The ancient Greeks used a lot of foods and spices that were very important back then. I know that now we might take food for granted, but in the past, it was one of the most important elements in their daily lives. Everybody needed food because everybody had jobs, and they needed energy to perform most of those jobs. Food gave them that energy. Also, it is important because the last thing a civilization needs is people starving to death. Although other oils were known to them, the ancient Greeks mainly used olive oil because olive trees were all over the place. On a farm, you would have been able to see acres and acres of these trees. Along with the olive trees, bee hives and grapevines were abundant. Think it was a pretty picture? Not really, and heres why.
Do you ever wonder how we are able to eat food that comes out of the ground (which is made of dirt and soil!), and it is perfectly clean? Sure, we are supposed to wash fruits and vegetables before we eat them, but the food looks clean even at the grocery store! We have the technology and extra hands to make sure that every that is grown is also kept clean for our health. Unfortunately for the ancient Greeks, our technology did not exist in their days. The farmers had to work extra hard to be sure that the food would be kept free of dirt and annoying insects. In addition to this, the farmers had specific jobs. The whole farming process was split up into certain sections. One area was where the the crops were planted and grown, and help the animals give birth. You can sort of say that this was the beginning section where the food was just starting out its life. Then the next area that you would move into was where the food was cleaned and prepared for the market and/or the family home. After they had prepared and cleaned the food, it was ready to be cooked into scrumptious meals.
Now, when a person thinks of a farm, they probably imagine huge, wide open fields that go on until the end cannot be seen anymore. But the ancient Greek farm was not necessarily like a farm you would find in our modern age. A farm today has storage spaces, machines for planting and harvesting, pens for livestock and other animals, and obviously crops. Back in ancient times, the Greeks did not really have many buildings for things like storage and washing or machines to plant and harvest their food. They also had to manually milk goats for their dairy products which had to be made by hand as well.
The main components of the ancient Greeks' daily food were meats such as fish, goat, chicken, and lamb (beef was very expensive to buy at the time, so it was mainly saved for festivals and feasts of the gods); vegetables like beets, radishes, onions and beans; goat's cheese, olives, figs, honey, and grains (mainly wheat). They did not have access to most of the vegetables we see today in the grocery stores because most of those were found in different parts of the world. Ordering these veggies, like spinach, was nearly impossible since they would most likely spoil before they were even delivered. Other vegetables like corn and potatoes had not even been discovered yet! So they made what they could with the ingredients they had. Most of the ancient Greeks ate three meals per day. Breakfast was very simple, it was just bread dipped in watered down wine. It can be said that lunch was almost breakfast round two since it was the same thing with the addition of maybe cheese and figs. Dinner was the main and most anticipated meal of the day. It usually consisted of fish or some other meats, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices, and wine of course. Sometimes for dessert, they would make honey cakes since that was the only sweetener around at the time.
In our modern times, most if not all of the main foods of ancient Greece are used in cooking. But with advanced technology and modern conveniences, Greek food is much more elaborate than before. Additionally because of interacting with the rest of the globe, Greek cuisine has borrowed a lot from other countries and cultures. One of the most common appetizers is a simple Greek salad which is made of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and olive oil. This is just one of many different salads. While the ancient Greeks ate most of their veggies raw, some modern dishes call for cooking them such as in Gemista. This recipe is made from vegetables (tomatoes or peppers) stuffed with either meat or a rice mixture and baked. Another very popular recipe, especially here in the United Sandwiches of America, is the gyro. This is like Greek fast food since it is a sandwich-like item made with a slice of pita bread and filled with meat, veggies, and sauce like hummus or yogurt.
So as you can see, Greek food and its development throughout the centuries is quite complex but simple at the same time since the Greek people continue to use the foods that kept their ancestors alive and well so very long ago.
Do you ever wonder how we are able to eat food that comes out of the ground (which is made of dirt and soil!), and it is perfectly clean? Sure, we are supposed to wash fruits and vegetables before we eat them, but the food looks clean even at the grocery store! We have the technology and extra hands to make sure that every that is grown is also kept clean for our health. Unfortunately for the ancient Greeks, our technology did not exist in their days. The farmers had to work extra hard to be sure that the food would be kept free of dirt and annoying insects. In addition to this, the farmers had specific jobs. The whole farming process was split up into certain sections. One area was where the the crops were planted and grown, and help the animals give birth. You can sort of say that this was the beginning section where the food was just starting out its life. Then the next area that you would move into was where the food was cleaned and prepared for the market and/or the family home. After they had prepared and cleaned the food, it was ready to be cooked into scrumptious meals.
Now, when a person thinks of a farm, they probably imagine huge, wide open fields that go on until the end cannot be seen anymore. But the ancient Greek farm was not necessarily like a farm you would find in our modern age. A farm today has storage spaces, machines for planting and harvesting, pens for livestock and other animals, and obviously crops. Back in ancient times, the Greeks did not really have many buildings for things like storage and washing or machines to plant and harvest their food. They also had to manually milk goats for their dairy products which had to be made by hand as well.
The main components of the ancient Greeks' daily food were meats such as fish, goat, chicken, and lamb (beef was very expensive to buy at the time, so it was mainly saved for festivals and feasts of the gods); vegetables like beets, radishes, onions and beans; goat's cheese, olives, figs, honey, and grains (mainly wheat). They did not have access to most of the vegetables we see today in the grocery stores because most of those were found in different parts of the world. Ordering these veggies, like spinach, was nearly impossible since they would most likely spoil before they were even delivered. Other vegetables like corn and potatoes had not even been discovered yet! So they made what they could with the ingredients they had. Most of the ancient Greeks ate three meals per day. Breakfast was very simple, it was just bread dipped in watered down wine. It can be said that lunch was almost breakfast round two since it was the same thing with the addition of maybe cheese and figs. Dinner was the main and most anticipated meal of the day. It usually consisted of fish or some other meats, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices, and wine of course. Sometimes for dessert, they would make honey cakes since that was the only sweetener around at the time.
In our modern times, most if not all of the main foods of ancient Greece are used in cooking. But with advanced technology and modern conveniences, Greek food is much more elaborate than before. Additionally because of interacting with the rest of the globe, Greek cuisine has borrowed a lot from other countries and cultures. One of the most common appetizers is a simple Greek salad which is made of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and olive oil. This is just one of many different salads. While the ancient Greeks ate most of their veggies raw, some modern dishes call for cooking them such as in Gemista. This recipe is made from vegetables (tomatoes or peppers) stuffed with either meat or a rice mixture and baked. Another very popular recipe, especially here in the United Sandwiches of America, is the gyro. This is like Greek fast food since it is a sandwich-like item made with a slice of pita bread and filled with meat, veggies, and sauce like hummus or yogurt.
So as you can see, Greek food and its development throughout the centuries is quite complex but simple at the same time since the Greek people continue to use the foods that kept their ancestors alive and well so very long ago.