Interesting Ingredients of Greek Cuisine

Written by Greek Boston in Greek Cooking Comments Off on Interesting Ingredients of Greek Cuisine

Greek cuisine is filled with delicious, comforting foods whose recipes have been passed down through the generations. For those of us who try to cook many of these foods in other countries, tracking down some of the ingredients can be a bit of a challenge. The reason for this is that many ingredients are totally unique, and you pretty much need to buy them in Greece. Here’s a look at some of those ingredients:

Greek Honey

Sure, you can get honey no matter where you are in the world, but will it actually be good enough for a Greek recipe? Maybe not. Honey tastes different throughout the world because the flavor depends on where the pollen came from. For some of the Greek desserts to get close to how they taste in Greece, you need Greek Honey.

Petimezi

This is an interesting ingredient that is called for in a lot of Greek recipes. You can use other types of molasses, but it won’t be the same. This is a special type of molasses made from grapes. For example, in this chocolate cake recipe, you can’t get the robust flavor from other types of molasses. You need the real thing!

Greek Oregano

Oregano grows in various places throughout the world. It is also readily available dried. However, there is something different and unique about the way Greek oregano tastes. You can technically use any oregano that you want in your recipes, but if you can find the real thing, it will make a huge difference in the dishes that you cook. Not only is authentic, Greek oregano

Hilopites

When cooking Greek recipes that involve a smaller-shaped pasta, many who live in other countries have a tendency to use orzo. An even more traditional choice is hilopites, which are readily available in Greece but can be difficult to find elsewhere. They tend to change the character of the dish when you can find them.

Mastic

Mastic is a completely unique spice that comes from trees that are only found on the Greek island of Chios. The resin is used as a flavoring in baked goods, can be used to make chewing gum, and is even distilled into a delicious liquor. If you find yourself in Greece, be sure to grab some, otherwise it can be difficult to find outside of the country.

Greek Sea Salt

Authentic Greek sea salt actually comes from the sea in Greece. In many places, it is obtained by hand and uses ancient methods for obtaining it. Although you can find sea salt anywhere in the world, if you want your dishes to be truly authentic, you should be using the real thing. Sea salt is used in pretty much everything that you cook, even desserts.

When cooking Greek foods outside of Greece, it can often be a challenge finding the authentic ingredients. When you are able to do so, it is well worth the effort because it will make your dishes taste so much better!

Categorized in: Greek Cooking

This post was written by Greek Boston