Thanks to the turbulent history of the Greek people, it is now difficult to say unequivocally to what extent the Greek sweets sold in zakharoplastios (pastry shops) or baked with love by skillful housewives are truly Greek. The close proximity to the East and Turkish domination for several centuries have combined many culinary traditions and influenced the methods of preparation, therefore, Greek sweets can be called oriental, which are legendary among gourmets.

Be that as it may, Greek sweets are immensely loved by adults and children in Greece, and are also very popular with tourists who want to get to know the country better through taste. Local cookies, sweets, waffles, nougat and many other things do not lose their freshness for a long time, so foreigners acquire all these goodies as a memory of a wonderful trip.

Most Greek sweets are based on honey (preferably thyme), which gives not only a characteristic aroma, but also high nutritional properties, and nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios). For the preparation of some sweets, ingredients such as dry fruits, vegetable oil, semolina (for halva), milk, cream, cheese (in Cretan caltsuni or in mylopite ( apple pie) Sifnos), etc.

Homemade puff pastry sheet is one of the main ingredients. Many housewives in the old days were famous for their ability to roll very thin puff pastry... Now they usually buy ready-made puff pastry in stores. Biscuit pies, cakes, pastries, etc. found their place in confectionery assortment Greeks relatively recently, but have already become an integral part of modern cuisine.

Eastern, including Greek, sweets are divided into three large groups:

Flour products (all kinds of cookies and pies based on shortbread, butter, puff or biscuit dough): cookies kurabiedes, baklava (baklavas), kyata, myutaki, etc.

Products such as soft candies: nougat, whipped delight, Turkish delight, kos-halva, sherbet, chuch-hela, etc .;

Confectionery: kozinaki, roasted nuts; sugar products: crystal sugar, nishallo (sugar "vermicelli"), nogul (amorphous sugar with spices).

Traditional Greek sweetness is baklava(baklavas) - layered cake with shredded walnuts, almonds and cinnamon, soaked in thick syrup. Russians know this dish thanks to Turkish merchants. But its recipe is still Greek, and was borrowed by the Turks many centuries ago.

The first mention of the dish dates back to the 15th century: “The cookbook of the Museum of Ottoman Sultans in Topkapi Palace contains a record of the times of Sultan Fatih, according to which the first“ paklava ”was prepared in the palace in August 1453. They say that the sultan liked the invention of the chef so much that he commanded that his recipe be immortalized. Since then, baklava has been prepared at every holiday. " But 1453 is the year of the fall of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (the main population of this city was the Greeks). Therefore, it is quite obvious where the Turks got the recipe for the first "baklavas" from.

One of the most famous oriental delicacies are Turkish delight and Turkish delight (lukumades), which began to be made in the East 400 years ago during the heyday of the Ottoman Empire. At first it was served as a special delicacy at the court of the padishah, later it began to be prepared everywhere, and delight became a traditional delicacy of the East. Delight was brought to Europe in the middle of the 17th century.

Delight contains sugar, glucose, natural flower additives, aromatic additives, roasted almonds and pistachios. Therefore, this sweetness has a lot useful properties... The nuts contained in it are recommended for use in cases of hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and insomnia.

Other must-try treats in Greece are galatombureco(sweet roll with milk cream), cadefi(sweet products based on honey), halva(based on semolina), ravani and samali(types of cakes), profiteroles (a thin layer of biscuit dough soaked in syrup, covered with vanilla or chocolate mousse), root me cream(crispy flaky tube with custard and whipped cream).

Classic Christmas sweets are “ diples"(Pie with filling), or" xerotigana "- in the Cretan version, as well as biscuits kurabie(curabiedes) and melomakarona(Phenicia) with the addition of cloves. For the preparation of curabiedes and melomakarona, grandmothers and mothers usually gather and prepare sweets in kilograms for subsequent distribution to all relatives and friends. Boxes of homemade Christmas baked goods are brought to loved ones on holiday visits.

