It was in this country that they were the first to learn how to make wine. Starting from the fifth century BC, and ending with modern times, wine was and is a matter of pride for the Greeks.

Initially, the ancient Greeks did not drink pure wine, they diluted it with water. The fact is that the alcoholic drink produced at that time was very concentrated. But some historians believe that by diluting wine with water, the Greeks disinfected the well water. Most experts are still inclined to the version that greek wine lusciously sweet, so drinking it undiluted is difficult. The taste qualities of Greek wines are due to the special climate.

Moreover, the grapes growing in different parts of the country give the wine a certain refined flavor. For example, on the Greek islands, one wine was produced, and in the Greek colonies, in the same, completely different. The fact is that each locality has its own soil, microclimate and grape varieties. By the way, some of them have survived to our times, and some became the ancestors of modern varieties.

The ancient Greeks considered it blasphemy to consume the drink of the gods without diluting, therefore the Scythians and the Chinese were drunkards and ignorant in their eyes, since they did not have the habit of diluting wine.

Another purely Greek alcoholic drink is retsina... This is a wine that has an interesting aroma and resinous taste. These taste characteristics are due to the presence of coniferous resin in the drink. Initially, the ancient Greeks did not add resin to the drink, but sealed vessels with it. But much later, pine resin became a kind of preservative that prevents wine from souring.

Currently, retsina is an integral part of the Greek feast, but now resin is added to the drink at the stage of its fermentation. The alcohol content in retsin is 11.5%. This drink is made from inexpensive and most common grape varieties, so the price of a hop product is available to almost every Greek. Some unscrupulous manufacturers try to hide the true taste of cheap wine by adding tar.

Modern science has been studying the diet of the ancient Greeks for a long time. Descendants can't wait to find out what was the secret of endurance, creativity of mind and longevity of ancestors? One of the newest studies has decided to start from the opposite - what NOT if the ancient Greeks and felt great?

Scientists call wheat one of the main atypical foods for the Greeks. The ancients simply did not know about it. The traditional Greek grain, forgotten today, was called Ζειά, and it is, so to speak, a kind of rye. Do not confuse the word Ζειά with Zea - the scientific name for corn, as you know, it appeared in Europe only after Columbus returned from America.

Herodotus wrote about the Greek "zeya" - the ancient Egyptians despised wheat and barley, growing only this cereal, rich in magnesium. It was Zeev's magnesium, according to scientists, was the main food for the brain of ancient people. Samples of this cereal have been found during excavations of prehistoric settlements around the Greek space, for example, in Asia Minor. It was one of the first cereals "tamed" by man and the basis of farmland, which stood at the origins of agriculture - from Palestine, Syria, the Euphrates and the Tigris to the Persian Gulf.

Zeya, unlike wheat, contains a minimum amount of gluten and is rich in amino acids that strengthen the immune system. Some experts believe that consumption of this cereal will minimize the possibility of cancer. The disappearance of zeya from the diet of the Greeks today is commonly regarded, including from the point of view of conspiracy theories. In 1928, the cultivation of zeya in Greece was gradually banned until it was finally brought to naught in 1932. By the way, today this cereal is grown, for example, in Germany, but it is not suitable for daily consumption due to its high cost - about 6.5 euros per kilogram. What caused the destruction of this culture in Greece is not entirely clear. It is said that today this word does not even exist in Greek dictionaries.

By the way, the ancient Greeks ate meat only in case of illness. This is not a product that should be on the table every day. The ancient Greeks used sea buckthorn fruits and leaves very actively. Alexander the Great was a real fan of this plant. He noticed that sick and wounded horses eat some orange fruits, and from this they become stronger. Then he tried to rub sea buckthorn into the horse's mane and saw how luxurious it had become. From this, by the way, came the Greek name for sea buckthorn Ιπποφαές (ίππο - φάος \u003d horse that glows). Thus, Alexander the Great introduced sea buckthorn into his diet and into the diet of his soldiers in order to be even stronger and more enduring.

Ancient Greece
KITCHEN OF ANCIENT GREECE
What and how the ancient Greeks ate

An ancient anecdote about a Spartan:
“One wandering Spartan, having entered the inn to spend the night, gave the owner the fish he had brought with him and asked him to cook it for dinner. The owner agreed, but said that cooking dinner would still require at least butter and bread. To which the Spartan replied: "If I had butter and bread, I would have become involved with this fish."
Fortunately, not all Greeks are Spartans, and in general Greek cuisine has never adhered to such asceticism.

The history of Hellas originates in the mists of time. The significance of Greek civilization for the modern world is priceless. Art, philosophy, science, politics, language are rooted in Greek culture. Whatever happens in today's century, we can find a prototype for this millennia ago, if not in real historical events, then in myths and legends for sure.

Studying the foundations of modern civilization allows you to avoid naive disappointments in the human race, understand the driving forces of history, learn the meaning of the past and learn to foresee the future.

Where did the Greeks get the strength for great accomplishments in their glorious and entertaining history?
What did they eat in ancient times?

GREEK CUISINE and the CULTURE of FOOD existing in this country in general, which has become the basis of the most useful Mediterranean cuisine in the world, is a subject of special national pride for the Greeks, along with the Acropolis, Homer and Alexander the Great.

The ancient Greek diet consisted of foods that did not raise blood sugar levels, that is, did not lead to weight gain. This is why the Greeks were so slim and beautiful! And all this is still very useful for us (and not only in fitness clubs!)

The ancient Greeks widely used olives and olive oil in their diet.

Since ancient times in Greece, olives have been preserved with sea salt. Some natural wine vinegar and olive oil were added to the black olive brine. The olives were tasted differently by various herbs and spices. The olives were salted, pickled and used as an appetizer, side dish, seasoning for fish and many other dishes - the addition of just a few olives gives the dishes a special taste. According to modern views, olives function as a kind of biochemical regulator for the absorption of salt and fats.

Olive oil was produced from mature olives using the cold-pressed method (modern Extra virgin). This oil is extremely valuable and beneficial to health and contains a maximum of useful substances. It is important to note that any olive oil, unlike other oils, does not emit carcinogenic substances when heated!

The bread was then baked not white, but coarse, from semi-processed flour (which contributed to the better digestion of other foods).

In Ancient Greece, the first mention of "sour" bread, that is, bread made from fermented dough, dates back to the 5th century. BC. However, such bread was considered a delicacy, cost much more than unleavened bread, it was used only by wealthy people. Homer, who described the meals of his heroes, left us with evidence that the aristocrats of Ancient Greece considered bread to be a completely independent dish.

In those distant times, as a rule, two dishes were served for lunch: a piece of meat fried on a spit and white wheat bread. Each of these two dishes was eaten separately, with bread playing the most significant and honorable role. Homer compares wheat to the human brain, referring to its meaning in people's lives. He says that the richer the owner of the house, the more abundant the treat in his house with white bread. Such a curious fact speaks of the superstitious respect with which bread was treated in Ancient Greece. The Greeks were firmly convinced that if a person eats his food without bread, he commits a great sin and will certainly be punished by the gods.

Ancient Greek bakers knew how to bake a wide variety of breads using mostly wheat flour. Some of the bread products were baked by the Greeks from barley flour. Inexpensive breads were made from wholemeal flour, with a lot of bran. Such bread served as the main food for the common people. The bakers of Ancient Greece also traded in fancy bread products, which included honey, fat, and milk. But such "sweet bread" was more expensive than ordinary bread and belonged to delicacies. It is curious to note that among the harsh Spartans, bread was considered the greatest luxury, and it was put on the table only on the most solemn occasions.

