A History of Food in Greece and Turkey

Greece is located in the Southern-Eastern part of Europe, on the Southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece is known as the birthplace of democracy, the Olympic games, Western literature & Philosophy, political science, major scientific principals & of course drama, both funny & tragic.

Greece is made up of mountainous and craggy mainland that juts out to sea at the Southern end of the Balkans. Greece has the 10^th longest coastline in the world, over 9,320 miles (15,000 km). 4/5 of Greece is mountain and hill, making it one of Europe's most mountainous countries.

Greece was home to Europe's first advanced civilizations. First were the Minoan & the Mycenaean. Then, the Hellenistic society and finally the Romans. The Ottomans took over Greece May 29^th, 1453 and ruled Greece until the early 19^th century when the Greeks rebelled. The Greek War of Independence began March 25^th, 1821 & carried out until 1829 when the newly formed Greek state was created & recognized.

95%-98% of Greece citizens are followers of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 2005 81% of Greeks said they believed there was a God, 16% said they believed in a spirit or life force & 3% said they didn't believe in either. More than 500,000 Muslims live in Greece & 200,000-300,000 are immigrants.

Greek cuisine comes from.....(trumpets).....the Greeks. Greek cooking is typically Ottoman Cuisine along with general Mediterranean elements. Spices used in Greek cooking include oregano, dill, fennel, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg. The most known and ancient element of Greek cooking is Olive Oil. Used in almost every dish, olive oil is a main ingredient that gives food its distinct Greek flavor.

Wheat is the basic grain in Greece, though barley is often used too. Tomatoes, aborigines, potatoes, green beans, okra & onions are important basic vegetables. Greek honey is from nectar of flowers from fruit trees (mainly citrus), thyme, & conifer trees.

Because the terrain is better for goats and sheep, a dish with beef is very rare. Fish is a fairly common dish, especially in the coastal regions and on the Greek islands. Greece has a variety of cheeses including, Feta, Kasseri, & Mizithra. Most all cheeses in Greece are made from either goat or sheep milk.

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The Republic of Turkey is found stretched along the Anatolian Peninsula in Southwestern Asia and the Balkan region of Europe, just East of Greece. Like Greece, Turkey was once home to the Byzantine & the Ottoman Empires. Because the Ottoman Empire interacted with both Western & Eastern cultures throughout its 623 year history in Turkey, there is a unique blend in the culture of Turkey. It wasn't until 1914, around WWI; the Ottoman State was dismembered through the Treaty of Sevres.

Turkey's size, 1,000 mi X 500 mi, makes it the world's 37^th largest country. Surrounded by seas on three sides, Aegean Sea on the West, Black Sea on the North, & the Mediterranean Sea on the South, Turkey has an extensive variety of sea food in the coastal regions. The Sea of Marmara also touches Turkey beaches in the Northwest.

The Asian Minor region consists of high central plateaus with narrow coastal plains. Eastern turkey has more of a mountainous landscape, not unlike its Greek neighbor, with rivers and lakes.

Many Turkish dishes include eggplant, green peppers, onions, beans, tomatoes, garlic, & cucumber. Fruits and nuts, grapes, apricots, cherries, melons, figs, lemons, pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, & walnuts, are added to dishes also. Turkish spices are parsley, cumin, pepper, paprika, mint, oregano, & thyme.

Sheep's milk is the provider for Turkey's best flavored white cheeses & yogurt. Like Greece the terrain is more preferable for sheep and goats than it is for cattle. Though there are more beef dishes in Turkey than in Greece.