10 Greek Foods You Must Try

10 Greek Foods You Must Try

When you think of Greece, one of the first things that come to mind is the food. With its unique flavors, Greek food is world-renowned, especially here in the United States. From Greek salad to gyros, Greek food is everywhere in some way, shape, or form. Chefs replicate dishes, giving them a unique twist, or taking another dish and giving it a Greek twist.

As hard as it is, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 10 Greek foods you must try:

1. Baklava

Baklava is a Greek dessert staple. Most baklava is made with a mix of walnuts and almonds layered in filo dough. After baking in the oven, a honey syrup is poured over the top, allowing it to seep into the layers of filo and nuts.

2. Dolmathes

Dolmathes are another Greek staple. Dolmathes are known to most as “stuffed grape leaves.” Dolmathes often have a meat and rice mixture on the inside and an avgolemono (lemon egg) sauce on top. Dolmathes can also be made with cabbage as opposed to grape leaves for a different flavor.

3. Ellinikos (Greek Coffee)

If you want some strong coffee, give Ellinikos a try. Ellinikos is essentially made with instant coffee, which is a really finely ground coffee that dissolves in water and cooked in a briki. There are three different levels of sweetnesses: glyko (sweet), metrio (medium sweetness), and sketos (without sugar). The levels depend on your ratio of coffee to sugar, so the sweeter it is, the higher the sugar ratio. If you want a cold version, try a frappe.

4.  Greek Salad (Choriatiki Salata)

Traditional Greek Salad is made only with cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and sometimes onions and peppers. The salad is seasoned with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkle of oregano, and a dash of salt. It is often served with feta cheese on top.

5. Gyro

Gyro is probably the most common Greek dish. A gyro is essentially a sandwich where the meat is placed in a pita and served with onions, tomatoes, tzatziki and sometimes fries. It is called a gyro because the meat is cooked vertically on a rotating spit.

6. Loukoumades

Loukoumades take donuts to a whole other level. They are bite-sized deep fried dough balls that are dipped in honey and covered in cinnamon flavored nuts.

7. Pastitsio 

Pastitsio is a pasta dish made with meat, noodles and a bechamel sauce. What gives pastitsio its unique flavor is the seasoning of the meat, which includes notes of cinnamon.

8. Souvlaki

Souvlaki is Greek seasoned meat traditionally served on a skewer. It is served with tzatziki sauce and sometimes a pita or fries on the side. Souvlaki is a popular street food because of its ease of eating.

9. Spanakopita

Spanakopita is a spinach pie that is made with spinach and feta that is layered in filo dough. It can be an appetizer, snack, or side dish, making it a universal dish. Its sister dish, tiropita, is made with a cheese filling.

10. Tzatziki

Tzatziki is the Greek condiment. It is made from thick, strained yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and cucumber. Some variations are made with dill. It is simple to prepare but can be used as a sauce or accompaniment to any dish.

You can try all of these foods at the 2017 Denver Greek Festival. For more information on our food offerings, check out our menu


Leave a Reply


©2017, Denver Greek Festival. - 4610 East Alameda Avenue - Denver CO 80246 - 303-388-9314

Designed and Developed by ThemeXpert.