Eat to Satisfaction with the Fantastic Flavors of Greece Food

Greece food is known for leading to a long, healthy life, as the Greek people live to a ripe, old age despite the fact that this has not been an overly wealthy country – at least in contemporary history. For retirees, it seems ideal in that you can take advantage of the healthy diet as well as an amazing climate and friendly environment. What can you expect to find in terms of food if you retire to this Mediterranean country?

Greeks love their cheese, so you’ll find a fantastic array of different cheese offered in various forms, including a favorite fried cheese dip that is often eaten on pita bread. Another Greece food staple is olive oil.

While this may be served with bread, it is less frequently served as a single item and most often used for cooking (pretty much all Greek dishes involve the use of olive oil in one fashion or another).

Meat is another important part of the Greek diet – you’ll rarely find a vegetarian in this society, though there are a few here and there. Various meats are served – lamb and beef are the most prominent sources of protein in Greek food. Lamb is friend, boiled, or roasted, and beef is typically roasted or fried into some other concoction as part of a main dish, such as pastitsio, a Greek pasta dish.

As an American, you may have tried a Gyro, which is a pita-like sandwich filled with lettuce, tomato, onions, and sadziki (a sauce made of cucumbers, yogurt, and garlic), as well as some meat or combination of meats that are cooked on a giant rotisserie. In Greece food, these are referred to as souvlaki and are quite popular.

Fresh vegetables are an important to the Greek way of life, and Greece food usually includes an incredible salad dish. Aside from this, you’ll find that, being on the Mediterranean, Greeks make use of the fishing market, serving up fresh fish of various kinds as well as fried calamari, octopus, and other delicious produce from the Mediterranean Sea daily.

Note that, while the pricing is much less expensive on food here than in the U.S., most restaurants add a 15% gratuity, and this is NOT necessarily the tip for the waiter. If you are on a budget, it may make sense to get your food to go and eat elsewhere to avoid the gratuity. In fact, some restaurants have sto packeto (in the package) meals already ready for you to take home. Any way you look at it, though, if you enjoy extremely fresh, delicious food, this may be reason enough to retire to this incredible paradise.

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