When you think of summer, what comes to mind is days at the beach, pool parties, barbecues, lemonade, and frozen treats. But summer, or any season for that matter, isn’t complete without some seasonal food, and the seasonal delicacy that’s been making the rounds in recent years is Greek cuisine. Greek cuisine is known for its rich and unique taste, perfect for summer. If you want to try some out, here’s a list of Greek foods to cool you off this summer.
This is special. Mix some tomatoes, feta cheese, and rusks, and you have Dakos, a popular Cretan dish. You will love it because no cooking is required, and it can be completed in a few minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Some variations of Dakos use olive oil and caper as garnishes alongside pepper, salt, and oregano to give it additional flavor, and by adding sweet tomato and white cheese to the mix, Dakos gains a Mediterranean taste.
Briam, also known as ratatouille, oregano, or tourlou, depending on the part of Europe you are in, is a simple dish made as far back as the 18th century. It consists of several boiled vegetables that are mixed with tomato sauce. This dish’s main ingredients are peppers, eggplants, zucchini, and many tomatoes, which hold this whole thing together. To give it that Mediterranean taste, some olive oil, spices, and feta cheese were added to make it different from other dishes. So relax this summer with some Briam along with feta cheese and bread.
Salads are seasonal delicacies, but Greek salads are the best for summer. This rich, juicy, and calm salad fills your stomach. It has been a staple of Greek cuisine for decades and is well-known abroad. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you live in; Greek salad should be on your list this summer.
Surprisingly, despite its rich taste, Moussaka is an absolute summer banger, especially when eaten cold. This Greek summer favorite dish is made with ground beef, eggplant, and potato. The origin of Moussaka is murky because it can be found in various forms in the Middle East, Turkey, and the Balkans, although under different names, making it difficult to agree on where it was first created.
Tzatziki is probably the most delicious Greek dip, and it’s rare to find it absent from a Greek table. If you want to savor this dip, accompany it with some freshly baked bread, chopped eggs, olive oil, and white cheese, and voila, you have a nice warm meal that will leave you hungry for more.
If you crave something more dessert, try out frozen Greek Yogurt. It’s a delicious, refreshing, and healthy frozen Yogurt option I made from honey, mint, and milk. It requires just a few ingredients and can be made at home with little milk, making it a refreshing substitute for regular frozen Yogurt for those who are lactose intolerant due to its low lactose content. Combining mint, honey, strawberry slices, and berries to add a refreshing but sweet taste makes it one of the summer’s best healthy dessert options.
Making these dishes yourself might be a hassle, but don’t worry—Greco is here to help. Visit Greco Truly Greek in Massachusetts and D.C. to get the best Greek foods money can buy this summer.