The Food Lexicon

or

'what you find on a Greek menu'

Classic Mezedes

Dolmadakia – Meze – Vine leaves stuffed with rice, dill, parsley, olive oil and lemon

Cheese Mezedes

Bugiurndi - very regional Cheese dish. In Halkidiki prepared in the oven with Feta red pepper, hot pepper & tomato. In other areas in addition with 1-2 other types of cheese

Grilled Feta - often prepared with hot pepper tomato & olive oil

Saganaki kefaloturi, hard cheese. Often served fried

Mpatso saganaki - half hard cheese, mainly served fried

Salads

Farmers Salad also known as ‘Greek Salad’ – tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, onions, Feta, olive oil and oregano

Αγγοροντομάτα - Tomato-Cucumber salad with tomatoes, cucumber, omions, parsley & olive oil

Μαρούλι-Ρόκα - Lettuce-Rocket salad with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar & extra olive oil

Τονοσαλάτα - Tuna salad with lettuce, rocket, samphire, tuna, mayonnaise & fresh onions

Κρίταμα - Samphire salad, tomatoes, olives, garlic, vinegar & olive oil

Plain Fare Dishes

Gemista – Stuffed, oven baked vegetables – tomatoes and green/red peppers, rice onions, parsley, mint. Can also be prepared in addition with minced meat

Pastitsio – Traditional casserole – comparable to the Italian Lasagne – Layers of macaroni, tomato sauce with minced meat and béchamel with hard cheese

Papoutsakia – oven-baked, stuffed Eggplants – Eggplants, minced meat, tomatoes, onions, wine, cinnamon, pepper, olive-oil, allspice and béchamel

Fricassee – knuckle of lamb or kid (young goat meat) – spinach, spring onions, lettuce dill, parcel, lemon, egg

Soutzoukakia a la Smyrni - fried meatballs made out of minced beef with homemade tomato sauce

Keftedakia - Grilled or fried meatballs

Spetsofai - dish, prepared in the pan with sausage, green pepper, red peppers & tomato sauce

Kleftiko – traditional, oven cooked dish with lamb, peppers, potatoes and hard-cheese

Imam – Stuffed and oven-baked Eggplant - eggplant, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon & cloves

Briam - Oven Baked Vegetables – zucchini, potatoes, sliced tomatoes, onions (dried ?)oil

Mousaka – Traditional Casserole/Bake – Layers of potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes with minced meat and béchamel

Oven Baked Giant Beans – large white beans, celery, carrots, onions, (coarsely ground-) pepper

Grilled Food

Souvlaki – pork/chicken/lamb-meat in small pieces on small skewer grilled and served with oregano, salt and lemon

Bifteki - grilled meatball made out of minced beef

Pansetes - grilled belly of pork

Seafood - Mezedes

Chtapodaki – grilled or boiled slices of octopus. Served with olive oil, vinegar and oregano

Mydopilafo – Mussels in shell, rice, onions and dill. Comparable to a risotto

Mydia saganaki – Mussels saganaki – Mussels with or without shell, prepared in a pan with olive oil, hot peppers, Feta, parsley and mustard

Shrimps Saganaki - Shrimps in olive oil prepared in a pan with hot pepper, Feta, parsley, chilies and fresh tomatoes

Shrimps on grill – large Shrimps, grilled and served with olive oil, oregano and lemon

Friend Squid – sliced, floured and fried slices of squid. Served with fresh lemon

Soupies Spanaki – cuttlefish-spinach - dish made out of cuttlefish, spinach, olive oil, onions, finely chopped, wine, fresh tomatoes, parsley, dill, salt and pepper

Soupies Stifado - cuttlefish stifado - a stew made out of cuttlefish, onions, olive oil, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, red wine and fresh tomatoes

Grilled Squid – whole large squid, grilled and served with olive oil, oregano and lemon

Astakomakaronada – Lobster with pasta – lobster, spaghetti, onions, cloves, cinnamon, olive oil, tomatoes, wine and parsley, prepared in a pan

Sardines Plaki - Sardines, chopped onions, garlic, olive oil, parsley and fresh tomatoes prepared in the oven

Chtapodi sharas - Grilled octopus

Soupia Psiti - Grilled cuttlefish

Bakaliaros - Fried salted cod- typical dish on the Saints day on 25th March

Skoumpri - Smoked mackerel

Essentials - usually in addition with other food

Feta – traditional brine pickled goat-lamb-cheese. Needs to comply guidelines to be called Feta. As ‘Meze’ served with olive-oil and oregano.

Tzatziki – traditional spread made out of yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, olive-oil and pepper

Melitzanosalata - Spread made out of Eggplant, parsley, olive oli and grilled red pepper. Can be found plain or enriched with mayonnaise

Fava - Spread made out of split peas and carrot. Often served with fresh onion)

Tyrokavteri - Spicy Cheese-spread made out of Feta and hot red peppers