Table of Contents
LOCAL PRODUCTS.
AROUND THE REGION.
BEVERAGES
Wines of Attica. Greek Beer. Greek Spirits.
Surprisingly, Athens does not have one “famous” dish that you will find in a restaurant anymore.
Ohhhh, there are plenty of dishes that if you ask someone from Athens to describe “a taste Athens’ is famous for, they could rattle off. Unfortunately, these recipes belong to the grandmothers and mothers, and they aren’t talking.
These recipes are for holidays, special occasions. Unfortunately, they, too, are disappearing from lack of use. Who has time to spend an entire day in the kitchen?
That does not mean you will go hungry in Athens. It is a buffet of all Greek dishes. You will find items from the north, the Peloponesse, and many of the islands. They are delicious but probably not exclusive.
Let’s pull back a little and look at the region around Athens. It is Attica (Attika).
Attica’s modern Greek region includes mainland Attica, the Saronic Islands, Kythira, and a small part of the Peloponnese around Troezen.
This area is the land where Dionysus gifts wine to the Greeks.
Where they have been growing Greek staples for thousands of years.
Don’t brush Attica off.
Taste Attica
The birthplace of democracy may not be the birthplace of specific dishes, but you can still taste Greek food here like nowhere else in Greece.
A chicken dinner will taste different in Minnesota than it will in Mississippi. Greek food also has local tastes and takes on the same dish. Everyone has the best recipe for mousaka.
So get out of your hotel. Most hotels, like cruise ships, cater to the safe foods they know their guests enjoy.
Bacon and eggs is not a traditional Greek breakfast. Steak is not a significant player in most areas, but ohhh, can Greeks grill.
And please, do not go to Greece to taste California or Italian wines. Why?
Did you know it’s illegal to eat American fast food in Greece? Well, it should be.
In Athens, you will find the best dishes from around the country. Nowhere else in Greece can you sample such a selection.
Taste Attica P.D.O. Products
Whenever you get a chance to taste a product so good, it has a status you must. If you are immersing yourself in a destination, that includes eating and drinking local, right?
Attica has several P.D.O. Products that you will not find anywhere else. Well, not as fresh and local.
Exeretiko Partheno Eleolado Trizinia P.D.O. – is a light-tasting, extra-virgin olive oil. The trees grow on the island of Poros and the Attica portion of the Peloponesse.
Aegina Fistiki P.D.O. – are pistachios from the island of Aegina, a short ferry ride from Piraeus. They have been cultivating them since 1860 and have a pistachio festival in September. If you do not visit Aegina (big mistake), look for them in the Plaka nut and coffee roasting shops.
Taste Attica P.G.I. Products
Syka Vravronas Markopoulou Messongion P.G.I. – pertains to two varieties of table figs. The Royal Black (Vasilika Mavra) ripens from July to September. They pick the Mavra Marcopoulou from mid-August through November. You eat these fresh.
To Market To Market
The Athens Central Market is an adventure and a great place to taste local products. Everything about it is the Mediterranian diet.
Marathon Vegetables – are seasonal and fresh off-the-farm to the market.
Fruits – run the gambit from raisins and figs to many citrus fruits.
Across the street from the meat, seafood, and produce market are stores specializing in sausages and cheeses. Heaven.
Taste Attica Around The Region
Take time to visit and taste the rest of Attica.
Troezen – besides making P.D.O. Olive oil, try their citrus, honey, dry figs, almonds, sweet cookies, local cheeses, and yogurt.
Methana peninsula – specializes in pears, wild asparagus, and some of the best Greek oregano.
Poros – offers spoon sweets and liqueurs from the local lemon forest. They also have a lemon mizithra cheese. Additional citrus they use includes oranges and bitter orange. Try the local version of amygdalota almond cookies.
Salamina – an island adjacent to Pireaus, may have the best Moustokouloura (grape must or molasses) cookies.
Kythira (Cythera) – officially belongs to Attica, despite its location south of the Peloponesse. Don’t question, enjoy their thyme honey. It justifies the trip. Stay for dairy products, including numerous local cheeses, traditional butter, and sheep’s cream yogurt. Also, try the local sausage.
Every town and village in Attica has the best phyllo pies. Don’t believe me? Try them all. And many are breakfast pies—what a great idea.
Taste Attica Beverages
Athens leads the country in artisanal beers, something they began later than many European countries. They are making significant progress at catching up.
The traditional liqueurs of Greece are available throughout Attica. None are exclusive to Attica.
Attica wine is a different story. There are enough P.G.I. Wine regions in Attica to rate a separate section. Attica Wines.
Taste Attica Summary
Although it may lack other exclusive products and dishes, Attica certainly puts its spin on everything.
In the market, you can find products from around the region.
On the menus, you can find dishes from around the country.
If you are coming to Attica, you better have an appetite.
To read more about Greek Cuisine.