The abundance of all kinds of fruits allows the Greeks to cook the famous Greek jam, for which quince, figs, oranges, peaches, cherries are used. A jar of delicious country jam, brought from Greece, will delight you in winter. Sweets in molasses or sugar syrup are also traditional, mainly dried fruits and seeds (nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios).

In a word, when you come to Greece, try wonderful Greek sweets, and the tiles delicate chocolate and take the most delicious nut kozinaki with you to your homeland, surprise your friends and family with sweet souvenirs from Greece.

Lucumades

To prepare this dessert, you will need the following ingredients:

• Wheat flour(two glasses),
• dry yeast (10 grams),
• granulated sugar (one large spoon),
• warm water (1.5 cups),
• a pinch of salt,
• one lemon, water (one glass),
• honey (150 grams),
• vegetable oil.

First you need to mix warm water, flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt. Knead the dough and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. After that, you need to pour a glass of water into a saucepan, then add honey and squeeze out the juice from one lemon. Heat the mixture and mix thoroughly. After that, you need to pour out the glass vegetable oil into the pan. Make balls of dough and dip in boiling oil. The finished balls must be folded on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Then pour over the lucumades sugar syrup and decorate with ice cream balls. Today it is very profitable to make joint purchases at wholesale prices. Joint purchases are purchases of a certain amount of goods with the help of several people. I recommend a good site with favorable prices and fast delivery: joint purchases City of Friends. We bought a lot of goods with friends for retail, were very satisfied.

Kiwi dessert with strawberries

You will need ingredients:

• strawberries (30 pieces),
• kiwi (6 pieces),
• tangerine (3 pieces),
• icing sugar (3 large spoons),
• lemon juice (3 large spoons),
• almonds (2 large spoons),
• yogurt (one glass).

First, you need to peel the kiwi and cut into small pieces. Tangerines also need to be peeled and cut in half each wedge. Wash the strawberries and cut them into small cubes. Stir fruits, icing sugar, drizzle over lemon juice and leave for about 5 minutes. Put the fruit in a cooked dish and season with yogurt. Then you need to sprinkle with almonds on top. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bon Appetit!

Greek biscuits

The recipe for this cookie is very simple. To do this, you need the ingredients:

• butter(150 grams),
• wheat flour (450 grams),
• icing sugar (200 grams),
• egg,
• cognac (one large spoon),
• vanilla sugar,
• soda (half a small spoon),
• ground and toasted hazelnuts (150 grams).

It is necessary to mix the icing sugar and butter, then add the yolk, vanilla sugar and brandy. Beat everything thoroughly. After that, mix the nuts, flour and baking soda and add to the cooked mass. Roll out the dough and mold it into crescent-shaped figures. Bake in microwave oven at high power for about 15 minutes. Then sprinkle the hot biscuits with icing sugar. The cookies will turn out to be very tasty and aromatic.

Traditional Greek sweets are made according to the principles. They are easy to prepare, fresh ingredients are used - fruits, honey, nuts, sesame paste, grape molasses and olive oil cold pressed. These mouth-watering treats are extremely nutritious and healthy, and will cover your sweet tooth without overwhelming your calories or compromising your self-esteem.

Sweet gold

Since ancient times, honey has been used as a sweetener in Greek cuisine. For local gastronomy, it is an invaluable ingredient, used in countless combinations by chefs and pastry chefs. Huge variety sweets with a honey base demonstrates its value in the culinary history of the Aegean Islands: honey pies, (thin fried dough with honey), pastels (sesame honey briquettes), lucumades (donuts with honey), sweet cheese pies with, melekunya (sweets of Rhodes) and preserves and jams.

Fruit temptation

The Greek land gives birth to fruits that are used as base ingredients in a variety of desserts and preparations. Dried fruits are some of the healthiest and most nutritious treats out there, and the best alternative to processed sugar sweets. Raisins, figs, dried apricots, prunes are at the top of the list of favorite dried fruits in Greece and abroad.

Fruits are also used to make jams and jams that are tasty on their own or as an addition to yogurt. Try the jam of bitter oranges, figs, quince, grapes, bergamot, strawberries, cherries and cherries, watermelon, tangerine, kumquat (in Corfu) and many other fruits. In addition, vegetables also end up in jam: eggplant, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin. Be sure to try similar treats made from nuts, chestnuts, etc.

