The delicious Greek salad leads the List of 50 World’s Best Salads.

Greece, with one of the most popular traditional salads, Dakos, took first place in the TasteAtlas list of Best rated Salads in the world, while five other Greek salads also made it in the top50, making Greece the only country holding 12% of the entire list (six places out of fifty).

About the Dish

Dakos, traditional to the island of Crete, but served country-wide, is one of the most popular (and tasty) Greek salads, popular among Greeks and foreign travelers alike.

Dakos recipe can slightly differ from region to region in Greece, but there is a commonly accepted original recipe: the dish consists of a big barley rusk called paximadi, which can be slightly moistened with some drops of water. The paximadi is topped with chopped ripped tomatoes (if the tomatoes are ripped enough, adding water is not necessary), mizithra cheese (also Cretan), olives, capers, oregano (preferably fresh), and last but certainly not least, some high quality Greek extra virgin olive oil.

According to Taste Atlas’ page, “It’s recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt.”

The other top rated Greek Salads

Horiatiki
Fifth place on the same list was reserved for Horiatiki salata (Greek: χωριάτικη σαλάτα), which translates as village salad and is commonly called Greek salad.
Simple but iconic, the Greek Salad is one of the most renown Greek dishes, consisting of tomatoes and cucumbers, and -depending on the region- olives, feta cheese, green peppers, capers, oregano, salt, and rich, delicious Greek olive oil.

Horta
At the number 24 spot, we find Horta. A typical Horta salad is made with cooked greens and various wild plants that are seasoned with some salt, olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar, according to the region. Horta may include (but are not limited to) dandelion, vleeta, nettles, wild spinach, mustard greens, and chicory. The taste of the salad depends of the type of horta used -some of them can be quite bitter, but still delicious, healthy choice and very interesting to taste.

Patatosalata
Patatosalata, or Greek potato salad holds the 33th place. Simple but thoughtfully crafted, patatosalata is a healthy, low calorie dish that can be very easily custom-made, according to preferences. The typical recipe consists of big potato pieces (previously boiled in water), scallions and onions finely chopped, and coated with dressing made from ingredients such as olive oil, mustard, yogurt, or mayonnaise, with the addition of freshly squeezed lemon. According to one’s taste, they can add various vegetables, such as carrots, boiled eggs, olives, and fresh herbs such as dill or parsley.

Pantzarosalata
Two spots below (35th place) there is pantzarosalata. Beetroots being the main ingredient, this salad is quite impressive, since its color is striking, to say the least. This salad has two main versions. The one hast the cooked beets, either coated in a yogurt-based dressing or simply seasoned with vinegar, or in the form of a creamy, thick purée. The other is a regular salad with diced beets, seasoned with vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Tonosalata
The Greek tunasalad is the last on the list (50th place), but not less delicious. It contains canned tuna fish, scallions, onions, lettuce and boiled potatoes (optional) cut in medium sized pieces, and it is usually topped with a fresh olive oil & lemon sauce.