In Ancient Greece, as in Ancient Egypt, stale bread played a special role. It was believed to help with stomach ailments. It was prescribed as a medicine for patients suffering from indigestion and other ailments. Some ancients believed that just licking the crust of stale bread helped to stop stomach pains.

Why is bread called bread? We owe to the bakers of Ancient Greece the very origin of the word "bread". Greek craftsmen used special shaped pots called "klibanos" for the production of this product. From this word, according to experts, the ancient Goths formed the word "khleifs", which then passed into the language of the ancient Germans, Slavs and many other peoples. In the Old German language there is a word "hlib", which is similar to our "bread", the Ukrainian "hlib" and to the Estonian "leib".

The proverb regarding bread, which is the head of everything, was also in use in Ancient Hellas: it was bread that was considered the main dish on the table (because there was not enough of it), everything else was supposed to be abundant supplement to scarce bread (but what an additive!).

So they didn't eat bread alone. And what was supposed to be served with bread?

Vegetables and fruits were served with bread, and beans of all types (because of their prevalence and cheapness), olives and figs (figs) were especially popular. They used only olive oil, there was no butter. They willingly drank milk, especially sheep's milk, and also made white, soft sheep's cheese, more like cottage cheese, from it.

And, most importantly, they ate a lot of fish and seafood of all kinds: oysters, squid, mussels, scallops - there was never a lack of full-fledged animal protein! After all, Greece is washed by the sea, has many islands, and the sea is full of fish.

Once the Greek philosopher Demonax was going on a sea voyage. The weather was not favorable for him - a storm was approaching. One of his friends turned to Demonax: “Aren't you scared? After all, the ship can sink, and fish will eat you! " The philosopher Demonax only smiled in response: "I have eaten so many fish in my life that it will be quite fair if they eventually eat me."

The art of cooking fish has been highly regarded since ancient times. It was based on the experience and culinary skills of the peoples living on the Mediterranean coast.

Paradoxically, in the early history of Ancient Greece, surrounded on all sides by seas, there was a period (XI-VIII centuries BC) when fish was considered food only for poor people. Confirmation of this can be found in the pages of Homer's Iliad. (Much later in Europe, this happened with oysters.)

The development of fish cuisine began much later, during the heyday of Ancient Greece. Already the myths about the Argonauts tell about the travels of the Greeks for fish to the unknown shores of the Pontus Euxine (as the Black Sea was called), since there was a shortage of it in the Greek markets. Most of all tuna fish were valued, sturgeon took the second place, which is mentioned by Herodotus: “Big fish without a backbone, called sturgeons, are caught for salting”.

The characters of Epicharma's comedy "The Dinner Party at Hebe's" - carefree revelers, gods and goddesses, great lovers of delicious food - get special pleasure from sea fish. They are on a friendly footing with the sea god Poseidon, who delivers them on ships a large amount of fish and shellfish - a divine delicacy.

The secrets of cooking other ancient Greek dishes have not been solved to this day. How, say, can you serve whole fish, one third of which was fried, one third - boiled, one third - salted?

Saltwater fish was held in high esteem both in Ancient Rome (here it was salted, pickled, smoked), and in Asia. The Greek comedian Aristophanes, who was at one time ambassador to the Persian court, wrote that the king of the Persians gave a generous reward to those who invented a new fish dish.

The Greeks ate a lot of game meat (animals and birds), which in those days was found in unimaginable abundance. But even rich people ate little domestic animal meat: it is too expensive to cut a lamb every day, which gives so much milk and wool. Therefore, lamb dishes were served only on holidays, when sacrifices were made to the gods.

One of the ancient Greek myths tells how the titan Prometheus, who brought fire to people, butchered a lamb for a sacrifice and laid the meat into two piles: in the first he piled all the bones, covering them on top with fat, and in the second - all the meat, covering it with entrails and skin ... After that, the cunning Prometheus suggested that Zeus, the father of the gods, choose a handful for himself. He, naturally, chose a pile of fat. And he miscalculated, but it was too late. Since then, the cunning Greeks sacrificed useless refuse and bones to the gods, and ate everything tasty themselves so that the good would not be lost. In general, the Greeks are very smart people!

The ancient Greeks did not have a number of familiar products on the table: rice, melons and watermelons, peaches and apricots, lemons and oranges (arrived later from Asia), tomatoes, potatoes, corn (imported from America). Pumpkins and cucumbers were rare and expensive. Nuts, which we now call walnuts (i.e., Greek), were an imported delicacy.

There was no sugar, they used it instead honey, which is much healthier than sucrose. And there was a lot of honey in Ancient Hellas.

The Greeks did not know the groats, which we call buckwheat ("Greek groats") (they practically do not eat it now).

And what did the ancient Greeks drink? They had no tea, coffee or cocoa. Wine alone. It was always diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2 (a measure of wine per two measures of water) or 1: 3, for this there were even special bell-shaped craters. But the wine was diluted with water not at all in order not to get drunk: they simply tried to disinfect the well water with wine. Most often they drank not from cups and goblets (although they were also), but from special vessels called "kilik" - a saucer with handles on a long leg.

After olive oil, wine has always been the main source of pride in Greece. "Wine is a mirror of human souls," said Alcaeus, the famous poet from Lesbos.

Greece is the birthplace of European winemaking. On the island of Crete, grapes have been cultivated for four thousand years, on mainland Greece - three thousand.

On the terraces scattered along the slopes of the mountains, the vine grows throughout Greece. In the valleys, it is planted, between fruit trees, and it stretches from one tree to another. Like the olive, the vine is unpretentious and does not need artificial irrigation. The Cretans brought grapes from the coast of Asia Minor and domesticated them. They quickly learned the secret of grapes - judging by the basements of the Kposk palaces, in the II millennium BC. e. wine production flourished here. And the myth says that the god of winemaking Dionysus married the Cretan princess Ariadne.

No god was worshiped in Greece like Dionysus! In ancient Greece, the beginning of the harvest was timed to the Holidays - Dionysia. It was a time of crazy dancing and great fun. Dionysus, or Bacchus, marched with a cheerful retinue of goat-footed satyrs and bacchantes. Wine flowed like a river. Bacchus was honored mainly by the common people. God the liberator gave them oblivion from worries and sorrows. At the annual stormy festivities in his honor, even the spirits, as the Hellenes believed, paid tribute to the young wine, and then, naturally, demanded a snack. Therefore, the walking residents locked themselves away from sin in their homes, and left a stew on the doorstep for the smoldering spirits.

As already mentioned, wine in those days was diluted with water at the rate: 1 part of wine + 3 parts of water, in extreme cases 1: 2. Mixing equal parts was considered the lot of "bitter drunkards". (Moreover, there was no fortified wine at that time.)

Athenian statesman Eubulus in 375 BC he said about the measure of using wine: "I must mix three cups: one for health, the second for love and pleasure, the third for a good sleep. After drinking three cups, wise guests go home. The fourth cup is no longer ours, it belongs to violence ; fifth - noise; sixth - drunken revelry; seventh - to black eyes; eighth - to keepers of order; ninth - suffering and tenth - madness and destruction of furniture. "

The most famous and ancient Greek wine is RETSINA.And to this day it is the only wine with a strong aroma and taste of resin (retsina in Greek means resin). The name comes from the ancient tradition of hermetically sealing amphorae with a mixture of plaster and resin. So the wine was stored longer and absorbed the smell of tar. Nowadays, resin is specially added to this wine at the fermentation stage. It would be more correct to say that Retsina does not belong to the category of wines. It is a white or pink drink with a strength of 11.5 degrees for everyday use. It is drunk chilled, served with snacks.

