10 Dishes: Greek Cuisine Trivia Quiz

Answer: eggplant

The ground meat that makes up moussaka is usually cooked with pureed tomatoes, onions, and spices before being added to the dish. Then, the meat is layered in between thin pieces of sauteed eggplant. The bechamel is then added and the dish is baked, leaving a distinctive light brown crust atop the bechamel.

Moussaka is ubiquitous in many places in the Mediterranean region, including Egypt, the Levant, and the Balkans. In Turkey, the dish is cooked with a tomato-based meat sauce and lacks any layers. Some areas of the Balkans substitute potatoes for the eggplant, but these versions keep the layers.

Answer: fasolada

The name of the dish fasolada comes from the Greek word "fasoli", which means bean. It is an unofficial national dish of Greece. The white beans used in the recipe should be dry before preparation. The dish is vegetarian, but still gives its eaters that satiated full feeling on cold winter nights.

Magiritsa is a lamb offal soup often eaten on Easter, revithia is a creamy chickpea soup, and manestra is a tomato orzo soup.

Answer: tzatziki

Tzatziki is a tangy, cool sauce that complements several Greek dishes, such as gyros, salmon, or lamb. It is also very popularly used as a dip or added to a meze, a collection of small appetizers served on special occasions. In order to give the dish an extra layer of brightness and acidity, white vinegar or lemon juice are often added. This sauce is known as cacik in Turkey, though the cucumbers are typically chopped as opposed to grated.

Skordalia is a garlic-based puree made with a potato base and nuts. Tirokafteri is cheese spread made with feta, olive oil, yogurt, and hot peppers. Taramasalata is made with cod roe, olive oil, lemon juice and a starchy base.

Answer: Kalamata olives and feta cheese

Traditional Greek service of this salad includes a slice or two of feta cheese atop the salad as opposed to the cubed version often seen in other countries, particularly the United States. Other fresh vegetables are sometimes added, including bell pepper. Greek salad is often served as a starter, but it is not uncommon to have it for lunch, or even breakfast.

Answer: grapevine leaves

The grapevine leaves are stuffed with the rice, rolled up into their distinctive shape, and then boiled with the ingredients inside. If grapevine leaves are not available, simple cabbage can be substituted in. Seaweed sheets are not common in Greek cooking and would be more at home in East Asian cuisine.

Answer: kleftiko

The Klephts were a group of Greek descendants who stuck to the mountains to avoid Ottoman rule. They would often steal lambs and goats and smoke them in underground ovens in order to get a delicious taste as well as hide the stolen goods from their overlords. The word "kleptomaniac" indeed comes from this group of people, and the dish kleftiko shares the same root. I don't recommend stealing the dish these days, however.

Bifteki is Greek-style steak, souvlaki are Greek meat skewers, and stifado is a Greek beef stew.

Answer: bucatini

Pastitsio is made with a beef and tomato sauce that is very similar to Italian lasagna, and in fact, the dishes are so similar that pastitsio is very often referred to as "Greek lasagna". However, the Greek version uses long, tube-like bucatini pasta instead of thin, flat pasta.

Answer: lemon juice

As a sauce, avgolemono is used to kick many Greek dishes up a notch in flavor and moistness. As a soup, it can be served with pasta, rice, or orzo to make a hearty, warm dish. It is a fairly simple dish to make, but is quite amenable to various different ingredients being added to it.

Answer: spinach

Spanakopita can be served at every meal, and with a few minor alterations (such as removing the egg as a binding agent), it can be suitable for vegan diners. The spinach filling is often flavored with dill or mint. In rural areas of Greece, the spinach is sometimes replaced with more local greens, such as chard or sorrel.

Answer: It is usually served hot or cold, whereas baklava is served at room temperature.

Galaktoboureko is indeed also made with phyllo dough. While baklava is a very popular dessert in Greece, it is traditionally considered a Turkish dish. Galaktoboureko, however, is thoroughly Greek and is also very popular. Serve it hot in winter to warm your insides or cold in summer to cool off.