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20 + 1 Greek sweets and desserts
I’ve always had a sweet tooth. Having grown up in Northern Greece, I’ve become an expert in (savouring) Greek sweets and desserts. In the last few years, I have often re-created those sweets and desserts from my homeland, though I am yet to become an expert in baking/making Greeks sweets and desserts. Here are some of the most iconic Greek sweets and desserts, with links to the recipes. Some of these recipes are mine, whereas some are by Akis Petretzikis, a Greek chef that I trust and follow. Μπουγάτσα (Bougatsa) Bougatsa is a pie made with phyllo pastry and typically served in the morning (breakfast or brunch). It is very…
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Samali: a traditional Greek mastic-flavoured cake
The 25th of March is a national holiday in Greece. To celebrate, I have baked a samali, a delicious traditional Greek cake, made with semolina (instead of flour), flavoured with ground mastic, and soaked in syrup. Greeks celebrate today for two reasons: a religious (the Feast of Annunciation to the Virgin Mary), as well as a historical one (the starting date of the Revolution or War of Independence, which led to the establishment of the Modern Greek state in 1830). In fact, this year marks the 200-year anniversary of the declaration of the Revolution against the Ottomans, who had occupied Greece since the 15th century. The 400-hundred Ottoman rule has…
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Lagana: the traditional Greek sesame flatbread
Today is a bank holiday in Greece, known as ‘Kathara Deftera’ (lit. Clean Monday). In the Greek Orthodox liturgical calendar, Kathara Deftera is the start of the Great Lent, and as such, it is the equivalent to Shrove Monday. The day falls on the 7th Monday before the (Orthodox) Easter; it follows the 3 weeks of Carnival celebrations (‘Apokries’). Kite-flying is one of the main Kathara Deftera customs, often accompanied by outdoor dining. The menu consists of seafood, taramasalata (fish roe dip), halva, and lagana, a traditional Greek sesame flatbread, baked only on this day. Although most Greeks buy their laganas from a bakery, it is an easy bread to bake…
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Greek semolina halva with orange and honey
A few days ago, the Great British Bake Off crowned its 2020 winner. But don’t worry if you are yet to watch the final episode, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I am only going to say that it inspired me to take a break from my savoury bakes and make something sweet this week. Staying true to my roots, I opted for a traditional Greek dessert: halva. The word ‘halva’ (‘halvas’ in Greek) is used to describe two different types of desserts: a semolina-based one and a tahini-based one, which is called ‘Makedonikos halvas’ (Macedonian halva). I made the former. Traditionally, the recipe calls for 4 main ingredients:…