[We'd like to welcome Emma, the newest addition to our Food Trotter team! Emma is a Canadian food adventurer, a student at the Culinary Management Program at George Brown Chef School in Toronto, and author of her own food blog Emma's Eatery]
I adore Greek food and fulfilled one of my food trotter goals when I travelled to Athens, Santorini, and Ios this summer with my two girlfriends. My family is Albanian, and as Greek and Albanian foods are quite similar (we share many dishes such as spanakopita and baklava), naturally Greek food is one of my favourites. My love for Greek food began on the Danforth, the Greek area of Toronto, but after experiencing authentic Greek food in Greece, I can confidently say that this love is no fleeting affair. From the tzatziki, a refreshing dip found in every restaurant, to the saganaki, a flambéed and melted cheese appetizer, I can truly say that my food trotting of Greece will last with me forever!
We landed in Greece while the sun was setting just over the hills, and all I could think of was the food that lay ahead. Tired and hungry, we arrived at the hotel and set out to start our two week experience of Greece’s culinary scene. I don’t think I could talk about Greece without writing about Tzatziki, a staple at every Greek restaurant. Tzatziki is a traditional “sauce” made from strained yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, pepper, and lemon juice. It is always served cold and usually accompanies pita, souvlaki, or gyros. Tzatziki is creamy yet light and refreshing, the perfect dip on a scorching hot day and delicious on just about anything. The fun part of a traditional dish like this is having the ability to try different restaurants take on the dish, so although the concept is the same, each place can customize it with their own unique twist. A good tzatziki is one that is seasoned well and not too thinned out; you really want to taste that thick Greek yoghurt being used in the dip. In my opinion, the more cucumber the better as it only helps to enhance flavour.
My favourite dish however is Saganaki! The cheese used for saganaki is usually kefalograviera, a type of sheep’s milk feta (much like halloumi). The cheese is melted in a hot frying-pan until it bubbles. It is then brought to the table in the pan and doused with a fresh lemon. In more westernized Greek cuisine, saganaki is flambéed at the table with brandy (usually with a shout of OPA!) and put out with the traditional lemon. I cannot describe to you how delicious saganaki truly is. When looking for a good saganaki, make sure the cheese is perfectly warm and oozing when it arrives at the table. It should have a bit of a brown crisp to it from being fried in a pan as it is typically served in a cast iron two handled pan.
I have told you about my two favourite Greek dishes, but in all honesty, everything I ate there was phenomenal. The Greek salads were wonderful, filled with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, capers, with big hunks of feta sprinkled with oregano and drizzled with olive oil. Spanakopita, a warm dish of phyllo pastry filled with spinach and feta, is an ideal on-the-go meal for the walking traveller. And Baklava, a dessert pastry filled with pistachios and then smothered with honey, was a staple dessert among myself and my girlfriends!
Living in Toronto, I am lucky to choose from a bevy of Greek restaurants that are able to provide amazing authentic Greek food right at my fingertips. My favourite spot in the city (and the best place for tzatziki and saganaki) is one I have been too for over 10 years, Mezes (456 Danforth Avenue, Toronto Ontario). Mezes serves traditional Greek food, with a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. The food at this restaurant mimics the food I found in Greece better than anyone else in Toronto. The Greek philosophy of food being a part of the culture shines through at Mezes and is a clear reflection in their food.
A great website to check out for all things food and travel in Greece is kalofagas.ca.
[Pictures courtesy of Emma, greek-salad-recipes, recipekey, and greenwichmeantime]
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Greek food is really the best. I love it, because it has a very high quality. Thanks for sharing this interesting information.