Here are 35 Traditional Greek Dishes and Desserts you should eat in Greece! I also share what Greeks typically eat for breakfast, Christmas and Easter as well as some famous Greek liquours that you fresh baklava near me try.
Gyro Want something quick to eat in Greece? Then a Gyro or two is the best. Everywhere in Greece, you can find gyro shops where they sell pita gyro and gyro plate for 2-3 euro and 5-8 euro for a plate. Pita gyro is one of my favorite Greek foods, and it consists of pork, fries, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumber which are being wrapped in a pita bread.
The plate is the same thing, but usually, a bigger portion and more salad served on the plate. Kleftiko Lamb is a specialty in Greece, and I have yet to find better tasting lamb dishes than in Greece. Kleftiko was originally cooked in an earth oven, which is a small pit in the ground, used to trap heat and smoke. It’s a truly traditional Greek dish with slow-oven-baked lamb on the bone, which is first marinated in garlic and lemon juice. Souvlaki Another traditional Greek food is the Souvlaki, which you can find in almost any Greek restaurant. Souvlaki is basically grilled meat on a skewer and can be everything from pork, chicken, lamb, beef, and vegetables.
It usually comes with some side veggies and fries, tzatziki, and pita bread. Keftethes Greek meatballs made of pork or beef and seasoned with oregano, onion, garlic, and a pinch of cinnamon. You will find Keftethes on the table on most festive occasions in Greece. Saganaki Saganaki is actually the name for all small dishes that are being fried in the small pan called Saganaki. But the most common one is the Cheese Saganaki or Shrimp Saganaki. My favorite is the Saganaki Cheese, and it’s a delicious Greek appetizer.
Spanakopita A spinach pie with feta cheese, onions or scallions, and egg. Spanakopita is delicious and it’s perfect as a snack or side dish. Moussaka There are lots of variations of Moussaka with traditional family recipes. The traditional Moussaka recipe consists of sauteed eggplant, tomato, ground lamb, a layer of potatoes, and a final fluffy topping of cheese and béchamel sauce.
However, a lot of modern versions use ground beef without potatoes. Moussaka is one of the national dishes of Greece. It’s definitely one of the Greek foods everyone should eat at least once in their life! Moussaka can also be made vegetarian for non-meat eaters. Calamari Deep fried squid served with salt and lemon, and oftentimes also a sauce on the side.
Calamari is a popular appetizer in Greece. Feta Cheese Baked Feta Cheese might just be one of my favorite Greek foods. In Sweden, we eat feta cheese from Greece a lot as well, but normally we don’t bake it but put it in salads or as a side dish. When I visited Crete back in 2013, it was an amazing discovery when I ordered oven-baked feta Cheese with herbs. Since then I’ve become quite obsessed with Feta Cheese, and it’s something that I always eat in Greece. Tzatziki The magical tzatziki, made from Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic is one of the Greek foods everyone should try at least once in their life. Chances are quite high that you’ve already tried it back home in your own country since it has become world-famous.
But, no tzatziki can compare to the ones served in Greece! Pastitsio A baked pasta dish with bechamel sauce and ground beef. This Greek dish is being eaten year round and it can be described as the Greek version of Lasagne. It’s also one of the dishes that the ancient Greeks ate, and there’s proof that Pastitsio was eaten as early as 1200 B. The stifado is usually made on the stovetop, but can also be made in the oven.
The older recipes of Stifado don’t include tomatoes though since they didn’t arrive in Europe until later. Yemista Stuffed tomatoes and peppers with rice and herbs, but could also include minced meat. There are many different recipes for Yemista and they can be seasoned with different spices and herbs in order to get a unique flavor. Lavraki Sea Bass is another traditional Greek food that any fish lover should try while visiting Greece. Kritharaki A specific type of Greek Pasta that looks almost like long-grain rice.