When you think of Greek cuisine, you should begin to think of flavors from ingredients like eggplant, zucchini, fish, olives, herbs, a whole lot of olive oil and yes, some yogurt. Greek cuisine falls into a similar category of Mediterranean cuisine, especially in contemporary renditions. The most thrilling part of this cuisine is how long it has been evolving — over 4,000 years, dating all the way back to ancient times. You can expect a lot of seafood, feta in almost everything, and really fresh veggies garnishing plates large and small.
While there are a variety of regional specialities, we’ve picked a few of our favorites to get a taste of Greece, delivered.
Greek Salad
Kick things off with a typical Greek Salad. But don’t be fooled. While this seems like a salad you see in almost every deli or restaurant, there is a lot that goes into the background of this classic dish. First of all, this dish is known in Greece as horiatiki. Also note that the authentic version doesn’t include romaine or any lettuce at all — it is just a tomato salad with feta, olives, cucumber, red onion, and olive oil. But we’ll allow the lettuce interpretation — especially for delivery! Order some here.
Gyros
This popular “fast food” of Greece has most likely made it into your late night or lunch time regimen. Served traditionally on a flat pita (here you’ll see the American twist with the meat inside the pocket) gyros begin with meat (usually pork) that is roasted on the skewer, served with a yogurt sauce like tzatziki, garnished with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and loaded onto a pita. This perfect quick bite is also great to take on-the-go. Order some here.
Garides Tourkolimano (Shrimp)
Overall, there are many dishes in Greek cuisine that feature fresh shrimp, known as garides (γαρίδες) in Greek. They’re usually cooked with a mix of Greek favorites like olives, feta, eggplant, and zucchini — and are even sometimes cooked in a stew with other seafood like octopus, depending on the season or the meal. Regardless, eating any seasoned shrimp from a Greek restaurants is a guaranteed tasty experience.