Sesame

It is a basic ingredient in many traditional sweets, and tahini (sesame paste) is well known for its high nutritional value. It is used to make halva (In Northern Greece) and many sweets for fasting - sesame biscuits, sesame pies, etc.

The sweets of the Greek islands

While relaxing on the islands and enjoying their delightful beaches and landscapes, be sure to take time out for a variety of local sweets. Most famous - ( macaroons) from the islands, and; and are famous for Turkish delight. Its aroma and velvety texture leave a long-lasting aftertaste. Delight can be tasted in a wide variety of flavors - rose, ouzo and lemon, classic version from rose water and palette. Try scaltsun and xerotigano. On -, on melekunya, on the island - juicy kufeto, on Syros - halvadopita, na - mantolato.

Mainland treats

Crispy, buttery layers of dough, toasted nuts and aromatic syrup make up the famous sweets of the eastern Mediterranean. Try Kantaifi, Roxakia from Macedonia, Ravani, Samali, Yaniotico, Clostari from Epirus, Bureki, Trigona Panoramotos, Saragli, Ekmek, Walnut Pie, Yoghurt Pie and many, many other goodies.

Spoon sweet pasta in water!

For the Greeks, one of the most traditional summer desserts is ipovrihio - a delicacy delicate texture filling the mouth with wonderful taste and aroma. Classic tastes- vanilla and mastic, but you can also try rose, bitter orange or pistachios. The wonderful taste, aroma and pleasant velvety of Ipovrijio in a glass of ice water will refresh you on a hot summer afternoon!

As the name suggests, this is a rice dish. Most national cuisines there is something like a rizogalo. In England - rice pudding, in Germany - milchraise, in Italy - boudino de riso, and we call it sweet rice porridge th.

Rizogalo is not a purely dessert dish; it can be prepared with or without sugar. But, according to tourists, it tastes much better when it is sweet. Rizogalo without sugar is sometimes eaten for breakfast, as it is nutritious and good for the stomach.

A feature of the Greek version is the abundant addition of cinnamon, which makes its taste unusual for many Russians. Dried fruits and nuts are also placed on top.

Rizogalo differs from our usual milk rice porridge in consistency. Greek dish more boiled over. Still, in rice porridge, we are used to the taste of hard rice grains.

Vasilopita

One of the most interesting sweet food in Greece. Unfortunately, its preparation is timed to coincide with a specific day, and the vast majority of tourists fail to try it. It is prepared on January 1 of each year, on the day of St. Basil of Caesarea, and not the new year, as is commonly believed. The cake itself is named after this saint.

The shape of the pie is usually round and is cut into triangular pieces. Each family member is entitled to one piece.

One of the participants in the feast comes across a special piece, which will contain a coin. It is believed that this is a great success and the next year will be happy for this person.

The first conclusion is that you need to eat the cornflower pie more carefully, otherwise a happy year may start for you with a trip to the dentist.

If one of the family members is absent from the table, then a piece of the pie is left for him before he arrives. There is also a tradition to put a piece of paper with a wish in each piece, and everyone who took their part of the pie should read it aloud. But in Greece this custom is not as widespread as, for example, in Bulgaria, where, instead of pieces of paper, the branches of the dogwood tree are used.

From the point of view of composition and recipe, there is nothing unusual in basilopita. Flour, yeast, eggs, salt, butter, and sugar. To improve the taste, nuts, dried apricots or other dried fruits are added to it.

Of course, this is not a complete list of national Greek sweets, it can be continued for a long time. And we suggest you read other articles about Greece ( the list below).

Greek sweets are immensely loved by adults and children in Greece, and are also very popular with tourists who want to get to know the country better through their taste sensations. Local cookies, sweets, waffles, nougat and many other things do not lose their freshness for a long time, so foreigners acquire all these goodies as a memory of a wonderful trip.

