Greek Cooking - Traditional Recipes - T. Tolis

Since prehistoric times, the sun-blessed Greek land generously
offered its fortunate inhabitants an exceptionally good quality
of produce, so that they could develop the nutritional need of
the human body into a sensitive science and art. Gastronomy, one
of the most significant manifestations of an entropic and
ephemeral applied art, characterizes the ancient cultures of the
great civilizations. Hence the French cuisine is a natural
evolution, developing through the years from the roots of ancient
Roman gastronomy; whereas the Chinese equivalent has its roots in
the old Chinese Empire. But in both cases, the historic events
and contacts with other nations and cultures enriched and widened
the original gastronomic experience. These were either cultural
contacts, which contributed new ideas and forms of cooking, or
commercial contacts that introduced new products and flavours.
This is also what happened with the ancient Greek cookery, which
developed into Byzantine cooking owing to the Roman admixture,
and later into the modern Greek cuisine, from the influences
contributed by the Venetian and Turkish occupation of Greece.
However, even today Greek cookery with its wonderful local
varieties is basically the same as that described in ancient
times by Homer and Hesiod and later in the Hellenistic period by
Athenaeus. The sun's warm rays still caress the olives, vines and
fruit The delicate soil of Greece and the mild climate give an
especially subtle taste and fragrance to the vegetables, fruit,
pulses, cereals and herbs. The Greek seas supply delicious fish
and a large variety of other seafood. The meat and fowl, due to
the traditional way of feeding, have kept their original taste.
In quality, the Greek oil is superior to that of the other
Mediterranean countries and Greek wines have a delicate taste and
a subtle aroma. To all of the above you should add the warm Greek
hospitality, and the joy of life, derived from the bright Greek
landscape, and through the paths of tasty delicacies allow
yourself to be led to the height of pleasure.