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Greek Food | news, views on Greek cooking & recipes
Thanks to the popularity of Greek island holidays Greek food has never been as enoyed as much as it is today. Supermarket shelves heave with Greek-style yoghurts and the Mediterranean diet is world famous for its health benefits. Greek taverna cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs as well as olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt. We include any articles of Greek food and wine that you may find interesting.
The main principles of Greek cooking; the use of fresh ingredients, excellent olive oil, slow cooking and grilling, have remained since the days of Ancient Greece. Many of the dishes have not changed much over the years either. In Greece mealtimes play an important role in family and community life and food is something to be shared, savoured and enjoyed. The food served is designed to complement the gathering. Most Greek meals are made up of several courses.
A few bottles of wine usually feature on any holiday break in the Greek Islands, although Greek wine is not usually the first wine of choice. And as if Greece's economic problems were not enough this year, it now appears that Greek's grape harvest badly hit by mildew. Greek vineyards estimated wine production on the holiday islands this year will be nearly half the 2010 harvest - down to 230,000 tonnes.
Holiday visitors to Crete island will find sardines on the menu when the 17th Sardine Festival gets under way in Chania this week
Grilled sardines are served up for free on the beach of Nea Chora on Monday, September 5 along with Cretan wine to kick off the popular holiday event. The 'Feast of Sardines' is as popular with Chania holiday visitors as it is with locals and has now become a social institution.
Tourist visitors on Greek Island holidays will soon notice an effect on their wallets when soft drink prices rise sharply in September.
The Greek government has announced an increase in VAT from 13% to 23% for all soft drinks from September 1. The move will trigger a wave of price rises in Greek tavernas, shops and supermarkets which will have a direct effect on the pockets of those on holiday in
Santorini is world famous for its dramatic setting, live volcano and astonishing sunsets glimpsed from white cubed hill villages perched on the steep walls of the caldera. It is less well known for its cherry tomatoes, a product of Santorini's volcanic soil. But the Santorini tomato has become so renowned in the horticultural world it is about to get its third conference. Experts arrive from around the world for Tomato Conference to be held on the holiday island of Santorini.
Everyone enjoys a few glasses of wine when on holiday and what better than to taste wine that has been grown in Greek Island vineyards. Kefalonia has a wine-making tradition dating back at least to Homer but this is an industry, and an island for that matter, that has suffered severe setbacks in modern history. Invasion, civil war and, most recently, the devastating earthquake of 1953 have al taken their toll
Stifado is a traditional Greek dish served up by virtually every Greek Island taverna. Stifado is a meaty stew made with shallot onions and should be pronouncedstifathorather thanstifado with emphasis on the 'fa'. The meat is usually beef but it can be lamb, rabbit or any sort of game. The most appetizing aspect of the flavour is in the thick sauce that is made slightly sweet by the additional shallots.
