Greek name and pronunciation: Estragon, εστραγκόν, pronounced es-trah-GON At the market: Tarragon is sold fresh and dried. Physical characteristics: Fresh (French) tarragon leaves are bright green and approximately 1″ long and 1/4″-1/2″ wide. The leaves have a tendency to curl when dried. This 2-3 foot perennial has light golden ball-shaped flowers, approximately 1/2″ in diameter, […]

Greek name and pronunciation: Rigani, ρίγανη, pronounced REE-gah-nee At the market: Oregano is sold fresh and dried as cuttings of flower tops and leaves packaged in disposable containers or as dried, ground leaves packaged in sprinkle-pour bottles.Caution: Not all oreganos are equal. Greek oregano (rigani) is a subspecies with the latin name Origanum vulgare (previously Origanum […]

Greek name and pronunciation: Daphni, δάφνη, pronounced THAHF-nee (hard th sound) At the market: Dried bay leaves, either crushed or whole, are readily available in disposable containers. It is also sold at herb farms for a kitchen herb garden. Physical characterisitcs: Usually encountered in dried form, bay leaves are 1 1/2 – 3 inches long […]

This is a nice way to serve olives. The marinade is a delicious and colorful combination. It’s served as a “mezé,” which in Greek means something to nibble on: An appetizer to be served with an aperitif before dinner. Ingredients:  1 cup Kalamata olives 1/2 cup oil cured olives 1/2 cup green olives Zest of 2 lemons 1 tablespoon […]

Ingredients: 24 dried figs 12 walnut halves 1 cup premium Greek honey (thyme-scented) 1 tbsp rosewater 6 sheets filo (optional) Method: Soak the figs for 24 hours in a bowl with 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon rose-water, and enough warm water to cover. The next day, remove the figs, drain, and stuff each one with […]

Ingredients: 500 g calves’ liver, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, mashed, 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1/2 cup sweet, red wine 2 lamb cauls salt, pepper 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 cup olive oil Method: Saute the onion and garlic in half the olive oil. Add the chopped liver, parsley, and cumin. Saute for another 2-3 […]

Ingredients: 6 slices of tope (dogfish or smooth-hound shark steaks) 250 g mulberries or blackberries 25 g olive oil 25 g walnuts, chopped 6 slices white bread, dried and crumbled 1 spring spearmint, finely chopped 2 tbsp. raisins or currents 25 g fresh butter 1/2 cup sweet, white wine salt, pepper juice of one lemon […]

Ancient Greek dinners often led to symposiums. A people who enjoy companionship, eating with others, followed by singing, dancing or conversation and who hate a lonely meal, could do lettle else but invent the symposium. It is the logical next step in a coherent view, an existential pholosophy: I eat, discuss, sing, dance, therefore I […]

It would be a serious omission to end this brief account of ancient Greek nutrition without making a passing mention of wine. Other than a daily beverage, wine in essence was regarded as food, and figured prominently at every meal, breakfast included.

With the exception of banquets and Homeric heroes, meat-eating was fairly limited. In general, meat was festive fare, reserved for public or private special occasions. This was attributed not to a general, early tendency of the ancient people for vegetarianism, but to the same reason that forced Greeks in the early 20th century to virtually […]