One element of immersing yourself in the culture of the country you will be visiting, is eating their local food. Studying Abroad means you have the opportunity to try countless numbers of new food. You will never regret trying something new; however, you may regret not trying it. Learn about the local food that is grown in the area you will be staying, that way you can make sure to order the best options on the menu! You may realize halfway through your trip you are craving a McDonald's burger, and that's okay! Just make sure to challenge yourself, and pick something new on the menu to eat.
Here are some of the staple dishes you will find on any menu in Greece:
The first gyro was to go, and the second two were ordered at a restaurant.
Gyro's can be ordered at almost any restaurant in Greece. This dish is normally served with lamb or chicken, pita, tzatziki sauce, french fries, and sliced vegetables. A gyro is made by slicing the meat off of a vertical, rotisserie style broiler. You can order this dish at a sit down meal, or to go at a fast food stand! When you order a gyro to go, it comes wrapped in a pita and stuffed with french fries, lettuce, your choice of meat, tzatziki sauce, and onions. This makes it really easy to eat on the move. When you order this meal at a sit down restaurant, it is served separately, and you can eat it however you would like. This delicious meal can cost less than €4 when you order it to go. Save money, and eat a local meal all in one shot!
Samara Bie"heard everyone talk about gyros before we landed in Greece." She admitted that she "didn't even know what a gyro was." Samara knew she wanted to eat traditional Greek food while she was in Greece, so she decided to try it. Samara said, "I thought it was pretty good". She also liked that it was very easy to eat.
You cannot go to Greece, and not order a Greek Salad. You may have ordered one in the U.S., but they are not the same. When served in Greece, these salads do not have any lettuce. They consist of cut up cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and onions. I was apprehensive at first when I realized there was no lettuce in this 'salad', but it was delicious. The feta cheese in Greece tastes amazing, and it beats any American feta cheese! Feta is also served during breakfast with slices of meat, such as ham. This salad is very light and delicious, it is perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or small meal.
Laurel Biddy said she "ate a Greek salad pretty much every day." Laurel loved how different these salads were from the ones we eat at home. She "liked it more, because it felt healthier." This is because it only consisted of cut up vegetables, with no lettuce, and very little dressing.
Moussaka is another famous dish in Greece. This meal is made from eggplant, ground beef, and potatoes. It is served similar to a lasagna, with all of the food layered on top of one another. This meal is ordered mainly at sit down restaurants and can cost you around €15. Moussaka was created by chef Nikolaos Tselementes. Nikolaos was a famous Greek chef from the early 1900s. He is one of the most famous chefs of Modern Greece.
Julianna Musumeci ordered a Moussaka for dinner while in Athens, Greece. Julianna actually heard about moussaka before this trip. She had "heard about it in a movie, and read that it was delicious." Julianna said, "once I tried it, I loved it! It had all my favorite foods in one." This dish consists of potatoes, eggplant, meat, and cheese. Julianna admitted "it was probably one of [her] favorite Greek dishes!"
This traditional Greek dish is very similar to a lasagna. It consists of layers of pasta, ground beef, potatoes, and a béchamel sauce. This is a white sauce made from white roux and milk. This sauce actually originated in Italy, and is now a staple in many French dishes. These layers blend together to create a mouthwatering dish. This dish is seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, giving it a sweet taste. The ground beef can be beef, veal, or lamb. A great option for a dinner, would be to order Pastitsio as a main dish, and have a Greek salad as your side!
Maria Marren ordered Pastitsio on her very first night in Athens, Greece. This dish was recommended to Maria by the owner of the restaurant she ate dinner at. "It is basically just a Greek version of lasagna, with layers of pasta, cheese, and meat. Pastitsio was one of the best meals I had in Greece!"
Chicken Souvlaki
Souvlaki consists of anything that is grilled and served on a skewer. Most souvlaki dishes are made with pork, chicken, beef, and lamb. This photograph is from a sit down meal, but souvlaki is also served as a fast food dish. Most orders of souvlaki also consist of grilled vegetables and potatoes. The word souvlaki actually comes from the medieval Greek word souvla, which means skewer!
Julia Frohlich ordered a chicken souvlaki dish for dinner while shopping in Mykonos. This was a great option because not only was it only €2-€3, but it was also made very quickly! Julia said, "I noticed that it was a really popular item on many menus, and I really wanted to try it!" Julia loved the chicken because of how well it was seasoned, and how easy it was to eat!
Now on to the best part of the meal, dessert! Gelato is definitely the main dessert you see around the Greek islands. It felt like every corner you turned, there was another gelato shop. We didn't seem to mind too much, because we ate it almost every time! Gelato is an Italian style ice cream. It is made with milk, cream, sugar, and fruit or nuts to flavor. Gelato is actually lower in fat than ice cream; however, it does have more sugar. Gelato is much denser than ice cream, because it consists of less air, and more flavorings. This must be why it tastes so much better!
Gabby Seiler quickly became obsessed with the gelato in Greece. She thought it "was absolutely amazing". She admits that she doesn't eat much dessert at home in America, but she definitely didn't hold back while studying in Greece. She said "the gelato was made perfectly in Greece. The gelato has a certain taste that make your tastebuds come back for more!" Her favorite gelato flavor was chocolate, but she thinks she "would've loved almost every flavor of gelato in Greece."
