Greek food cuisine and history
"Greek cooking puts a premium on using fresh ingredients and staying close to what's natural". - ABS CBN News, 2013
Key features of greek culture and cuisine
Greek cooking offers an incredibly rich and diverse array of foods and beverages that are the culmination of literally thousands of years of living, cooking, and eating. While each Greek meal is fresh and inviting, it is also a trip back through Greece's history.
The names of foods, cooking methods and basic ingredients have changed very insignificantly over time. Some foods such as bread, potato, olives and wine have constituted in the triptych of the Greek diet for a very long time, just like they do today.
Greece is a very small nation that produces an incredible amount of cheeses, oils, fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables. These are the foods that are the base of traditional Greek regimen, to which variety and nutrition is added. Greece is an ideal country to producing many foods because the climate is perfect for growing and produce the key ingredients in Greek cuisine that was listed above. There is also key spices in Greek cuisine, spread globally especially in Australia. They can include, garlic, oregano, basil, mint and thyme.
20 percent of Greece is made up of islands and no part of the Greek mainland is more than 90 miles from the sea, (GreekFood, N.D).
This means that fish and seafood is a popular and common part of the Greek diet. Some of the major seafood dishes in Greece can include Prawn Saganaki, Greek Stuffed Squid, Greek Sea Bass, Greek Spetsiotiko Fish and Cuttlefish with Spinach.
(Map of Greece Below)
The names of foods, cooking methods and basic ingredients have changed very insignificantly over time. Some foods such as bread, potato, olives and wine have constituted in the triptych of the Greek diet for a very long time, just like they do today.
Greece is a very small nation that produces an incredible amount of cheeses, oils, fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables. These are the foods that are the base of traditional Greek regimen, to which variety and nutrition is added. Greece is an ideal country to producing many foods because the climate is perfect for growing and produce the key ingredients in Greek cuisine that was listed above. There is also key spices in Greek cuisine, spread globally especially in Australia. They can include, garlic, oregano, basil, mint and thyme.
20 percent of Greece is made up of islands and no part of the Greek mainland is more than 90 miles from the sea, (GreekFood, N.D).
This means that fish and seafood is a popular and common part of the Greek diet. Some of the major seafood dishes in Greece can include Prawn Saganaki, Greek Stuffed Squid, Greek Sea Bass, Greek Spetsiotiko Fish and Cuttlefish with Spinach.
(Map of Greece Below)
A history of culinary influences in greece
Food History in Greece can date back to 350 B.C. Some information from Greekfood.about.com shows us the influence of Greek cuisine.
- In c.350 B.C., when Alexander the Great extended the Greek Empire's reach from Europe to India, certain northern and eastern influences were absorbed into the Greek cuisine.
- In 146 B.C., Greece fell to the Romans which resulted in a blending of a Roman influence into Greek cooking.
- In 330 A.D., Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, founding the Byzantine Empire which, in turn, fell to the Turks in 1453 and remained part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. During that time, dishes had to be known by Turkish names, names that remain today for many Greek classics.
As seen above, there have been many influences to Greek Cuisine from history monuments, such as the Roman War and extension of the Greek Empire. These factors have greatly changed how Greek Food has been made in modern eras.
|
The video on the left, explains Greek cuisine at a very high standard. The ABS - CBN News visits Cyma, a top quality restaurant for Greek cuisine. We can learn the different types of food and ingredients in Greek cuisine. However, we can also learn the advancement of food in Greece. From basic ingredients, to top quality dishes that is globally consumed.
|
Similarities and differences in cuisine between greece and australia
There are many differences between Greek and Australian cuisine. Greek cuisine is more focused around natural and fresh ingredients, rather than meat. On the other hand, Australia cuisine consists of a diet high in protein because foods such as steak and chicken are consumed. Additionally, Greek cuisine can be more diverse than Australian cuisine, (a greater variety of foods). In some instances, Australian cuisine can be similar to Greek cuisine because common Greek ingredients such as yogurt and bread are used. Another similarity is the eating method. Most foods are usually on a plate, unless it is Indigenous bush tucker.
What degree of influence did greece have on australian cuisine?
Greece definitely had a large influence on Australian cuisine. European colonization in Australia caused other countries to migrate or immigrate. Back in the 18-19th century, food was very simple and people from Greek decided that the conditions were ideal to grow some herbs/vegetables/fruits and cook some basic Greek food. The tasty food attracted many people, and the Greek food industry grew in Australia. To this day, many people love Greek cuisine.
Dish i have produced - greek potato salad with egg
Greek Potato Salad with Egg is a dish that has used many Greek key ingredients such as egg, potato and mayonnaise. Greek Potato Salad has been known for a long time as one of the most popular Greek dishes.
Recipe available below for download.
|