Table of Contents
TASTE THESSALONIKI SPECIALTIES
THESSALONIKI BEVERAGES
MARKETS
Wines of Thessaloniki. Greek Beers. Greek Spirits.
You are in the culinary capital of Greece.
Thessaloniki cuisine is like nowhere else in Greece. Yes, it starts with Greek food. But from there, it goes off on tangents.
It is similar to Athens in that many people from other regions arrive and bring their traditional foods.
After 4000 years, the lines are often blurry on where this dish or that meze began.
You can find just about any (every) Greek dish somewhere in the city. But, Thessaloniki Mousaka will taste different than Athen’s.
The Taste Thessaloniki is famous for.
There is no one taste or flavor.
There are fresh meats and produce arriving almost daily from nearby farms.
The Aegean Sea is their front yard. Fish (almost) swim onto the plate.
It is spicy. The Ottomans introduce even more spices on top of those from the Byzantine.
In other words, this is a perfect storm for foodies who want to taste Thessaloniki.
Did you know it’s illegal to eat American fast food in Greece? Well, it should be.
In Thessaloniki, you will find the best dishes from around the country. Nowhere else in Greece can you sample such a selection.
Taste Thessaloniki Special Dishes.
Thessaloniki excels with several dishes, and you should try to include them in your immersion.
Bouyiourdi – begins with local feta cheese. They cover it with slices of tomato and green peppers. They sprinkle this with boukova (hot chili pepper) flakes. Then they broil it until the center is gooey. Spread on bread but have something cold to drink nearby.
Patsas – is one of many local dishes using the rest of the cow. This Tripe soup probably dates from Alexander the Great and supposedly is a great remedy for avoiding a hangover.
Bakaliaro – another dish not exclusive, but Thessaloni puts a distinctive mark on theirs. They batter fresh local cod and fry it in olive oil. They serve it with skordalia. A spread with garlic, garlic, garlic, and a little stale bread, oil, and lemon. Check out the neighborhood across the street from the main harbor. Look for cobblestone streets and where all the locals are eating.
Taste Thessaloniki Sweets
This is a frustrating subject for me. Not because the sweets are bad. On the contrary, they are excellent. But all the other food is soo tasty that trying to save room for a dessert is usually difficult. Somehow I manage.
Bougatsa. – True, you can find bougatsa just about anywhere in Greece. It is usually a sweet breakfast treat.
However, Thessaloniki takes it to a whole new level. Not only do they make both sweet and savory pastries, but they are available 24/7.
They start with Phyllo dough layers and add a filling of semolina custard, cheese, or ground meat.
There are several shops with the “best” bougatsa. It all depends on who you are asking.
Regardless of which one you go to, taste Thessaloniki bougatsa.
Trigona Panoramatos. – These are a pastry with a custard cream filling. It is another Thessaloniki trademark.
Armenovil – is Thessaloniki’s answer to American ice cream, where they mix in toppings. They pre-mix a variation of nuts, meringue bits, and chocolate shavings. To up the calorie count, they usually add chocolate sauce and more nuts on top.
Tsoureki – This bakery goodie is the Thessaloniki version of sweet bread. They braid strands of dough into a loaf. There is a variation of this baked good in just about every Eastern Europe and Western Asia country.
Roxákia – is a cookie using two doughs. In the center is dough with cocoa and cinnamon. Around the outside of this, they wrap a white, vanilla-flavored dough. After baking, to up the calorie count, they soak them in a sweet syrup.
Koulouri Thessalonikis – is a circular bread, typically with sesame seeds all over the outside. You may find variations with poppy, flax, or sunflower seeds. Some call it a Turkish bagel, and Thessaloniki adds its own twist.
A visit to a bakery or sweet shop in Greece is just as much fun as it is anywhere. The country famous for gyros has many other treats in store for you.
Taste Thessaloniki Beverages
Greek Coffee.
If we must taste Thessaloniki sweets, we should probably talk about Greek Coffee (Ellinikós kafes).
In addition to the type of bean (Arabic), there is the roast (light).
Even the fine grind contributes to the unique flavor of Greek coffee.
PREPARING.
Another difference includes boiling it in a small pan called a briki instead of seeping. Consequently, the boiling creates the three parts of a Greek Coffee:
- The grounds (dregs) go in the coffee. With this in mind, you need to let these settle to the bottom of the cup.
- The liquid coffee is strong and thick.
- The kaimaki (kaee-MAH-kee), the creamy foam that forms on the top.
In general, they serve coffee straight (black) in a demitasse. Keep in mind; this is a small cup holding 2-3 oz of coffee or espresso. You can also enjoy coffee sweet. However, you need to let them know when you order as they boil the sugar with the coffee.
- Sketos. – (SKEH-tohss) unsweetened.
- Oligi. – (o-LI-ɡee) ½ teaspoon sugar for half-sweet.
- Metrios. – (MEHT-ree-ohss) 1 teaspoon of sugar for medium.
- Glykys. – (ghlee-KOHSS) 2 teaspoons of sugar for sweet. In other words, think glucose spikes with all this sugar. Remember me saying this is a 2-3 oz cup?
DRINKING.
If you learn nothing else from this explanation, at least remember this part.
Let the coffee SIT for a minute or two. This step allows the grounds (still in there) to settle.
SIP the coffee. Please do not confuse it with an espresso shot.
When sipping, and you reach the grounds – STOP consuming!!!
The first (only?) thing to remember, you do not drink down Greek coffee. You savor it.
On the other hand, if all you need is quantities of caffeine, many restaurants now have American coffee. Warning, to many Greek waiters, this means expresso with hot water diluting it. Stick with espresso, cappuccino, or Nescafe, the closest thing to American coffee.
Greek coffee is not exclusive to the city, and they did not invent it.
Frappé coffee
This cold beverage is an invention by a Nescafe representative, coming from Thessaloniki circa 1957.
Can you guess the main ingredient?
They blend Nescafe with water in a milkshake blender until a foam appears on top. They pour this over ice and serve with a straw as the foam is bitter.
Like Greek coffee, you order your sugar, and in this case, also milk, when you place your order.
- With milk: me gala.
- Without milk: horis i gala.
Therefore, if you want a frappe with mild sugar and milk, you say: “Frappe Oligi me gala.” (Frappe, sugar, milk).
Taste Thessaloniki Markets
Modiano Market – Consider this a must-see. Or at least a must-taste. The current buildings date back to 1922. You can generally buy fresh meats, seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, and herbs. There are also several small shops selling food items. And ouzeries that offer endless opportunities to taste Thessaloniki.
Kapani (Vlali) Market – is adjacent to the Modiano Market. It is also home to vendors, food stores, and ouzeries. Here, you will also find baskets and hand-made furniture.