Spice Cuisine: Greek and Turkish Spices and Seasonings

Greek and Turkish cuisines share many of their culinary traditions. Traditional Greek food is Byzantine, which blends Greek and Roman cookery. The most prominant ingredient is olive oil. Goat, sheep and fish are the primary proteins, as beef is not cultivated as much in the region. Another food component of note is filo pastry, that is used to make the well known dessert Baklava. Other Greek foods that are familiar to the Western palate are Spanakopita (spinach wrapped in filo), Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), and Gyros (meat roasted on a turning spit) with Tzatziki (yogurt sauce with cucumber and garlic). Don’t forget the Ouzo (anise flavored alcohol)!

Turkish foods owe much to the history of the Ottoman empire, but share links with Arabic, Persian and Greek cuisines as well. Yogurt and cheeses made from sheep’s milk are artfully prepared here, and rice pilaf and bulgur wheat are common grains. Turks share in the Greek tendency to use abundant amounts of olive oil, as do most Mediterranean peoples. Shish Kebabs are the archetypal Turkish meat dish. Grab some parsley, mint, cumin, and paprika and your ready to spice up a great Turkish dish! You can even use smoked paprika if you’re daring!

And he gave it for his opinon, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels