, or pan-fried.

Kleftiko

This lamb roast is usually seasoned with garlic, onion and oregano and served with potatoes and vegetables. If the meat has been marinated long enough and cooked properly, it will separate easily under a fork and practically melt in your mouth.

Cooluri

It is impossible to imagine a Greek feast without a basket of kouluri - this is bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, which is usually baked in the shape of a circle. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Often made with olives or feta, this bread is especially tasty when served while still warm.

Koulourakia

This name sounds similar to the previous one, however, the dish is somewhat different. These are sugar-coated butter cookies that can be both crunchy and soft on the inside. Cookies are served all year round, but especially often at Easter.

Galaktobureko

For dessert, try a slice of sweet corn quiche. It has a delicate aroma of rose water and a puff pastry crust.

Spanakopita

Not all Greek pastries are sweet. Spanakopita, for example, is a savory pie made with spinach and feta. The pie crust is made from crispy phyllo dough.

Keftedes

These crispy fried meatballs are usually made with pork or beef seasoned with oregano, onion, garlic and a pinch of cinnamon.

Tzatziki

A popular sauce is made from plain yogurt, mint, cucumber, olive oil, and garlic. This is a great addition to both fried pork or chicken skewers, as well as to pita.

Sheftalia

These juicy lamb or pork sausages are a dish from Cyprus. The Greeks cannot imagine a family barbecue without such a product.

kalo prama

This dish literally translates as "a great thing" and once you try it, you will understand the essence of such a name. It's a corn cake soaked in rosewater syrup and garnished with almonds. The perfect dish for a light and sweet dessert.

Kritaraki

This pasta dish with onions and tomatoes is cooked with different types of meat - lamb, pork, beef or chicken. Either way, it's very flavorful.

Gemista

This dish requires peppers and tomatoes, they are stuffed with rice, herbs, sometimes minced meat. It turns out a hearty and healthy main course, which can also be used as a side dish.

souvlaki

Many people imagine kebabs, but have never heard of souvlaki - these are grilled skewers of meat, usually pork or chicken. The meat is served on a pita with salad or eaten straight from a skewer.

Dolmades

Hand-rolled rolls of minced pork, rice and parsley, wrapped in grape leaves, are quite difficult to make. But they are incredibly tasty both hot and cold. Meat can be substituted for pepper for a vegetarian version.

Loukoumades

If you love donuts, you will love loukoumades. It is a popular dessert sold on the streets and consists of small fried pieces of dough served with syrup and cinnamon or nuts.

aphelia

This dish is pork marinated in red wine. It takes a very long time to cook, but the incredible flavor justifies all the effort - be sure to try it if you like meat.

Kourabiedes

During the festive season, many Greek grandmothers make cookies with walnuts and powdered sugar, vanilla and orange. Try these biscuits with traditional Greek milk-free coffee to balance the sweetness of the dessert with the drink.

Mauromatica

This is one of the more useful products on this list. A protein-rich dish made from black beans in tomato sauce. It can be with or without meat.

Moussaka

Layers of minced meat, usually lamb or beef, cooked in tomato sauce and topped with eggplant and béchamel sauce, are a classic in Greek cuisine. If desired, the dish can be prepared without meat - eggplant with aromatic sauces turns out perfectly.

Lucaniko

Lucaniko is a tangy-flavoured smoked sausage made with fennel, orange, and sometimes chili. It's a great appetizer when eaten hot, straight off the grill, on a halloumi pita sandwich.

Baklava

Baklava is popular in Turkey and the Middle East, but in Greece it can be found in every pastry shop. Dessert made from filo pastry and pistachios is usually cut into squares or triangles. The dish also includes honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. It turns out an incredibly tasty and mouth-watering dessert.