Greek cuisine offers a wide variety of traditional tastes combining unique ingredients, the Greek philosophy and the atmosphere of sharing meals that satisfies everyone. It could not be different in the country that gave birth to symposiums and the Epicurean philosophers. It was Archestratos, who in 330 BC wrote the first cookbook in history reminding that cuisine is a sign of civilization.

In fact, Greece has a culinary tradition of approximately 4,000 years, but like most national cuisines it has both influenced others and embraced ideas from western and eastern neighbors.

The basic ingredients

Four are the secrets of Greek cuisine: fresh ingredients of good quality, proper use of herbs and spices, the Greek olive oil and its basic simplicity. The famous Greek olive oil is of excellent quality and very good for health. Fruits and vegetables are rich in flavor and aroma, as, thanks to the mild Greek climate, they are grown outdoors and not in greenhouses. The herbs, renowned for their taste and healing properties, are collected on the Greek mountains and in the countryside. Greek feta you will find nowhere else.

The Greek philosophy

The Greeks gather around the table to enjoy a meal or some appetizers (mezedes) with ouzo. Sharing a meal with friends is a deeply rooted social affair. The Greek word symposium, as ancient as the country, means drinking with friends. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food preparation has its own sacred rules. In Greece, a good housewife means a good cook. And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for her friends.

Greek wines

Apart from Dionysus, the Greek patron god of wine, Greece is the birthplace of the first VQPRD wines in history. They were the wines of the islands Chios and Thassos, renowned in the entire world. As a result of a long tradition today one can find many excellent Greek wines produced all over the world. The Greek wine is a product of a distinctive environment and of grape varieties unknown to western wine lovers. The Greek wines are divided into: a)the Controlled Appellations of Origin (liqueur wines), b)the Appellations of Origin of Superior Quality (the best wines of Greece), c)local wines, d)table wines.