In Greece you do not visit: you savour. A tomato swollen with sun, a fruity olive oil, a cheese matured in the mountains, a glass of ouzo in the shade of a vine trellis… Greek cooking is an art of living in its own right, simple and generous, shared slowly.
Feta, moussaka, revithada, baklava: will you recognise these taverna treasures? 12 delicious questions to test your palate and whet your appetite. Every answer slips in a flavour, an island, a tradition.
Still hungry for Greece? Move on to the great Greece quiz or discover which Greek island is right for you.
Emblematic Greek cheese, made from sheep's and goat's milk, protected by a PDO:
Explanation Feta is eaten in salad, baked as saganaki, or simply drizzled with olive oil.
This bake of aubergines, minced meat and béchamel is called…
Explanation Moussaka bakes slowly in the oven: a pillar of the tavernas, to be savoured unhurriedly.
The fresh sauce made from yoghurt, cucumber and garlic is called…
Explanation Tzatziki accompanies grills and vegetables; its freshness works wonders in summer.
What are the small skewers of grilled meat, served everywhere in Greece, called?
Explanation Souvlaki is eaten on the go or at table, often with a pitta and some tzatziki.
A speciality of Sifnos, this chickpea dish simmers all night in a wood-fired oven:
Explanation Revithada, cooked in an earthenware pot, is traditionally shared on Sundays on Sifnos.
Which aniseed spirit, turning white on contact with water, is the emblematic Greek aperitif?
Explanation Ouzo is served chilled, in the shade of a terrace, with a few mezze: a whole art of living.
What is the traditional Greek white wine flavoured with pine resin called?
Explanation Retsina, with its singular resinous taste, has accompanied Greek tables since antiquity.
These vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs are called…
Explanation Dolmades are eaten warm or cold, often lifted with a squeeze of lemon.
Which pastry of honey and fine filo dough happily closes a Greek meal?
Explanation Baklava, crisp and soaked in syrup, is shared with a good strong Greek coffee.
The pie of spinach and feta wrapped in filo pastry is called…
Explanation Spanakopita (spanaki = spinach) is found in every bakery, at any hour.
In Crete, this barley rusk topped with grated tomato and fresh cheese is called…
Explanation Dakos, drizzled with olive oil, sums up Crete: simple, generous, full of sun.
The basis of all Greek cooking, this "green gold" flows over almost every dish:
Explanation Olive oil has irrigated Greek cooking for millennia; some olive trees in Crete are a thousand years old.
Would you like our next quizzes and our gourmet travel ideas for Greece?
Tasting Greece, one village at a time
The best way to know these flavours is still to sit down where they are born. Revithada in a taverna on Sifnos, gourmet capital of the Cyclades; dakos and raki on the way back from a walk in Crete; grilled fish facing the harbour, in the Ionian Islands… In Greece, every region has its table.
At Kelifos, specialists in walking holidays in Greece for more than forty years, food is never a side matter: it is part of the path. Charming addresses, markets, producers and small village tavernas punctuate our itineraries, with your luggage transferred from stage to stage. All that is left is to walk and to feast.
Continue reading
- Which Cyclades island to choose for the trip you have in mind?
- The Best Hikes in Crete
- Hiking in Sifnos: the island of flavours on foot
- The Most Beautiful Greek Islands, one for every wish
- When to Visit Greece: Our Month-by-Month Guide
Article written by
Maria Papadopoulou (Μαρία Παπαδοπούλου)
Editorial lead
I hike, and Greece is the place I keep coming back to. My initial studies (a Master’s in Marketing and a degree in Applied Foreign Languages) taught me how to build an editorial project, and the trails taught me the… Read more