In ancient Greece, 150 varieties of grapes were cultivated, adapted to various soils and climatic conditions. The Greeks preferred dark, thick red wine. In large vessels (pithos) it was placed in the cellar for six months - to ferment. Then the wine was reinforced with raisins, which were always available in abundance, or honey. Samos and Rhodes wines were considered the best. The wines from the islands of Chios and Lesvos were not much inferior to them. To this day, the tart wine from the island of Santorini (Thira) made from grapes cultivated on volcanic ash is especially famous. In a glass of good Greek wine - a breath of the sun and the sea, the intoxication of millennia and the taste of the eternal mystery of Hellas.

Already in ancient times there was a huge variety of Greek wines, ranging from light whites, sweet or dry, to rosés and reds, semi-sweet and sweet. Each city-polis produced its own wines.

In Ancient Hellas, they grew and raisin grapes, and the Greek raisins from those times to our time are always recognized as the best in the world.

HOW DID THEY ARE?

Plato says: a person who eats alone simply fills a wineskin called the stomach. Therefore, the ancient Greek feasts (symposions) were necessarily held in the companies of comrades. Even the very Greek word "comrade" (syntrophos) by its origin means "a person with whom you eat together." It was believed that in the company of “syntrophes” there should be “no less than the number of Harit, no more than the number of Muses,” that is, from 3 to 9, so that it would not be boring or cramped.

The ancient Greeks ate lying, more precisely, reclining, and not on ordinary sleeping beds, but on special apoclinter seats (from the word "apoclino" - "I unbend the body, back"). The apoclinters were made so that people sitting on them would practically not need to move at all. At the same time, they always relied on the left side of the body, because it is on the left that the stomach is located.

For a meal, three apoclinters were shifted with the letter "P", and on the fourth side, slaves brought small tables with food, refreshments and wine. There were no spoons or forks, no knives were used at the table. They just ate with their hands, and threw the leftovers directly on the floor. Before taking a sip of wine, it was imperative to wash your hands in a specially designated bowl, decorate your head with a wreath and make a libation to the gods - to splash a little wine from the bowl as a sacrifice.

Descriptions of symposium revels can be found among the most famous Greek writers, and especially among philosophers: after all, discussions on a wide variety of topics were held at the symposiums. The most famous philosophical dialogue of Plato with the participation of Socrates is called "The Feast", and the question of what true love is is discussed there. And Plutarch has a whole book called Table Conversations.

After reading all these literary works, one might think that the ancient Greeks at symposiums dealt with exceptionally high matters. No, they were the same people as you and me: they loved to bang, happily beat the dishes in a fit of fun (they still have this strange custom), and even wrote on the walls, and more - on clay bowls and dishes. In one house, archaeologists during excavations found fragments of kiliks with inscriptions made obviously by drunk hands. We read the inscriptions. The most respectable word was "lick", the rest were simply unprintable.

But in addition to philosophical table discussions, the ancient Greek classics have also preserved recipes for ancient dishes for us! Plato himself was happy to describe the dishes served on the table and the ingredients from which they are prepared. Now many of these recipes have been restored, and a chain of restaurants called Archeon Gevsis (Tastes of the Ancients) has been opened in Greece. Only ancient Greek cuisine is served there. And so that visitors do not doubt the authenticity of the recipe, an extract from the treatise from which the recipe was taken is printed next to each dish on the menu.

Of course, the atmosphere of an ancient Greek meal is difficult to fully restore. Nobody mixes wine with water in craters (craters), most likely because the hand does not turn to pour water into modern wine. For example, have you ever eaten "creocacavos"? (We decipher: KREOCACAVOS is pork with a sweet and sour sauce of honey, thyme and vinegar, served with a garnish of lamb peas and garlic.)

And here's a pretty simple one ANCIENT GREEK SWEET RECIPE, which Plato preserved for us in his work entitled "Atlantis":
“Take dry fruits (plums, figs, almonds, black and golden raisins, walnuts), finely chop all of this and sprinkle it with Attic honey - the kind that flows from a spoon (fresh, not sugared - good honey is sugared no later than November!). Now you mix this mass with natural Greek yogurt, and ... "
Oh yes, the ancient Greeks knew a lot about food!

Many ancient Greek dishes have survived to this day almost unchanged, except that they also included vegetables and spices that were not in Ancient Greece (potatoes, tomatoes, black pepper, etc.). And many now so-called "Turkish sweets" in fact, also a native of Ancient Greece.

And now the ancient recipe for cooking fish - "salamis", which even the above-mentioned Spartan would not refuse:

SALAMIS
(fish fillet in ancient Greek)

Ingredients :
- 500 g fresh sea fish fillet,
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of wine vinegar
- 4-6 st. tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion,
- 1-2 cloves of garlic,
- 3 glasses of white wine,
- 2 tbsp. spoons of chopped greens,
- 250 g of fresh cucumbers (in Ancient Greece, cucumbers were a delicacy!),
- 2-3 pods of sweet pepper,
- salt (they did not know black pepper in Ancient Hellas, and it will be superfluous here).

Preparation

Sprinkle the fish fillet with wine vinegar, salt and stand for 10-15 minutes. Pour half of the olive oil into a frying pan and fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in it, then add the fish, pour over with wine and sprinkle with herbs. Simmer for 10-15 minutes under the lid. Cut sweet pepper pods into thin rings and fry separately in the remaining oil.
After 10 minutes add the cucumber, peeled and cut into small slices. Season with salt (and black pepper).
When all the vegetables are ready, put them on the fish and simmer them together for another 5 minutes under a lid over low heat.
Serve hot with wholemeal bread.

TABLE OF ANCIENT GREEKS
Historical overview

The composition of the food of the ancient inhabitants of Hellas depended on the economic state of the country, on the fertility of the land, on the level of development of cattle breeding.

As social life changed, relations with other countries expanded and foreign trade grew, the nature and composition of food changed, new dishes appeared.

As in any other area of \u200b\u200blife of the ancients, there were great differences in their nutrition between individual city-states and between the wealthy and the poor, who, of necessity, were content with more than modest food.

With the passage of time, the hours of meals established by the custom also changed - after all, free citizens of Greek policies were increasingly engaged in solving state affairs, which, as a rule, detained them in the agora in the pre-noon and noon hours.

During the Homeric era, the Greeks had breakfast early in the morning. Breakfast consisted of wheat or barley cakes dipped in wine and water. Dinner time came around noon: meat dishes, bread and wine were served at the table. The last, evening meal consisted of the same dishes as for lunch, but in smaller portions.

In later centuries, when the free citizen began to spend most of his time in the agora, the meal schedule changed. Breakfast, as before, was early, but now it was not forbidden to serve pure wine, not mixed with water.

Lunch time was postponed to later hours and even to the evening, but between breakfast and lunch it was possible to arrange another meal at any time - something like a second breakfast, and men often had a snack right on the spot, in the agora, when it was free from public affairs. minute.

Finally, in the Hellenistic era, second breakfast became more solemn and plentiful and, since citizens paid less attention to social activities, it became possible to have a second breakfast at a strictly defined time.

So, the basis of the morning meal was cakes. Note that back in the VI century BC. BC, in the era of Solon, bread was considered a luxury. It was replaced by a more affordable porridge made from some kind of cereal or flour, usually barley or wheat.

The bread was baked at home. Professional bakers supplying the cities with fresh bread appeared in Athens only in the 5th century BC. The flour was made from barley, millet, wheat and spelled.

[Spelled, or spelled wheat, is a group of wheat species with brittle ears and hulled grain. Differs in unpretentiousness, early maturity, disease resistance. Valuable starting material for breeding.]

