Of tongue twisters & tongue tasters

Manpriya Singh

Thankfully, when it comes to cuisine, it’s not all that proverbial Greek to us. Not anymore, especially with Greek dishes having long made the transition out of the shell of food festivals, often a testing ground for the palette and into a staple part of pan-Mediterranean restaurants dotting the culinary map of the region.

“The moussaka is quite a hit with our patrons,” Chef Shankar from Café Nomad lists the popular favourite from the menu. Although several variations of the dish, but the most popular version is undeniably the Greek version, which is comfort food of the region comprising different proportions and layers, starting with meat, eggplant and potatoes. Back to the cuisine and it scores sheer on the basis of simplicity. “The USP of Greek food is it’s healthy, tasty and simple. Cooked in olive oil—most dishes include basic meat or cottage cheese along with yoghurt dip and salad. The dishes are mostly charcoal-grilled or baked.”

While not as widely available as, let’s say Oriental cuisine, Greek food nevertheless has dedicated fan followers in tricity.

The dips & the salad

The dips are to die for, a fact many travel and food bloggers have vouched for, especially after a visit to any of the Greek cities. Fava is a known name, probably as much as hummus. The increasingly popular fava dip is made from fava beans and has a rich, creamy taste like hummus. Talking of dips, the equally famous tzataziki comprises strained yoghurt, garlic, olive oil and fresh dill. The same goes for Greek salad, which is as simple as putting the fresh and seasonal veggies together. Every region and island has their own version of salad which varies as per the local produce. Which means, nothing but a hearty portion of lettuce, feta cheese, red onions, black olives, thereby making the summer recipe both healthy and wholesome. “The classic Greek salad is another staple and a favourite, apart from Greek lamb cutlets and grilled stuffed chicken breast served with port wine and grape sauce,” adds the chef.

Simply superb

But it’s not just the moussaka that is the most widely recognised of all dishes, but also the tomato fritters (or the relatively difficult to spell and pronounce tomataotokeftedes) served in most parts of Greece. “Greek cuisine is ancient and yet has evolved with time incorporating the vast influence which the Mediterranean and the march of the Greek civilization through time. Yet, somehow it has retained its simplicity, olive oil, wine and vegetable continue to be the basis on which it is based,” adds Chef Shankar.

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