Grecian cravings

Healthy, delicious and redolent of the flavours of the Mediterranean, it's no wonder Greek food is so well loved in Dubai.

It is being enjoyed more and more both on restaurant tables and at home. Its classic flavours are being celebrated in a host of new and mouth-watering ways.

Greek cuisine is typical of the Mediterranean region and shares commonalities with Ottoman recipes.

Contemporary Greek cooking uses vast quantities of grains, breads, fish and meats.

The most ancient element of Greek cooking is olive oil.

Delightfully spicy

The staple grain of Greece is wheat, although barley is also grown; important vegetables include tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, green beans, okra, green peppers and onions.

Honey is mainly flower honey, extracted from the nectar of fruits and citrus trees; thyme honey and pine honey are obtained from coniferous trees.

Greek cuisine uses more flavouring — such as oregano, mint, garlic, dill and bay leaves — than most Mediterranean cuisines.

Many recipes use spices in combination with meat, for example, cinnamon and cloves in meat stew.

The flavour is characterised by the use of mint and nutmeg.

Other typical ingredients include kalamata olives, feta cheese, grape leaves, courgette and yoghurt.

Nuts and honey dominate dessert items.

The Greek terrain favours goats and sheep over cattle so beef dishes are rare.

Fish dishes are also common around the coastal regions and on the islands.

Different types of cheese are used, including feta, kasseri, kefalotyri and mizithra.

Greek food is simple, colourful and flavourful.

The Greek style of cooking has changed little over the years.

The full range of this cuisine is yet to be discovered by people living outside Greece.

Appetisers

Appetisers or mezes are the highlight of Greek cuisine and range from simple to creative.

Meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products are all used to cook them. They quite often reflect the main course.

They can be eaten hot or cold and, sometimes, can even serve as the main dish.

At the Mezedopolio in London, there's a shop selling nothing but mezes and there's something to suit every taste.

Some examples of Greek mezes are Boureki (vegetables and meat wrapped in filo pastry), Dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice, vegetables and meats) and Patata salata (potato salad with olive oil, finely sliced onions and vinegar).

The main course includes several variations such as Kleftiko, which is slowly baked lamb marinated in garlic and lemon juice and cooked in a pit oven.

Keftedes is fried meatballs flavoured with oregano and mint.

Moussaka is eggplant casserole; Pastitisio is baked pasta with a ground meat filling and béchamel sauce topping; Souvlaki is meats (chicken, swordfish and shrimps) marinated in lemon juice, oregano and oil and grilled on a skewer.

Coffee traditions

Vale briki, meaning “get the coffee pot boiling'', is the most common phrase in Greek households.

It implies a tradition wherein the hostess serves coffee on a tray, with some sweets, and a glass of chilled water.

The guests wish her success and happiness before sampling the sweets, then quench their thirst with the water and only then reach for the coffee.

There are rules governing coffee drinking, too.

Unlike espresso, mocha is not to be had at one go — but sipped slowly to leave the gritty sediment at the bottom of the cup.

There are three different ways of preparing mocha coffee: sketos (bitter), metrios (medium-sweet) and glikos (sweet).

Mountain tea

Greek mountain tea can be found in almost every household.

When the weather turns cooler and the first signs of cold or cough manifest themselves or when the limbs ache, a tea made from the dried stalks of Sideritis cretica has a curative effect.

The twigs are broken into pieces and put into a pot of boiling water.

The pot is left over low heat for at least five minutes and then strained straight into cups.

Cinnamon can be added to enhance the flavour.

Pasteli

Pasteli is one of the cornerstones of Greek confectionery.

The classic pasteli comprises sesame seeds baked with honey. But almond and peanut pasteli have also become popular.

The sweet halva

Halva is a delicious and healthy sweet.

It is, sometimes, served as breakfast on account of its nutritional value, as it consists of 50 per cent milled and toasted sesame seeds.

The sesame paste is mixed with sugar or honey until it forms a solid mass.

Before it solidifies, the paste is put into different moulds.

Cocoa, peanuts or pistachios may be added to it.

Halva is particularly popular during Lent since it has a high content of fat, calcium, iron, phosphorus, proteins and vitamins A and C.

Sana Zarrar Paloba is a UAE-based freelance writer

For an evening out

Local eateries

• Many consider the Zorba Greek Restaurant as one of the best in Dubai. It offers a great mix of Greek cuisine and music. Located in the Al Khaleej Palace Hotel in Deira, the restaurant captures the charm of Mediterranean culture and has a wide variety of dishes, including moussaka and spanakopita (spinach pie).
• You can also try the Greek Taverna at Deira in the Carlton Tower Hotel. The decor of the restaurant is relaxing and comfortable.
  The Taverna serves Greek cuisine in the evening and heightens
  the experience with some soothing music and some refreshing beverages.
• Dias is a much-vaunted Greek restaurant at the Meridien Village. The decor is rich and service is great. Though a tad expensive, it's a great place to take your loved ones on special occasions.

Did you know?

Facts about Greek cuisine:

• In the 18th century, it was customary for young men, seeking a girl's hand in marriage, to be served a cup of mocha by her family. This was not just part of hospitality. If the coffee turned out sweet, the suitor had every reason to be pleased; if it was bitter, the young man would rise politely, say thank you and never come back again.
• The job of a beekeeper is a highly regarded profession in Greece. A beekeeper will keep an average of 300 to 500 hives and these will produce around 55,000 pounds (25,000kg) of honey every year. Chalkidiki is one of the country's main honey-producing regions.
• The name Tselementes has been synonymous with Greek food. In 1910, Nicholas Tselementes, a well-known chef from the island of Sifnos, wrote the first Greek cookbook. The book became every housewife's bible for more than 60 years. By the time Tselementes died in 1958, the book had sold over 100,000 copies in ten editions.

What to read

Recommended cookbooks:

• Meze: Delicious Little Dishes from Greece and Lebanon by Rena Salaman
• From Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir
• Greek Cookery by Nicholas Tselementes
• Modern Greek: 170 Contemporary Recipes from the Mediterranean by Andy Harris