Thanks to connections with other, more sophisticated peoples in cooking, the Greeks met and adopted new types of baked goods. The ancient Greeks considered the best varieties of bread to be Phoenician, as well as Boeotian, Thessalian, bread from Cappadocia and from the islands of Lesbos, Cyprus and Aegina.

Special types of bread were baked for festive feasts, for example, at the end of the harvest or for certain dishes. Bread was baked from fermented, yeast dough or without sourdough. Diet bread was also used, baked without the addition of salt.

The other staple food of the Hellenes was meat. The heroes of Homer, who were not alien to birds, feasted on beef and lamb, deer or boar. The carcass was roasted on a spit, without any seasonings, and then divided into pieces according to the number of guests, giving the best to the most distinguished and worthy.

For example, moved by the singing during the feast, Odysseus gave the singer Demodon "the fat-filled spine of a sharp-toothed boar" (Homer, Odyssey, VIII, 474).

Homer painted a wonderful scene of the feast of the ancient inhabitants of Hellas, narrating about the reception by Achilles in his tent of ambassadors from Agamemnon - Odysseus, Ajax Helamonides and Phoenix:

He himself put a huge lot by the firelight,
And in it he laid out the backs of the sheep and the fat goat,
He also threw the ham of a fat hog, shining with fat,
Automedon held them, cut through the noble Achilles,
Then he skillfully crushed them into pieces and thrust them onto a spit.
A hot fire, meanwhile, kindled the God-like Menethis.
A little the fire weakened and the crimson flame faded,
Raking the coals, Pelid spits over the fire
And sprinkles with sacred salt, raising it to the back.
So after frying them around, shakes them on the dining table.
Sometimes Patroclus on the table, in beautiful baskets,
Arranged the loaves; but food for guests noble Achilles
He divided himself and against Odysseus, like a god,
Sat on the other side and sacrifice to the inhabitants of the sky
Patroclus ordered his friend, and he threw the first fruits into the fire.
The heroes extended their hands to the sweet dishes offered ...
(Iliad, IX, 206 - 221)

Later, the meat table of the Greeks became more varied: they willingly devoured sausages or goat stomachs filled with blood and fat. Of the vegetables, onions, garlic, lettuce, and legumes were most often used. The latter, that is, vegetables, belonged to the staple food of the poor.

From the VI century BC. e. under the influence of oriental fashion and customs that reigned in the Greek colonies, where the standard of living was especially high, more and more dishes appear on the tables of the Greeks.

Only Sparta has preserved the ancient simplicity of manners and harsh life. A Spartan allowed to participate in joint meals had to pay a contribution equal to the portion of food due to him for a month: 7.3 liters of flour, 36 liters of wine, 3 kg of cheese and 10 obols of silver for the purchase of meat. Two obols were usually enough for a modest food for one person during the day.

From this it is clear that the Spartans' meals made up of such contributions were more than meager. The Spartans also remained faithful to their famous dish - black stew: according to Plutarch, in Sparta during the time of Lycurgus, “the old people even refused their share of meat and gave it to the young, and they themselves ate plenty of stew” (Comparative biographies. Lycurgus, XII).

Binges, riotous feasts in Sparta were not allowed: “Our law expels from the borders of the country that, under the influence of which people most of all fall into the strongest pleasures, outrages and all kinds of recklessness. Neither in villages nor in cities ... you will not see feasts anywhere ... and everyone who meets a drunken reveler immediately imposes the greatest punishment on him ... "(Plato. Laws, I, 637).

However, apart from Sparta, they drank wine to their heart's content throughout Hellas. The inhabitants of Boeotia and Thessaly were famous for their particularly refined culinary art in Greece. The Greek table was influenced by the sumptuous feasts of Persia and Lydia, the splendor of Egypt and Babylon.

Experienced chefs from Sicily instilled in the Greeks a love of delicate dishes. With the expansion of trade relations with other peoples, the cuisine of the ancient Hellenes became richer and more diverse, subject to the growing influence of foreign gastronomic fashion.

In the shops around the agora, one could buy not only the usual onions, garlic and salad, but also a variety of fish, rare foreign roots and spices.

In the comedy of the 5th century BC. e. Hermippe "Porters" lists products brought to Greece from all over the world: beef, cheese, raisins, figs, coconuts and almonds.

Apparently, in ancient Greece, there were two types of cooks. There were free professional cooks who were hired for the period of preparation for the upcoming feast, and bonded cooks, or slaves.

Despite their inferior position, Athenian chefs played a prominent role in the city, judging by the ridicule with which comic poets persecuted them. The type of slave cook, rogue and braggart, became from the beginning of the 4th century BC. e. very common in the Greek scene.

In Antiphanes' comedy "Cyclops" the master gives the cook instructions about fish dishes: on the table there should be pike cut into pieces, sea rays with sauce, perch, mackerel, stuffed cuttlefish, frog legs and belly, herring, flounder, moray eels, crabs - let everything be enough.

Frequent in the comedies of Antiphanes, Alexis, Sotad and other comedians of the 4th century BC. e. mentions of fish dishes and recipes for their preparation show that fish was still largely a novelty on the menu of the inhabitants of the Greek city-states.

Poultry dishes and methods of their preparation were varied. The Greeks used roasted pigeons, sparrows, larks, pheasants, thrushes, quails, and even swallows. These dishes were seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, various sauces and spices.

In general, the description of culinary recipes in Greek comedies exactly corresponds to the “technologies” of cooking that existed at that time and described in numerous cookbooks.

In one of Sotad's comedies, the description of how to cook and serve fish, put into the mouth of the cook by the author, completely coincides with what is said about this in the famous culinary book of that time - "Onomasticon" by Polluk (II century): “Mix milk with lard and cereals, add fresh cheese, egg yolks and brains, wrap the fish in a fragrant fig leaf and boil it in chicken or young kid broth, then take out, remove the leaf and put the prepared meal in a vessel with boiling honey ".

The ceremonial and etiquette of meals varied depending on whether they were of a family character, or whether guests were present. At everyday home meals, women would sit at the table with the men. More precisely, the men reclined during dinner, the women sat on chairs.

This rule did not apply to getters. Women did not take part in meals that were not of a family nature. The feasts took place on the male side of the house.

The invitees dressed carefully; they usually took a bath and smothered themselves. Politeness demanded great accuracy from them, and they sat down at the table, not expecting latecomers. Each bed could accommodate one or two people; they were attached to one another, thus forming something like a sofa. They were covered with beautiful blankets and were often so high that they were climbed using a small bench.

The guests had pillows behind them, reminiscent of our ordinary pillows or transverse bolsters, and covered with flowers and patterned pillowcases; sometimes they were brought with them. The diners rested their left elbow on a pillow and thus were in a semi-sitting, semi-recumbent position.

The guests, seated on one bed, turned their backs to each other; but it is very likely that, leaning on the same arm, they gave a different tilt to their bodies, with one slipping the elbow closer to the back, and the other closer to the chest.

The number of boxes and tables varied. They were arranged in such a way as to bring the guests as close to each other as possible, placing them, no doubt, in a semicircle or in the shape of a horseshoe around the tables. Tables, at first - square, and later - round, were made slightly lower than the boxes. There was a special table near each box.

The guests were accommodated in a well-known order. The most honorable place was at the right hand of the owner; the least honorable was considered the most distant from it. There were often disputes between the guests on this matter, as a result of which Plutarch recommends that the owner himself appoint each guest his place.