In this article, we want to tell you about six, in our opinion, the most delicious traditional Greek sweets that you can always prepare yourself at home if you wish.

6. Curabiedes

Curabiedes is one of the most delicious Greek desserts you'll ever come across. Sometimes they are made with cognac, vanilla or mastic for flavoring. These delicious shortbread cookies are traditional during the period of Christmas and Epiphany. The main difference between curabiedes and your regular shortbread cookies is that these delicious cookies usually contain almonds and are immediately coated in powdered sugar after baking. And here's a little free tip for those of you who have never tried them: try to hold your breath as you eat this sugar delight.

To make Greek Curabiedes biscuits, you will need:

butter 200 g

powdered sugar 1 ½ cup

egg 1 pc.

chopped almonds 200 g

vanilla sugar 2 tbsp l.

wheat flour 300 g

baking powder 13 g

almonds 30 g

1. Dry ingredients - chopped almonds, vanilla sugar, flour and baking powder mix

2. Grind butter softened at room temperature until white, add 1 cup icing sugar, beat well.

3. While whisking, add the egg yolk. Combine the egg-oil mass with dry ingredients. Knead the dough thoroughly.

4. Form a ball out of pieces of dough (it is elastic, does not stick to the hands, and does not require additional use of flour), form a ball, put a whole almond in the middle and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle the cooled cookies with icing sugar.

5. Kulurakia

Kulurakiya! It's so delicious! Especially after you dip it into your cup of coffee. These traditional Greek biscuits are perhaps the most popular you'll find in bakeries. These butter-based sweets have a vanilla flavor and a shiny egg glaze color. Kulurakiya can also be recognized by their sesame seeds, which are sometimes sprayed over their special serpentine shape. In fact, this cookie is formed this way because the ancient Minoans worshiped snakes for their healing powers.

We suggest you try to make these wonderful cookies yourself at home. You will need the following ingredients:

200 g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond essence or amaretto
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 200 C. Grease baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, beat softened butter, sugar and eggs until homogeneous mass... Add vanilla and almond essence. Add flour, knead the dough, at the end you may need to knead the dough with your hands. Take 1 tsp each. dough and roll into balls, bars or other molds, for example in the S shape. Place on prepared baking sheets at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other

Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven (200 ° C), or until the cookies are browned and hardened. Let the liver cool completely before dusting with the powdered sugar.

4. Greek baklava (baklava)

Baklava is a traditional Greek dessert that was adopted by Greek sailors and traders in ancient Mesopotamia and brought to Athens. Baklava, sweet pie, made from thin crispy dough, the recipe of which the Greeks improved by combining several layers of filo dough, sprinkled with ground walnuts, poured with honey and cooked in the oven.

3. Diples

Diples is another great traditional sweet, similar to our brushwood. This is a festive sweetness, usually it is prepared for celebrations: on New Year, christmas, wedding, etc.
Dough for Diples is rolled out as thin as possible. Then they are fried in a large skillet until golden brown. They are fried by gradually folding them into a roll, however, they can be wrapped in an envelope or rolled up in a bundle, it happens in different ways. After frying, the dough is allowed to rest on a paper napkin, so that the glass is oil. Then it is dipped in boiling syrup and sprinkled with nuts or powdered sugar on a plate.

Greek Diples cannot be confused with any of the similar delicacies. Add cinnamon to taste, orange peel, liqueur, honey, and sprinkled with nuts or powdered sugar.

2. Galaktobureko

Galaktobureko is a Greek dessert in which the pudding is dipped in semolina and wrapped in thin crust phyllo. Sometimes the cream is seasoned with lemon or orange. Galaktobureko is baked in the oven, spreading several oiled layers of phyllo dough and pudding on a baking sheet, or rolling into rolls 10 cm long with semolina filling custard covered with oiled phyllo dough.

Lucumades are one of the most popular and delicious desserts Greece! This is a delicious type of deep-fried honey mini donuts that make a great dessert all year round, and even during the fast. You can try traditional lucumades with honey and cinnamon, or any other flavors you like, such as chocolate or syrup.