How well do you really know Greek food?
“A lot of people think that Greek cuisine just consists of moussaka and roast lamb,” says Peter Conistis, a pioneer of Grecian food in Australia and the executive chef behind and in Sydney. “While you can find these dishes being served everywhere throughout Greece, and they are part of the nation’s traditional cuisine, there is so much more to Greek food. There is a lot of regionality to Greek cuisine."
Differences between the dishes offered across Greece may not be as internationally recognised as, say, the regional variations of Italian or Chinese cuisine. However, as Conistis explains, Greece’s diverse regional cuisine is most worthy of distinction.
Greece has . However, rare not entirely defined by these boundaries. Instead, they are dependent on local produce, access to land or sea, the influence of bordering countries, migration patterns, ancient empire lines and wild ingredients.
“When you go to the of Greece, you’ll find many regional ingredients and dishes that are different to those found in the north. These will be different again to the dishes of central Greece or the islands.”
In the south of Greece, olive oil is used in a lot of dishes because the region is known for olive oil production. “Yet in the north, they do a lot of with butter because they’ve always had lots of cattle and traditionally use smaller amounts of olive oil.”
Over in Central Greece (where Consistis’ family is from) feta production is huge. “That’s why a lot of dishes in this region, perhaps 60 per cent, use feta.”
In are a commonly used protein. While over on the Ionian Islands, which are located close to Italy, and you’ll notice many dishes with an Italian influence like or (fish fillets cooked in a white sauce with herbs, lemon and garlic with potatoes).
Regional cuisine: the food of family
Much like Italy’s cucina povera, Greece’s regional cuisine was born of the humble dishes made by mothers and yiayias who created meals for their families using whatever local ingredients were available when times were tough.
“Many people never regarded the food they made as the kind of food they would serve people outside of the family because it reminded them of the hard times they once faced.”
Conistis reasons that this is a major reason why Greece’s regional cuisine is not as well known compared to other regional cuisines from around the world. There are multiple dishes from households all over the country that are still mostly unheard of outside that location.
Conistis recalls a time when he was visiting his dad’s village in the town of Epirus (Roumeli) and his aunty offered to cook some ‘unknown’ dishes for him. One of the meals was a made with polenta called bobota. “Just like the Italians, the Greeks found it hard to get flour in the post-war era. So they used polenta instead. Apparently, it used to be a staple. But over the years, it has been shamed because it reminds many people of the hard times.
“To me, that’s a shame, because the way she made that dish was unbelievable. I don't want any of these regional dishes [that tell a story about the history of Greece] to be forgotten about. I want to bring them to the forefront.”
Celebrating the past on a plate
Thankfully, Conistis says, there’s a new interest in reclaiming regional forgotten dishes. Among chefs, there’s a growing recognition of the beauty of regional meals that were once created through hardship.
While the majority of restaurants once used to serve touristy Greek classics as well as Italian or French cuisine, now more are slowly embracing local dishes. "More restaurants are incorporating regional cuisine on their menu. It is getting there but it’s a slow curve.”
The executive chef hopes to play his part in the resurgence via the food served at Ploós. The establishment overtly focuses on regional cuisine from the South Aegean islands. The menu offers modern food that intentionally takes inspiration from Cyprus, Crete and surrounding Middle Eastern cuisines to celebrate the unique external forces that have influenced the culinary history of the area.
On the menu currently, there’s a kataifi tart filled with whipped feta to pay homage to the Cretan variety. It’s topped with candied eggplant and cured meat from the region that was initially adapted from There’s also a pork T-bone dish marinated with an Cretan herb mix and red wine. It comes served with baked beans (gigantes) and tahini. In the past, the venue has also done Cypriot-style kibbe bearing a Middle Eastern cracked wheat casing and a king prawn filling.
“For me, the menu is about raising awareness of the distinct regionality of the South Aegean.”
Conistis hopes that the regionality of Greek cuisine will become more recognised throughout Australia in the future. But for now, he encourages people to try Greek dishes they’ve never tasted before and in doing so, learn more about the stories behind them.
“If you travel to Greece, venture out to the villages. Go and find a tiny little taverna and ask the staff about the dishes they cook for their family. Look beyond what you think you already know about the cuisine and you’ll discover so much more.”