The guests first of all took off their shoes, which they only put on again when they left. The slaves washed everyone's feet and sometimes strangled them; then they served water for the guests to wash their hands. Only after that the tables were brought, already completely served. Each guest had only to reach out to take the food prepared in the dishes.

There were no forks or knives; the spoon was used only for liquid food and sauces, but it was also willingly replaced with a crust of bread. Almost everyone ate with their fingers. There were also no tablecloths or napkins; wiped with a crumb of bread or a special dough - they were rolled between the fingers, so as to make balls.

Every guest was allowed to bring his slaves with him; otherwise, the master's slaves served. A special person was appointed to manage all these personnel. In some homes, it was a rule for the chef to present the list of dishes to the host.

We have little information on the general order of the great Greek dinners. One might think that dinner did not start, as the Romans did, with cold snacks and sweet wines, at least until the time of the Empire.

Before this era, although dishes that could whet the appetite were consumed at the beginning of lunch, they were not necessarily cold. Then they served meat, fish, herbs and sauces of all sorts. After that, the slaves brought water and towels; guests smothered themselves, put on wreaths of flowers and made libations to the Good Genius, while drinking a sip of pure wine.

Then the tables were taken away and replaced by others, on which dessert was served. The dessert in those days was very simple; in the era of Macedonian rule, he was like a second dinner with game and poultry, and they ate fresh or dry fruit and then cheese. To induce thirst, they used garlic, onions, salt mixed with caraway seeds and other herbs, salty pies with various spices.

There was also no shortage of cookies. Attica was famous for its biscuits, in which honey replaced sugar; they were made with cheese, poppy seeds and sesame seeds.

A lot of wines were made in Greece. Especially famous in the ancient world were wines from the islands of Lesvos, Kos, Chios, Rhodes and Samos. Wines were classified by color: dark, red, white, gold. Taste and strength were emphasized.

A distinction was made between strong, sweet, fine and light wines. Wealthy people preferred old, long-aged wines.

After the main part of the dinner or feast, a conversation began - symposium... The participants were served wine in three craters, where the wine was mixed with water. From one crater, wine was sacrificed to the gods, from another - to heroes, from the third - to Zeus.

The sacrifices were performed solemnly, to the accompaniment of a flute. The religious, ceremonial part of the feast made it possible to invite flutists there, who remained there after the sacrifices, entertaining the chatting companions by playing the flute.

At the feasts, the supreme ruler of the feast was chosen from among those present - symposiarch, who guided the course of conversations, determined the outcome of the competition by the number of cups drunk and awarded the winners. Wine did not prevent the participants of the feast from conducting conversations on philosophical or literary topics, flashing with a sharpness, a well-found poetic line, an improvised pun, coming up with and offering those present an intricate problem or a vulture - a riddle.

In addition, the participants in the feast were not deprived of female society - they were entertained with their performances by dancers, acrobats, and flutists. The heterosexuals, well-read, witty and charming women, skillfully supported the conversations.

The enthusiasm of wealthy citizens for wealth, pompous feasts acquired over time such a wide scale that the state was forced to intervene in order to prevent abuse and waste by the strictest regulations.

In Athens, the officials - sitofilaki - were supposed to control the supply of food to the city, in particular, to fight speculation and other abuses in the trade of food.

Food inspectors regulated market prices and enforced trade rules. It was forbidden to stockpile grain for speculative purposes with the expectation of an increase in prices in the event of interruptions in grain supplies.

The role of sitophilacs was very great during wars, crop failures and during periods of economic hardship experienced by the state.

During the Hellenistic era, the administrative apparatus expanded greatly, while the staff of food inspectors increased. By periodically rotating them, they tried to avoid abuse and the establishment of hidden connections between officials and traders, between buyers and sellers.

The prices were controlled, the quality of bread baking was checked.

When the standard of living in ancient Greece increased, the difference in the property status of different categories of citizens became much more noticeable. Dreaming of fabulous countries “where honey and milk flow”, the heroes of comedies responded in their own way to the deepening chasm between those who dreamed of a piece of bread and those whose tables were laden with exquisite, overseas dishes.

The poet Heleclides in the comedy "Amphictyons" depicts a wonderful country with pigeons Cup (Mycenae, II millennium BC), where the waves of rivers carry cookies and pies with cottage cheese, meat, sausages, fried fish. In this case, the food itself enters the house, lies on the table, and then itself falls into the mouths of people.

However, for the rich Greeks, this picture was not fantastic, for it was very similar to their real life: the hands of the slaves prepared dishes, laid the table, and in every possible way pleased the tastes of the owners.

Historical references

1. GREEK DANCE "SIRTAKI"
A popular dance among modern Greeks sirtaki appeared only in the middle of the XX century (composer Mikis Theodorakis, music for the film "The Greek Zorba"), therefore it is absurd when he is danced in various "quasi-historical" films, especially those depicting antiquity. After all, this is even more ridiculous than Julius Caesar, opening a tin can with a knife.

2. ARCHIMEDES
According to the widespread version, Archimedes got into the bathtub, discovered Archimedes' law and ran naked through the streets shouting "Eureka!" ("Found!").
Actually Archimedes (c. 287-212 BC), the greatest scientist, the creator of almost completely modern differential and integral calculus ("higher mathematics"), much later re-understood and formalized by Leibniz and Newton, found a mathematical connection between integral over a closed surface and integral over the volume bounded by this surface. What is known as "Archimedes' law" is just one of the special cases of this dependence. Later, such a connection between integrals was rediscovered only in the 19th century and now has the name of the Gauss-Ostrogradsky formula. Then they were able to understand the meaning of this part of the mathematical works of Archimedes that have come down to us.
Leibniz wrote about the works of Archimedes: "Reading Archimedes, you cease to be amazed at all the latest achievements in mathematics."

4. MYTH AND TRUTH ABOUT THE MARAFIN RUNNER
A common misconception is that a marathon runner ran 39 km and died from overexertion.
Actually 02/09/490 BC. e. greek warrior Phytypid (aka Philippides, Philippides) was the first to bring the news to Athens about the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon and later died of exhaustion and blood loss (most likely from an infectious blood poisoning as a result of his wounds, but reliable information about the date and causes of his death not).
As the best runner, shortly before the battle, Fitipid was sent to Sparta with a request to send a Spartan army to help in case of defeat. Running out in the morning, he overcame 1240 stades (238 km) running along the mountain roads in less than a day, reaching his goal "early at the dawn of the next day," according to a contemporary of the battle, historian Herodotus. Then, having not received an intelligible answer, he immediately returned back at a run. It became clear to the Greeks that there would be no help and that they could not lose the battle.
Lacking enough time to rest, Phytipid, like all men (in those days, the Greeks fought in the ranks until the age of 60), took part in a fierce 6-hour battle with an enemy 10 times outnumbered and immediately after the victory was wounded and exhausted, he fled to Athens, where women and children fearfully awaited the decision of their fate.
The right to bring the news of victory was considered by the Greeks an honorable reward worthy of heroes, and the courageous Fitipides deservedly demanded this right. Several runners carried the message to Athens, but Phytipides, who was not accustomed to losing, did his best to be the first. And he succeeded.
The feat of Fitipida seems to be absolutely fantastic for modern athletes. When the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, at the suggestion of the French philologist Michel Breal, the first sports race between Marathon and Athens was organized in honor of the great hero. During the London Olympics, the distance was slightly increased to 42 km 195 m so that the finish line was near the royal palace.
Autumn 1982 John Foden, with four like-minded people, went to Greece to repeat the historic Phytypid run (but one way and on an asphalt road). Early in the morning of October 8, they fled from Athens, and after 35 and a half hours, John Scholten was already in Sparta. John Foden himself finished second, also finishing at 36 hours. The third reached the goal, John Macarthy, who spent a little less than 40 hours to overcome 246 km. A year later, in September 1983, 45 runners from 11 countries took part in the second race of Athens - Sparta. This was the beginning of the run along the historic Phytypida route, which is now held annually in September and is called the Spartathlon.
Four times since 1983, the winner of Spartathlon became legendary Greek Janis Kuros (Yiannis Kouros), and until now the unsurpassed world record holder in daily running (in 24 hours). His unique record at the Spartathlon distance - 20 hours 21 minutesinstalled in 1984 on this track has not been beaten to this day. Janis Kouros proved that Herodotus' message about the Phytipida race is not a historical myth, and a person is able to run this distance in less than a day, which before that all sports experts believed was absolutely impossible. Russian Alexander Falkov in 2005 ran this distance in 34 hours and 48 minutes.
Only the best runners are allowed on the Spartathlon distance, men and women start together.
In 2002, phenomenal Irina Reutovich from Kaliningrad was the first among women, covering the entire distance of Spartathlon for 28:10:48 - it was the best female result in the entire history of the competition, and he has not been beaten until now. She became world famous in 2000. Then, during the super-marathon in the American Death Valley at a temperature of plus 54 degrees, she ran more than 200 kilometers and overtook all American men. After this triumph, Irina Reutovic was recognized by the whole world, and she received the right to start in Spartathlon. In 2006, she also set a world record in a two-day run (in France), having run over 337 kilometers in 48 hours (the previous record was 332 kilometers).
Victory in Spartathlon is one of the most prestigious in world sports.

