I went out to eat at a Greek restaurant last night. I recognized some of the dishes on the menu. Their spanakopita that we had as an appetizer, for example, was tasty - just like I remember it. But I’ve visited Greece within the past few years and I know that my standard favorites do not necessarily represent the cuisine as a whole. Greek food is just as dynamic as any cuisine and as such is susceptible to food trends. So what’s hot in Greece right now?

Flashback to the Past

I thought I’d do a little digging and see what the cuisine in Greece is like. What I found wasn’t a  list of the “hottest foods to eat in Greece” but rather, a history lesson. You see, Greek cuisine is actually heavily influenced by French cooking. Chefs in the late 1800’s added things like bechemel sauces to traditional Greek dishes like Pastitsou and Mousaka. A man by the name of Tselementes  wanted to change Greek cooking to look more like the French.

Getting Simplicity Back

In retrospect, the two cuisines are vastly different. The Greeks enjoy preparing foods as simply as possible and with the freshest ingredients. And while the French love to use fresh ingredients as well, they often prepare their foods a lot more complicated than the Greeks do. This is probably why chefs are researching and returning to the “old ways”.

The biggest trend in Greek cooking isn’t as forward thinking as you’d expect. Rather, they are looking back into the past and rekindling their love for the older style of preparing Greek food.