Greek cuisine has a rich history within the Mediterranean. One of the main components in Greek food is the use of olive oil. This tasty, rich oil is abundant in the area and adds flavour to dishes. Serving appetizers or better known as mezes offers people a variety of foods to eat by dipping bread, pita or vegetables. Three well-known Greek dips are melitzanosalata, tzatziki and taramosalata.
Melitzanosalata is one of the most popular Greek dips. It is an eggplant dip that also makes a wonderful accompaniment to meat or fish. It is an eggplant salad, with a rich and creamy texture. This dip offers the pallet layers of flavour. This tasty dip is made with grilled eggplant and mixed with garlic, lemon, olive oil and parsley. Using the fleshy meat of the eggplant and the garlic and parsley, the ingredients are blended into a fine texture. Adding olive oil and lemon juice creates a smooth, creamy dip that is served cold. Ouzo is the drink of choice to compliment this appetizer. Eggplants, or aubergines are grown easily in Greece. Having eggplant on hand easily allows people in the Mediterranean to use them in many recipes. Melitzanosalata can be used as a sauce over fish, chicken or lamb. It can be turned into a salad dressing by adding additional olive oil to loosen the texture.
Tzatziki is an appetizer or dip that is made of strained yogurt and mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Sometimes dill or mint is added for additional flavour. This delicious combination of ingredients creates a smooth creamy dip that is excellent on pita bread or with vegetables. It also makes a decadent sauce on Greek gyros. The cucumber gives tzatziki a cool, fresh taste. This vegetable dates back 3000 years from the foothills of the Himalayas. Its popularity spread to Egypt and then to both Greek and Roman cultures, where it became well favored. The combination of yogurt and cucumber is common in cuisines from the Mediterranean. Normally this dip is served cold, but leftover tzatziki can be made into a nice salad dressing with additional olive oil or milk or used as a sandwich spread with select meats and cheeses.
Another popular Mediterranean dip is Taramosalata. This is a Greek appetizer made from cured fish roe. The name for this dish is taken from the Turkish. The dish is made by blending the fish roe with garlic and olive oil and adding lemon juice. Mashed potatoes or wet breadcrumbs are mixed in to give the dip a thick texture. Generally the roe is used from carp or cod but other fish roe can be used for this dish. The color of the dip can range from light to a bright pink depending on the type of fish roe used. This is a salty, aromatic dip that adds a lot of flavour to whatever is used to eat it. Most people serve it with crackers or on small bits of bread or pita. This is known as Greek caviar and serves well with ouzo, a common Greek drink. Leftover taramosalata can be served over baked or grilled fish or with scallops and shrimp. It can add a lot of flavour to pizza. Creating a Greek pizza using sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil and thyme and a mixture of cheeses would compliment the salty flavour of taramosalata.
Greek cuisine shares common characteristics with Italy and Turkey and many other areas of the Mediterranean. The ancient culinary traditions of Greece date back thousands of years and has absorbed influences from other cultures. The use of olive oil, eggplant, yogurt, cheeses and wine gives Greek food depth and layers of strong flavours. The Greek way of eating came out of frugality and evolved into a rich, decadent healthy cuisine that continues to tempt discerning taste buds around the world.
What are your favourite Mediterranean Delicacies dips. As you know, we are running a competition at the moment for a coffee machine. All you have to do is pick your favourite dips and share it with your friends.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:46PM 
simply-delicious.co.za