OTHER COMMON ANECDOTIC STORIES THAT MANY ALREADY TAKE REALITY

• Mendeleev dreamed of the periodic system of elements in a dream.
  When Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev heard this anecdote composed about him, he said: "Well, if that were so, only I spent 20 years on solving this problem."
• Mendeleev invented vodka.
  Mass production of vodka existed in Russia at least since 1505 (then vodka had a strength of 46-48 degrees), and the 40-degree vodka standard was legislatively approved by the Russian government in the middle of the 18th century, that is, long before Mendeleev's birth.
• The history of the creation of a sandwich sandwich.
  An anecdotal version of the origin of the sandwich is the story of the Englishman John Montague, the fourth earl of the Sandwich. According to a well-known anecdote, he was very fond of playing cards - so much so that he could sit for a long time at gambling tables in pubs in London. Once, in 1762, the game went on for a whole day, and since it was difficult to simultaneously play cards and eat at the table with a knife and a fork, the count asked the cook to serve him two pieces of toasted bread with a slice of roast beef between them. Thus, he could hold cards with one hand and eat with the other. It was a very convenient solution and since then the sandwich began its triumphant march around the world. But this is just a popular anecdotal legend.
  Actually Earl John Montagu Sandwich (1718-1792) invented the sandwich in order to be able to eat cheaply while working on serious projects, so as not to take away precious time from hard work. After all, he was a member of the British Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Navy of the British Empire. He also directed the preparation of Captain Cook's geographic round-the-world expedition in 1778. As a result of that expedition, the Hawaiian Islands were discovered, which were originally named after the Earl of Sandwich - the Sandwich Islands. But Count Sandwich did not play cards and considered the card game a stupid and pointless waste of time. In addition, Count Sandwich, who is very strapped for funds, simply did not have the money to play card games. Due to lack of money, he invented inexpensive food convenient for his work.
• An apple fell on Isaac Newton's head, and he discovered the Law of universal gravitation.
  Actually All the materials discovered by him on the basis of his many years of astronomical observations of the Law of Universal Gravity in writing was transferred to Newton, as the best mathematician of the Royal Scientific Society, the great Robert Hooke who discovered the Law, having informed, among other things, about the law of inverse squares of distance and asking Newton based on the information provided write a mathematical formula. This letter has survived to this day. It remained a mystery why, after verbally describing in detail the formula of the Law of Universal Gravitation, Hooke did not write the formula itself.
  When Newton drew up the formula, other academics suggested that he deduce from it the well-known law of ellipticity of the orbits of planets from it. Newton stated that he would deduce this dependence in 3 days. But neither after 3 days nor after a week was it possible to withdraw the addiction. Newton lost the promised box of beer. This dependence for two bodies ("the problem of two bodies") was deduced by Newton from the formula he compiled only after 3 years of persistent mathematical work, and this is his great merit. The analytical formula for the motion of three bodies ("the three-body problem") or more does not exist to this day.
• Gorky and Shalyapin in their youth entered the church choir together, and then Gorky was accepted, but Chaliapin was not.
  Actually they first met in the prime of their glory.
• Columbus sailed to India and ended up in America.
  Actually Columbus was one of the greatest cartographers and scientists of the day. He was well aware of both the size of the Earth and the geographical coordinates of India. As an experienced navigator, he knew that on the ships that existed at that time from Spain to India, if there was an ocean between them, it was impossible to sail westward - the distance was too great.
  But Columbus was a great scientist of his time - he was the first in the world to discover the principle of the movement of winds, i.e. air circulation systems of the planet, incl. and what we call trade winds today.
  Being engaged in scientific work and studying the records of many ship logs of ships sailing in the Atlantic, he noticed the predominant seasonality of winds - six months in one direction, and six months in the other. There could be only one explanation for this, according to the theory of winds developed by Columbus - somewhere halfway to Asia, in the middle of the ocean there is a huge continent, and perhaps more than one. Having carefully processed all the available data, Columbus even managed to very accurately determine the distance to the proposed mainland.
  It was to this unknown land that Columbus planned his expedition, and the idea of \u200b\u200ba commercial voyage to India only convinced the royal court and major merchants to provide the necessary funding. (In Spain, impoverished by the war, it was impossible to find funds for new geographical discoveries.)
  When determining the time of sailing and further sailing, he used the seasonality of the winds discovered by him. The members of the expedition were later surprised that during the entire voyage, both there and back, they moved with a favorable wind - this is how Columbus used his discovery, which allowed sailing ships to quickly swim to America and return back without maneuvering against the headwind.
  With a fresh tailwind, the ships went smoothly, the distance to the abandoned land quickly increased. In order not to frighten the commanders and crews of the ships and not cause a riot, Columbus from the very beginning forbade measurements of the distance traveled on all ships, making them only personally, and then reporting halved data to the crew of the flagship and the captains of other ships of the expedition.
  For the last two and a half days before meeting the ground, he hardly slept, peering intently at the horizon, where, according to his calculations, the earth was about to appear - that is why he saw it first.
  Based on the results of his research and calculations, Columbus deliberately took a mortal risk - if the supposed land was not there, the ships would no longer be able to return due to exhaustion of supplies. Setting out on this voyage, only Columbus knew that the expedition would be either successful or missing.
  Fortunately, Columbus's calculations turned out to be correct, and we got the opportunity to use potato soup and blame America for all sins.

  At all times, schoolchildren about great discoveries and events in every possible way, in anecdotal wit. Among other things, they wrote the original formulation of Archimedes' law: "A body projected into the water sticks out as much water as it is stuck out."
  Of course, it’s funny to get acquainted with the liberation movement of slaves in Ancient Rome through Khachaturian’s ballet "Spartacus" or to study the history of the Civil War through funny anecdotes about Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, Petka and Anka.
  One should not take seriously any anecdotes and common speculations about historical events. After all, historical science itself is no less interesting and entertaining than a variety of "historical" anecdotes.

