This is an active post! In the sense that it does not end here, but it will be regularly updated, as I’ll add recipes and/or other information to the blog regarding the typical products found in Greece and that may be worth a try.
[sam id=”7″]
Paximàdi : (Greek Rusk) These are slices of bread, dried in the oven according to traditional procedures, which may have the varied forms and different basic ingredients. Wheat, barley, corn, oil, etc..
It is used extensively throughout Greece, especially on the islands because it has the particularity to last for an indefinite period. The Paximadia from Crete and the oil ones from Kythira are perhaps the best known. Those of barley and wheat are usually harder and you have to run them under a spray of water to moisten them. In a camper they are very useful because you can have available at any time a substitute for bread, which goes well with cheeses, olives, salads and can be used as a base for dishes such as dàkos.
The range of Paximadia of a well known Cretan brand.
Triftì Tomàta: In Greece often tomatos instead of being cut into small pieces, are grated on a wide holes grater. By doing so you can eliminate the skin, which annoys many, but leave a bit ‘consistency’ of the pulp. In order to do this, cut the tomato in half and place the flat side on the grater, at the end you will remain with only the skin in your hands.
Being much in use, as I believe it is in Spain, the grated tomatos can be found packaged in the market and it is an excellent alternative to the ‘trivial’ passata for sauces.
Xinomisìthra: It is a fresh goat cheese typical of Crete. A kind of slightly acid ricotta which is not easy to find in the rest of Greece. You can only buy it in stores specialized in Cretan products and sometimes in large supermarkets, packaged in small bags as the one in the picture.
It can replace feta in salads, you can eat it as an appetizer, seasoned with a few drops of olive oil and is used as a filling for some Cretan dishes combined with honey. It’s a flavor that should be tried!
Greek Yogurt is now available all over Europe and it is often used for cooking but, while in Europe the choice is very limited, here you can find dozens of brands and variants. The main division is between yogurt made from sheep’s milk (pròvio) or from cow’s milk (ageladinò). The famous Total, which is also found in Europe, is made with cow’s milk and belongs to the strained (straggistò) category. It is the process which makes it thickier and you can find a big choice of brands and fat percentages for strained yogurt. Very good alternatives to Total are Dodoni and Mevgal.
[sam id=”7″]