6 Authentic and Delicious Greek Dishes You Need to Try

You may already be acquainted with popular Greek dishes like gyros or souvlaki, but Greek cuisine offers a plethora of other unique and delightful culinary creations that are worth exploring.

Fresh ingredients like olives and olive oil, feta cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes are some of the staples of Greek cuisine, and dishes are typically baked as opposed to fried, making the Greek diet one of the healthiest in the world.

Whether you’re looking to improve your health or just sample some delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes, here are six authentic Greek foods you need to try.

1. Dolmades

Depending on where you are in Greece, you’ll see a variation of dolmades. The traditional version involves a vine leaf parcel wrapped around a mixture of minced meat and long-grain rice, while other variations include the same stuffing inside hollowed-out tomatoes, peppers, or courgettes. A vegetarian version might include rice with pine nuts and fresh herbs such as thyme, fennel, oregano, and dill. Minced meat dolmades can be served as part of a hearty meal, whereas vegetarian versions, served cold or at room temperature, are great appetizers.

If you plan to make dolmades at home, wash the leaves thoroughly and blanch them in boiling water before allowing them to cool completely. For the filling, cook the rice with browned onion and add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and any herbs to taste. Stuff the leaves with the rice mixture and place the dolmades in a pot, topping them with olive oil, lemon juice, and enough water that they’re covered. Cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Let them cool for another 30 minutes before serving.

2. Moussaka

Like dolmades, moussaka is a dish that has regional variation and is a staple throughout the Balkans and Mediterranean. The Greek variation is oven baked and includes layers of sautéed eggplant, minced beef, onion, garlic, puréed and fried tomato, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, and paprika), as well as a topping of cheese and béchamel sauce. The béchamel sauce is made with olive oil, all-purpose flour, milk, eggs, and nutmeg.

Moussaka, essentially an eggplant casserole, is a favorite comfort food among Greeks. If making it at home, be sure to salt the eggplant to draw out excess moisture and broil it for added flavor. You can also use sliced potato instead of eggplant.

3. Taramasalata

Whether it’s with a meal or eaten as a snack, dips are a staple of Greek cuisine. Tzatziki, a combination of yogurt, garlic, and cucumber, is the most common Greek dip, but others include fava, a cream split-pea purée, and taramasalata, a creamy dip composed of fish roe and either bread or potato. For bread-based taramasalata, the bread, usually stale and crustless, is soaked in a bowl of cold water, dried out, and placed into a blender or food processor along with either pink or white fish roe, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh black pepper.

The resulting mixture is best served topped with a drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice. It is typically eaten with toasted pita bread.

4. Kotosoupa

Kotosoupa is a nutritious and hearty soup that is easy to make. Start by slow-boiling a whole chicken along with bonnet rice and vegetables. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the skin and bones, leaving the cooked meat in the pot. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks together with some of the broth from the pot and lemon juice. Stir this mixture, known as avgolemono sauce, back into the pot to complete the soup. Kotosoupa is a great meal option during cold winter nights or to help get over the common cold.

5. Soutzoukakia

Soutzoukakia is one of many Greek meals with Turkish influence. These meatballs, made popular in Greece by natives who returned to the country from Turkey’s Aegean Coast following the Greco-Turkish War, are baked in a tomato-cumin sauce. They’re usually made of beef mince but can also be prepared with both beef and pork mince. The meatball mixture includes stale bread soaked in red wine. Once baked, the meatballs are left to simmer in the tomato sauce, which also features onion, red wine, sugar, and garlic.

6. Xtapodi

It’s not uncommon to see octopus hanging out to dry along Greek harbors. Xtapodi is a popular appetizer in Greece and can also be part of a main course when stewed in wine or boiled and seared with vegetables. To prepare it yourself, boil the octopus in wine, red wine vinegar, and bay leaves (don’t add water as the octopus releases water on its own). After cooling, sear the octopus in a hot pan without its liquid and add chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, garlic, and olive oil. Cook for five minutes before deglazing the pan with balsamic vinegar. Serve with potatoes or bread.