Also about the history of cuisine, historical feasts and the menu of kings, see the section:

Alexandr Duma

It has a lot in common with the culinary traditions of Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, Israel, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. It has existed for over 4 thousand years and is directly related to the history and culture of Ancient Greece.

Today, Greek cuisine, as in antiquity, cannot be imagined without cereals, olive oil and wine, as well as vegetables (eggplant, zucchini), olives, cheese, fish and meat.

Features of Greek cuisine

In the Mediterranean cuisine of Greece, several characteristic features can be distinguished, which are based on the use of a certain list of products in the preparation of dishes.

1. Olive oil is an ingredient in Greek cuisine. cooked without it, it is impossible to imagine. Olive oil is used as a salad dressing, added to vegetable, meat, fish dishes and baked goods. It is made from olive trees growing in Greece, and makes national Greek dishes special in taste.
2. Vegetables - fresh or baked, are present in almost every dish. Fresh tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, green peppers, onions and olives are especially commonly used.
3. Spices are used more often in Greek cooking than in any other Mediterranean cuisine. In Greece, the most common are oregano, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, basil, thyme and fennel. Interestingly, when preparing meat dishes, spices are used that are typical for desserts (for example, cinnamon).
4. Cheese - feta, casseri, kefalotiri, ladotiri. They are served fresh as a snack, added to salads and popular casseroles made from vegetables, meat and pasta.
5. Cereals - wheat is most often used in cooking, less often barley. Thin flour is made from wheat flour and famous Greek desserts are baked from it.

Popular Greek dishes: names

Some Greek dishes have a lot in common with those on the Mediterranean coast. These include pastitsio (pastitsio). This Greek dish is analogous to Italian lasagna, but instead of sheets of dough, long ziti tube pasta is used. Or, for example, dolmades is an analogue of dolma (minced meat in grape leaves), which is widespread among the peoples of Transcaucasia.

But Greek cuisine also has its own traditions. It is difficult to imagine Greek cuisine without the national dish Chaniotico Bureki. These are potato slices baked with zucchini, mizithra cheese and mint. Also in Greece, pies are traditionally prepared using the thinnest filo dough or puff pastry, in which a variety of fillings are wrapped. The most popular cakes in Greek cuisine are spinakopita and kotopita (chicken pie).

They also love soups in Greece. For example, they often prepare lean bean soup based on white beans and tomatoes, or magiritsa, a traditional Easter soup that the Greeks cook on Holy Saturday.

All Greek dishes, the recipes for which are presented below, are hearty and easy to prepare. Essential ingredients such as olive oil and vegetables make dishes not only tasty, but also healthy.

Greek cuisine: national dishes. Meze

All tourists who come to Greece, and especially to the island of Crete, are advised to try meze. But not all of the visiting guests know what it is.

Meze are snacks, that is, dishes of Greek cuisine that are served not in portions, but in such a way that everyone can put any of them on their plate. Meze usually contains olives and feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves (dolmades), meatballs, grilled octopus, pickled vegetables, etc. The list, as well as the number of dishes, can be very diverse.

Traditionally, tahini (a creamy sesame seed sauce), lukanina (Cypriot sausages with the addition of coriander), halloumi (soft cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk with mint), stifado (beef with spices in wine vinegar), souflaki (finely chopped kebab), etc.

Traditional Greek salad

Greek, or gained popularity not only in Greece itself, but also in most other countries of the world. It is prepared from tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, red onions, olives and feta. Olive oil is traditionally used as a dressing, as well as wine vinegar or lemon juice.

A light Greek salad is especially popular among all healthy eating lovers.

Moussaka

Almost all Greek recipes use vegetables. Especially popular among the Greeks is the Greek eggplant dish - moussaka. It consists of baked layers: the first is eggplant with olive oil, the second is minced lamb and beef with tomatoes, and the third is a cheese sauce that tastes like bechamel. All layers (as in climbing) are stacked alternately.

A Greek eggplant dish is baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Served warm.

Spanakopita

The preparation of this traditional Greek pie begins with the preparation of a juicy filling. For this, onions are fried in olive oil. To it are added spinach (250 g), parsley, green onion feathers, feta cheese (400 g), as well as salt to taste and nutmeg on the edge of a knife.

While the filling is cooling, it is necessary to divide and roll the dough into two thin layers. Spread the first part over the bottom of the mold, greased with butter so as to cover not only the bottom of the mold, but also close the sides. Put all the filling on top and cover with another layer of dough, cut exactly to the size of the mold. Connect the edges of the dough together. Chop the top layer of the cake with a fork in several places before sending it to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.

Fasolada: Lean Greek Soup

This soup is especially loved by vegetarians, as it is prepared exclusively from plant-based ingredients. The main ingredients of this Greek dish are white beans, tomatoes or tomato and celery. All the ingredients for the soup are fried alternately in olive oil: first onions, carrots, celery stalk, then pre-cooked beans and tomato puree from 0.5 kg of tomatoes. After that, the preparation of vegetables is transferred to a saucepan, poured with vegetable broth, and everything is cooked together for another 10 minutes. Lean soup is ready.

Fasolada is served hot or cold. Before serving, the soup is seasoned with olive oil, black pepper and dried herbs.

Pastitsio, or Greek lasagna

The classic pastitcio recipe is layers of ziti pasta with beef and lamb meat sauce, white béchamel sauce and cheese crust.

This Greek dish is prepared in the following order:

1. Grease a 9x13 cm baking dish with butter.
2. Prepare meat sauce. To do this, first fry the onion (2 pieces) in olive oil (3 tablespoons), then the garlic (4 cloves). After 1 minute, add 2 types of minced meat (beef and lamb) and fry until lightly browned. After that, you can add the rest of the ingredients: chopped tomatoes (4 pcs.), Tomato paste (2 tablespoons), parsley. And you will also need spices: salt (1 ½ tsp), pepper, sugar (½ tsp), cinnamon stick, bay leaf. The sauce is ready when all the liquid has evaporated (after about 1 hour).
3. Boil 450 g of pasta until half cooked.
4. Prepare the béchamel by first frying the flour in butter (½ cup). Then pour 4 cups of milk into the pan and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. After that, remove the sauce from the heat, add salt (1 teaspoon), white pepper and nutmeg.
5. Collect the pastitsio in layers. The first layer is pasta mixed with egg and parmesan. The second layer is meat sauce and the third is white sauce. Sprinkle the dish with Parmesan mixed with a little bread crumbs on top.

Pastitsio is baked in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Galaktobureko - semolina milk pie

Thick semolina is used as a filling for this pie. But it turns out to be so tasty that semolina is not felt at all. It tastes more like a delicate custard with a light citrus note.

The pie filling is placed between the layers of filo dough, the top layer of which, after baking in the oven, is filled with sweet citrus syrup made from lemon juice, sugar, water, cinnamon, clove inflorescences and honey. The pie is served cold, pre-cut into portioned pieces of a square shape.

The culinary traditions of Greece are deeply rooted in the past. They have been forming over more than four millennia. Greek cuisine has absorbed the traditions of Italy, France, the states of the Middle East, as well as the culinary preferences of the inhabitants of local provincial cities.

The recipes for most of the national dishes are passed down from generation to generation, so Greek dishes are literally time-tested.

general characteristics

Greek culture is considered the cradle of all European civilization and its gastronomic field is no exception. It was in Greece in 320 BC that the first ever cookbook was written. Later, the culinary heritage of Greece passed on to the Roman Empire, and then the traditions of Greek cuisine spread throughout the European continent and beyond.

