A typical Greek breakfast usually consists of a wide variety of bread, pastry, fruits, and Greek yogurt. These foods are high in nutritional value and a great source of energy — an excellent way to begin your Greek food adventures!
The Greeks have been eating eggs for breakfast since ancient times, so it comes as no surprise that they would still be a popular choice today! What is this? Greek omelets are made with feta cheese, onion, tomato, and green peppers.
Coffee in Greece
Greeks are heavy coffee drinkers and the coffee economy is thriving, even in hard times. You usually notice it by the minute you step foot on the country, as you see many locals holding a cup of coffee in their hand as part of their Greek breakfast.
A typical Greek meal includes one or two appetizers, a slice of freshly-baked bread, the main meal, a glass of the alcohol or soft drink of your choice, and dessert for the end.
The main foods the Ancient Greeks ate were bread, made from wheat, and porridge, made from barley. They used lots of olive oil to cook and add flavor to dishes. They also ate a range of vegetables, including chickpeas, olives, onions, garlic, and cabbage.
A typical Greek lunch tends to be light and traditionally includes a homemade casserole or vegetable stew. It is served with a side dish of cheese, bread, and salad, but more importantly, wine. Fresh seafood has always been a highlight of Greek cuisine.
There are also many ancient and Byzantine dishes which are no longer consumed: porridge (chilós in Greek) as the main staple, fish sauce (garos), and salt water mixed into wine.
Greeks love to dip their bread into any food that has fluid – they may attempt to convince you that their piece of bread landed in the salad plate by accident – thus, creating the, famous among the Greeks, “papara”! (That's a Greek word especially invented to describe the soaked piece of bread!)
In fact, Greece comes in at number 15 on the list of top coffee-consuming countries in the world, a fact you will soon realize when experiencing one of our Greece vacation packages. At 5.4 kg per person per year, the Greeks consume more coffee than the French, the English, and the Americans!
Souvlaki, chunks of skewered pork, is still Greece's favourite fast food, served on chopped tomatoes and onions in pitta bread with lashings of tzatziki. Gyros, too, is popular served in the same way. At the taverna, local free-range lamb and pork dominate, though kid goat is also a favourite.
The Greeks have a few different words for what we call “yogurt,” which makes sense, because yogurt is a major part of their diet and over the millenia they've been eating it, they've recognized that there are several different kinds.
And that goes for breakfast, lunch and dinner – even in between as a snack. A staple in the Greek diet, bread is a constant in every meal served.
Greeks typically have four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee and dinner. Traditionally the largest meal was lunch, but many have changed their habits to a more Westernized style of living.
Freddo Espresso is unique in and of s made out of espresso and blended in a frappe coffee frother. The Freddo Espresso is topped with a cold milk-based foam known as aphrogala in Greece. The drink is traditionally served over ice and many enjoy it with sugar or stevia.
Dairy was mainly consumed in the form of yogurt or cheese. Greeks are among the highest consumers of cheese, thanks to feta cheese, which accompanies almost every dish.
Traditionally, local people in Greece would eat a very light breakfast and a late dinner because the largest meal of the day was often lunch. Breakfast would consist of a phyllo pastry, Greek yogurt or fruit, and make way for a typical Greek lunch or mesimeriano that would normally take place in the late afternoon.
For example, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and bananas didn't arrive in Greece until after the discovery of the Americas in the 15th century, because that's where those foods originated. Also, lemons, oranges, eggplant, and rice arrived later.
Greeks make lunch their big meal of the day, and eat it between 2 and 3pm. Especially in summer, Greeks often head to a cafe for some ice cream around 8pm. Dinner is often a light meal, seldom eaten earlier than 9pm, but when Greeks do go out to dinner, they usually don't think of eating before 10pm.
The various rules of the Greek Orthodox Church have shaped people's eating habits. Even non-religious Greeks abstain from foods deriving from animals –meat, dairy products and eggs— during the numerous Lenten days that precede Easter, Christmas and other religious occasions.
Whether it's penne with pesto or hearty lasagna, you've surely got a favorite dish. Greece also has pasta, which range from well-known kritharaki (or orzo for the rest of the world) to more obscure types served across its territory.
Lunch traditionally was and, for the most part, still is the largest meal of the day. Consumed around 2 or 3 p.m., lunch may include lathera, legumes, pasta and, nowadays, more meat-rich dishes such as roasted chicken and stewed veal.
Baklava – The best known traditional Greek dessert
Without a doubt, baklava is one of the best known desserts in Greece. This popular Greek pastry consists of of phyllo pastry, good quality butter, chopped walnuts or pistachios, and a rich sugary syrup. Flavorings include orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves.
Heavy on the Veggies
Greek people, on the whole, eat very little meat and a lot of vegetables. When Greek dishes do include meat, it is typically lamb or seafood, though some dishes also involve rabbit.