Saturday, December 25, 2010

Tasting the Wonders of the Greek Seas

Only a few are lucky enough to get a chance to taste the succulent seafood morsels of Greece. Greek foods, particularly seafood dishes, are known for their simple but full taste. Greek food is always best if paired with a bit of Greek spirit – ouzo or retsina. It will better enhance you Greek experience.

Enjoy Refreshing Seafood

The seas that encircle Greece and its isles are still producing vast amounts of fresh seafood, even though overfishing is a major and ongoing threat. More often than not, restaurants will inform patrons on whether a fish is fresh or frozen. Frozen food is also labeled ‘kat.’ If you are on vacation, it can’t hurt to spend a little extra on the ‘fresh’ alternative. It is much better.

Greece presents succulent variations of seafood dishes because the place boasts of fresh foods from its rich seas. The shores that surround most of Greece are dotted with tavernas serving authentic Greek seafood dishes. So, it’s quite easy for tourists to find the perfect spot where they can enjoy Greek seafood.

Small fishes, such as: mackerel or kolios, sardines or sardeles, and anchovies or gavros, are widely popular. These can be fried or grilled, or made into sushi after being marinated for some time and then crusted with salt.

Greek sea fare also include favorites, such as: squid or kalamari, octopus, swordfish or xifia, sea bream or sargos, sea bass or lavraki, cod, red snapper, tuna, lobster and many kinds of shellfish.

Traditional Greek Seafood Cuisine

Whether you may be in a taverna in Greece or in a Greek restaurant somewhere in the world, there are widely familiar Greek dishes that are modern expressions of ancient Greek recipes.

While waiting for your dinner, order mezethes to get started. Greece provides a great selection of appetizers – from grilled or fried kalamari, anchovies or smelt, baked sardines with a lemon, oregano and olive oil dressing, to the richer and more adventurous taste of taramosalata, which is a great dip made from fish roe. Lakerda is another popular appetizer. Lakerda is made by pickling a fresh kingfish in a blend of salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Generally, this is done for a few days. After which, the fish can be served after washing and again seasoning it with a few drops of olive oil and a splash of zesty lemon juice. Most seafood dishes are served dressed with olive oil and lemon or vinegar.

In some Greek tavernas, the best assurance that you are having fresh seafood is to actually point out live fish that you want cooked for you. Many traditional Greek tavernas give visitors this wonderful freedom. This is part of the memorable experience of dining out Greek.

For seafood lovers, the psarosoupa or fish soup is a wonderful choice. The soup has a slightly thick, but delicious and refreshing broth flavored with eggs and lemon. It can be served with a variety of vegetables and herbs, like potatoes, carrots and parsley. The fish can be added in the soup or it can be served separately. It’s very tasty and it’s good for the health, too.

A variety of mussel and clam dishes are served in various Greek restaurants, even in places like Lesvos and Athens. Shellfish are usually simply steamed or cooked in a saganaki, which is a type of frying pan. A saganaki-style dish is often served with tomato sauce and it has a feta base. Shrimps are cooked like this, too.

In Greece, one can expect fish dishes to be light and refreshing. These are also vital elements in the world-renowned Mediterranean diet, though meats and meat dishes are enjoyed, too. The usual pairings for grilled fish are rice and vegetables. Dishes are flavored with olive oil, lemon and herbs, like parsley and oregano.

If you’re lucky and feel like splurging test the lobster. Lobsters captured around Greece may not be as tasty as those from the Atlantic, but still, eating lobster is a wonderful treat. Lobsters in Greece are typically steamed.

The bounty of the Greek sea is best enjoyed with a glass of Greek spirit. A glass of ouzo, retsina or any Greek wine will help bring out food flavors and will further enhance your Greek dining experience. If you want to enjoy an honest bite, try Greek foods because dishes are not covered in heavy sauces or intense relishes. In Greece, a splash of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil go a long way in intensifying the flavor of simple and clean foods.


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