The cuisine of Ancient Greece was distinguished by modesty and simplicity - today the same qualities are inherent in modern Greek cuisine. It was in Ancient Greece that the so-called "Mediterranean triad" was formed: the three pillars on which Greek cuisine still stands today. This, and. It is noteworthy that the ancient Greeks used meat quite rarely: the climate and relief did not favor the breeding of cattle, so that only goat meat was present in the diet of the local population.

Most Greek dishes are easy to prepare and include vegetables, spices and olive oil. It is noteworthy that even in the most expensive restaurants and taverns, the main dishes to this day are the dishes that were present in the diet of the ancient Greeks.

During the period of its development, Greek cuisine has absorbed the traditions of the Arab, Slavic, Italian and Turkish culinary schools, but managed to preserve its identity, becoming one of the country's attractions. Over the millennia, the local population has developed a special approach to food, a very peculiar philosophy. Meal is seen here not just as a meal, but primarily as a way to have a good time.

Therefore, although in the modern world the rhythm of life is impetuous, it is not customary for the Greeks to rush. A day in Greece begins with a fairly light breakfast, which usually includes a cup of sandwich or croutons. A similar light lunch follows around noon, and lunchtime comes around 3pm. Unlike most Mediterranean countries, Greece has a very hearty and hearty meal. Dinner is accepted from 20:00 to 23:00. At the same time, the evening meal is usually lighter. Greeks usually dine in restaurants or taverns, in good company.

Characteristics

In order to understand what constitutes Greek cuisine, you should dwell on its characteristic features.

1. It is customary to cook dishes in Greece exclusively from very fresh products, and the requirements for the quality of ingredients are quite strict.
2. Herbs and spices are abundant in Greek dishes. Oregano, and cloves, as well as thyme, are used by local chefs more often than their counterparts from other Mediterranean countries.
3. One of the "chips" of Greek cuisine is a very small amount. As an alternative, it appears, oddly enough,. This fruit is added to soups and sauces, it is also served with meat, fish, vegetables. Greek chefs believe that lemon is much more effective than salt in helping to emphasize the taste of a dish and make it more sophisticated.
4. Greek is another of the local delicacies. It is characterized by high fat content, and due to its dense consistency it is more similar to. As a rule, it is added to vegetable dishes and is also used to make sauces.
5. The "calling card" of Greek cuisine is olive oil. An interesting fact: almost every Greek family, even living in the city, owns several olive trees, which can grow even tens of kilometers from the place of residence of their owners. Olives, of which more than fifty varieties are known in Greece, are usually harvested from November to January.
6. Another "feature" of the local cuisine is the so-called "meze". This definition covers a wide selection of light snacks that are prepared from vegetables, meat, fish and herbs. They are served before each meal as an independent dish.
7. Greeks are not too keen on sauces. A traditional addition to meat or fish is a mixture of olive oil and vinegar with herbs. Also popular are beaten eggs with and "tzadiki" - a dish made from Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and cucumber pulp with salt and pepper.
8. The main drink in Greece is coffee. They drink it in all forms: cold, hot, with the addition of spices and alcohol.

Main dishes

The range of traditional Greek cuisine is quite wide. It is noteworthy that most of them are not too difficult to prepare, but at the same time they have a wonderful taste.

Vegetable dishes

Vegetable dishes are incredibly popular in Greece. When preparing them, culinary specialists are guided by three basic rules: the original product must be fresh, in the dish it must be correctly combined with other ingredients, and its original taste must be preserved. That is why the Greeks use minimal heat treatment for vegetable dishes.

The "kings" of Greek cuisine are. Caviar is fried, prepared from them and stuffed with meat and (this dish is called "melitsanes" or "melizanes").

Bread and flour products

The Greeks use relatively little bread. The main requirement that locals place on any pastry is that it must be fresh.

The most common in Greece are pita cakes, which are baked from or. Rolls with various fillings are prepared from them, or they are simply used as raw materials for chips or crackers (the cake is cut into small squares and dried).

It is noteworthy that pies are also prepared from the same dough that is used to make tortillas, so most names of Greek pastries contain the phrase “pita”: “spanakopita” (pie with cheese and spinach), “creatopita” (pie with meat filling) , "Tyropita" (cheese pie), etc.

In addition, it is Greece that is the homeland, which is used for the preparation of baklava and strudel. The thinnest stretch dough can be as thick as a sheet of paper.

desserts

Various jams and preserves are also popular in Greece. It is prepared not only from berries and fruits, but even from vegetables. You won't surprise anyone with carrot, pumpkin or eggplant jam.

Greek ice cream is also famous for its taste. They sell it both by weight and in special containers.

The drinks

During meals in Greece, they usually serve fruit juices, mineral water or regular drinking water with the addition of lemon juice. At the same time, coffee is considered a subject of national pride in Greece. Its preparation is a real ritual.

The traditional "cafe hellenico" is prepared exclusively from freshly ground robusta grains. The obligatory characteristics of Greek coffee are thick kaimaki foam and no less thick sediment that remains at the bottom of the coffee cup.

At the same time, coffee in Greece is usually drunk in "natural" form, without milk and. It is believed that any flavoring additives turn this noble drink into an element of fast food, and therefore coffee with milk is usually served in mini-cafes or fast food establishments.

Greek wines are not well known outside the country. This is due to the fact that the productivity of most wineries is limited, and therefore the best varieties often do not even "travel" outside the region.

Retsina is a kind of "visiting card" of Greek winemaking. This is one of the oldest varieties of wine on the planet, the method of making which has remained unchanged for more than two thousand years. Retsina is a fairly strong wine that is prepared by an oxygen-free fermentation method. This drink owes its very specific flavor to the pine resin used to clean it. Retsina is prepared exclusively in Greece and is not exported outside the country, since its taste is very specific, and after opening the bottle, the wine turns sour very quickly, turning into vinegar.

Benefit for health

According to nutritionists, Greek cuisine is incredibly healthy. First of all, in the chemical composition of most local dishes are present, and that have a beneficial effect on the health of the heart and blood vessels, help to remove the "harmful" from the body and reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes.

In addition, thanks to gentle cooking, most Greek dishes retain the minerals and vitamins present in the original ingredients.

According to a 2003 study by scientists from the University of Athens in Greece and Harvard University, those who follow the traditional Greek diet are 33% less likely to die from heart disease and 24% less likely to die from cancer.

Cooking Salamis (Greek fish fillet)

To prepare the traditional Greek dish salamis, you will need: 500 grams of fish fillet, one clove of garlic, one onion, two tablespoons of lemon juice and the same amount of olive oil, a couple of tomatoes, the same amount, two, two tablespoons of white wine, herbs, and and salt to taste.

Peel the fish fillets from the skin, remove the bones. Drizzle with lemon juice and salt.

Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan. Preheat and sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic. Place the fillets in the pan, pour over with wine and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Simmer under the lid for a quarter of an hour.

Cut the peppers into thin rings and fry in another skillet in the remaining oil for ten minutes. Peel the cucumber, cut into wedges and add to the pepper along with halved. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for five minutes.

Put the prepared vegetables on top of the fish and simmer for five minutes. Serve hot.

Cooking pickled cheese

To prepare a traditional Greek snack, you will need: 350 grams, olive oil or thyme, one bay leaf, eight coriander seeds, two cloves of garlic and 0.5 teaspoon of pepper.

Cut the cheese into cubes, the garlic into slices. In a mortar, lightly rub the coriander and pepper seeds. Put a bay leaf at the bottom of the jar, and then start spreading cheese in layers, alternating with layers of spices. After laying out the last layer, fill the cheese with olive oil so that it is completely covered with it.

Close the jar tightly and leave to infuse for two weeks.

Ready marinated feta cheese can be used for making toast.