Macedonian cuisine (Greek)

Macedonian cuisine is the cuisine of the region of Macedonia. Contemporary Macedonian cooking shares much with general Greek and wider Balkan and Mediterranean cuisine, including dishes from the byzantine tradition. Some dishes date from ancient Greek days. Some Macedonian dishes include masnic, which is a pastry rolled in to a spiral and filled with either pumpkin, cheese or sweet potato, slatki, which is bread filled with cheese and burek, which is a sort of a sweet cake.

Ancient Greece

The letters of Lynceus of Samos include reference to a Macedonian dish organized by Lamia of Athens for her lover Demetrius I Poliorcetes. A constant factor across the centuries has been seafood and meats. In the wedding feast by Caranus referred in Hippolochus's letter, around 4th or 3rd century BC, we find grilled fish, eggs, oysters, orioles and a host of roasted delicacies. All supplemented with wine and half naked female flutists. The Byzantine era introduced further dishes.

Modern period

The arrival of Greek refugees from Asia Minor and Constantinople in the 20th century, popularised Ottoman and Constantinopolitan recipes.

A continuation from ancient days are dishes such as lamb cooked with quince or various vegetables and fruits, goat boiled or fried in olive oil: modern recipes from Kavala to Kastoria and Kozani offer lamb with quince, pork with celery or leeks.

Some current specialties are trahana with crackling, phyllo-based pies (cheese, leek, spinach) and wild boar. Favourites are tyrokafteri (Macedonian spicy cheese spread), soupies krasates (cuttlefish in wine), mydia yiachni (mussel stew). Unlike Athens, the traditional pita bread for the popular souvlaki (kebab) is not grilled but fried. The variety of sweets has been particularly enriched with the arrival of the refugees. (Information included from 'Greek Gastronomy', GNTO, 2004)

Appetizers

• Tyrokafteri: a spicy cheese spread or dip made of whipped feta cheese with hot peppers and olive oil

Famous Greek-Macedonian dishes

• Mydia yiachni: mussel stew.
• Soupies krasates: Cuttlefish in wine.
• Giaprakia (Christmas food in the region of Kozani): meat and rice in salty vine-leaf. The name comes from the Turkish word yaprak 'leaf'.
• Kichi Kozanis: cheese pie with circular form

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  Macedonia fruit cake salad

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  Greek salad, χωριάτικη σαλάτα

Desserts

• Bougatsa
• Halvas
• Loukoumades
• Svingoi ( donuts made with a yogurt mix)
• Revani Verias
• Akanes

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  Sliced bougatsa

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  Revani (basbousa) topped with walnut

Drinks

• Tsipouro
• Greek Macedonian wine

Wine is the most common drink in Macedonia, Greece.

See also

• Greek cuisine
• Byzantine cuisine
• Cuisine of the Mediterranean

References

Grigoriadou, Efi (2004). Edesmatologion Makedonias (Recipes from Macedonia). Kohlias publications. ISBN 9604370073. 

External links

• Moussaka from The English Times of Katerini
• (German) Greek Macedonian Wines
• (German) Greek Macedonian Wines (Info)