Article DetailsAncient Greek food reflects religion and philosophy |
| Date Added: March 31, 2010 05:00:00 PM |
| Author: You Zhanjun |
| Category: Blogs: Food and Drink |
| Greeks have been both philosophical and religious when it comes to eating habits. They believe that certain vegetable can be dirty or clean to eat, and certain vegetables are God’s favorite and some are disliked. Infact Greeks never had meat other than those sacrificed to God or those which are hunted. Gods were remembered before they ate certain foods, like God Dionysus was remembered before they drank wine and God Demeter and Persephone before they ate bread. The main foods of Greeks included Mediterranean triad, wine, olive oil and wheat or barley or millet. Fish was liked by the Greeks a lot.
Ancient Greek cooking essentials include olives, olive oil, local organic cheeses (made from the milk of domestic farm animals like goats), figs, and bread. Greek food has been greatly influenced by the ancient cultures and the basic cooking methods of Greeks have not changed much. The food was taken religiously and it is reflected clearly from the fact that ancient Greeks treated food and drink as a art form and the chefs were given due respect. This is followed even today. The farmer generations have perfected several recipes over the years which were made from the regional grapes grown and the vegetables grown in the soil of local areas. These recipes included local wines, ouzo (aniseed type spirit) and these were grown organically that without the use of pesticides. The ancient Greek food also includes local fishes and the delicious seafood, which were caught in the waters of surrounding mainland. The Greek food habits have changed a little over the centuries and the Greek Salad is as tasty today as it used to be years ago. The royal salad consists of tomatoes cut in big chunks, diced peeled cucumber, slices of sweet onion, sliced green pepper, a handful of olives. The salad is topped with thickened slice of creamy Feta cheese. Honey here is flavored naturally due to the pollination processed by the bees on the herbs grown here in abundance. Some islands have larva rock which made it difficult to grow vegetation required to make ancient Greek food. Infact foreign cultures have largely influenced of Greek in the cuisines, eastern habits influenced Greek cuisine in the time of Alexander. Foods including pomegranate still liked today are depicted in early Greek art, pomegranate was the fruit that originated in the east. Although the ancient Greek foods were similar to the foods we eat today but it didn’t include many things that are now a part of modern Greek cooking. These foods arrived late in Greece. These included peppers, potatoes, bananas, oranges, eggplant, rice and tomatoes. Garlic, onions and mustard were widely used and hence they were among the seasonings that were imported. Wine was readily available and it was very cheap. Some vegetables and fruits that were eaten by ancient Greeks include Argula, Asparagus, Bulbs, cabbage, cucumbers, turnips, squash, cress, cardoons, cos lettuce, pears, apples, plums, pomegranates, grapes, figs, carobs, bergamot oranges and many more. Fruits were eaten in all ways but eating vegetables was preferred only when they were well-dressed. |
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