For every traditional kitchen there is a dish (or more) that is intrinsically linked to the core of the people, their deepest mentality and mindset, a dish that resonates with their culture, not the intellectual one, but the everyday. Sweet pies, made with easy-to-find, mostly cheap and common to the Greek environment ingredients, the ones that our grandmothers used to make almost daily, within minutes, to treat the kids and their loved ones, are, in a way, a trademark of Greek cuisine. Based on olive oil (butter was scarce or very expensive in the past, thus practically inexistant in most traditional dishes, sweet or savory), eggs, flour, milk, fruit and spices, Greek sweet pies are most Greeks’ secret comfort food. If you try them, you can see why.
Karydopita
Also known as walnut pie (Greek: καρυδόπιτα), which literally means a pie (πίτα) made of walnuts (καρύδια), this delicious dessert has different recipes, depending on the region. It can be in the form of cake, covered in a rich, sweet syrup, or it can be baked in crust, slightly resembling to baklava, although the first version is the closest to the traditional one. Orange zest, cloves, alcohol (such as rum or cognac), resins are some of the ingredients one can find in its recipe. As for its history, it is one of the oldest traditional Greek desserts, tracking its roots back to the ancient years.
From left to right: Portokalopita and karydopitaOrange Pie
The famous, simple and absolutely delicious portokalopita (πορτοκάλι – portokali is Greek for orange, πίτα – pita is Greek for pie) is the dessert you will probably enjoy as a treat (kerasma, Greek: κέρασμα) in most traditional tavernas and restaurants after a great meal almost everywhere in Greece. It is usually made with thin pastry cut in pieces, and a mixture of Greek yoghurt, eggs and orange juice. The pie is covered in rich orange infused syrup and it is best consumed chilled, after the syrup is completely absorbed. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is the second best way to enjoy it -the first is plain, with a cup of Greek coffee.
Cream Bougatsa
The queen of traditional Greek desserts, especially in northern Greece, bougatsa is actually the word to describe the type of pastry and the way it is folded before baking. Its history dates back to the Byzantium years, even before the 14th century. As for the ingredients, bougatsa can be either sweet (with cream) or savory (with cheese, spinach, even minced meat). As a dessert, it is quite simple (plain, crunchy pastry filled with rich cream), it is served cut in small pieces, and topped with cinnamon and icing sugar.
