This cheese has been produced on the island of Naxos in the Cyclades for at least a century. Graviera Naxou is made from pasteurised cow milk or a mixture of sheep milk and a maximum of 20% goat milk. It has a thin rind and a light yellow, compact interior filled with small holes.
Graviera Naxou is a hard table cheese with a refreshing taste and light aroma. It has a maximum moisture content of 38% and at least 40% fat content. The milk used for its production comes from breeds that are traditionally raised on the island, which feed on a diet of local plants and herbs that give their milk a unique flavor.
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Kontosouvli is a traditional dish consisting of large pieces of pork marinated in a mixture of herbs and spices, then skewered and slowly cooked on a rotisserie, much like a gyro or souvlaki. The marinade often contains ingredients such as garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine.
After marinating, the meat is threaded onto a large skewer and roasted over an open flame, which results in a rich and flavorful outer crust with a juicy, tender interior. The cooked meat is typically served in thick slices, often accompanied by pita bread, tzatziki sauce, and horiatiki salad, among other possible accompaniments.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Kebab
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Grilled lamb chops are a traditional Greek dish that is popular throughout the country and usually enjoyed as the main course. Lamb chops are usually marinated in various combinations of olive oil, lemon juice, and a variety of fresh herbs before they are grilled on traditional charcoal barbecues.
They are commonly paired with potatoes, salads, or the creamy and refreshing tzatziki sauce.
MOST ICONIC Païdakia
View moreThis cheese has a long history, and it is the best-known Greek graviera cheese. It is produced using traditional methods and ripened in facilities in Hania, Rethymnos, Iraklion, and Lasithio prefectures on the island of Crete. It is traditionally produced from sheep milk or from a mixture of sheep milk and a maximum of 20% goat milk.
These goats and sheep wander freely on the green pastures of the island, and their diet is based on local plants, which give their milk a special quality that is expressed in this exceptional cheese. It is a hard table cheese with a light yellow color and firm texture.
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Trigona panoramatos is a traditional sweet pastry originating from the outskirts of Thessaloniki. These crispy and buttery triangular (cone-shaped) phyllo pastries are typically soaked in syrup and filled with creamy custard. The custard is usually made with a combination of egg yolks, flour, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream.
The phyllo triangles are baked until golden brown, dipped in cold syrup consisting of sugar and water, and then filled with the chilled custard. Trigona is often garnished with chopped nuts before consumption.
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A quintessential seafood delicacy of the Greek island of Symi, simiako garidaki or Symi shrimp is a unique variety of tiny shrimps that inhabit the sea around the island. Bright red, delicate, and sweet, the small crustaceans are packed with flavor, which has made them famous throughout the whole country and beyond.
The most common way to enjoy these tiny crustaceans is crispy-fried in olive oil and garlic, typically seasoned with nothing else than salt and pepper. Due to their delicate nature, the fried shrimps are usually eaten whole, including tails, shells, and heads.
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Translated as honey pie, this light Greek dessert is traditionally associated with the island of Sifnos, but its varieties can be found in other Greek regions as well. The pie combines fresh cheese, preferably mizithra based on sheep or goat milk, eggs, and honey, and it is usually baked as a round, crustless cake.
It is recommended to garnish melopita with a sprinkle of cinnamon and an additional drizzle of honey.
This semi-hard cheese is traditionally produced from sheep or goat milk, or a mixture of the two. The milk used to make this cheese comes from breeds reared traditionally in the Messinia and Lakonia prefectures, where this cheese has been produced for more than 100 years.
To make Sfela, the curd has to be divided into pieces and reheated. Afterwards, the pieces are drained using cheesecloth, and they are lightly pressed and cut into small strips ('sfelas') and salted. The strips are stored in tin cans full of brine for at least three months to mature.
Arseniko Naxou is a Greek cheese originating from the island of Naxos, hence the name. The word arseniko means male or masculine. The cheese is made from raw sheep’s and goat’s milk with the addition of whey.
After it thickens, the cheese is drained in specially designed baskets known as tirovola. In the beginning, its flavor is sweet, but after a few months it develops a spicy and aromatic flavor.
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Bougatsa is a traditional, rustic Greek pie consisting of a phyllo pastry layered with a filling of semolina custard, although there are variations with minced meat or cheese. The name of the dish is a derivation of the Ottoman word pogatsa, denoting a pie filled with cheese.
Bougatsa has origins from the Byzantine period, when Constantinople was Greek, and it began as a dough that was stuffed with numerous sweet and savory fillings. Over time, bougatsa evolved to incorporate a thinly rolled, hand-made phyllo pastry. As many Turkish immigrants settled in Northen Greece, bougatsa became a specialty of Serres and Thessaloniki.
MOST ICONIC Bougatsa
View moreTasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Greek Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 25,161 ratings were recorded, of which 13,864 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.