Anyone who has ever been to Greece will smile knowingly whenever the topic of Greek food is brought up. There is nothing like Greek food wherever else within the world. Stuffed with fresh vegetables, unencumbered by spices that conceal the flavor of the ingredients, and crammed with beef and lamb dishes that will tempt any palate, there's something in Greek delicacies that can tempt anyone.

One of the simplest ways to get a feel for Greek meals is by understanding the food that makes up most of its dishes. Olives are everything in Greece. There are so many varieties of olives, that the Greeks prefer to say that saying you do not like olives is like saying you do not like sweets: if you happen to not like one form, there are lots of extras to choose from. From black olives to green, Kalamata to Peloponessos, there is an olive for everyone. Of course, when you think of olives, you have to think of olive oil, and this is an important part of Greek cuisine as well. In fact, olive oil is used to cook almost all Greek meals, and is used as salad dressing or garnish on other dishes as well.

Delicious Bread Is a Big Deal at Greek Meals As Are Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Great Greek bread is often served at every meal, and is dipped in olive oil or the sauce of what you had for dinner last night. Local bakeries prepare fresh, hot breads of all types and flavors.

Fruits and veggies are always prepared and served fresh; the Greeks take great pride in their fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes are prepared with a great many dishes. It can often come prepared with meat or rice and onions, or sometimes is just served plain with olive oil. You often find that they are even mixed with flour and egg, deep fried and called "tomato-keftedes."Green peppers are another extremely popular ingredient. They can also be prepared with either rice or beef, or grilled and eaten plain.

Potatoes are another key cooking ingredient in Greece. They are found in stews, and are often made roasted with olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and oregano. Potatoes deep fried in olive oil are popular served as a side dish. The Greeks use quite a bit of garlic and onion in their food. Fresh fruit, including figs, is a common dessert.

Greeks are big meat eaters. Lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and even goat and rabbit are all consumed regularly. Meat is often made into a stew with garlic, onions and potatoes.

Lamb Is Perhaps the Most Popular Meat Preference in Greece. Roasted lamb is the dinner of choice for Easter. Roast lamb and potatoes are a popular Sunday evening meal, and grilled lamb chops are popular anytime. Being adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, it only follows that seafood is popular as well. Calamari, sardines and smelt are some of the affordable fish eaten. Lobster is perhaps the highest priced. Before you eat fish in a Greek establishment, you will often be encouraged to go back into the kitchen to inspect the fish and make sure it is fresh. It is there that you can decide what you want to eat. Octopus, mussels, shrimp and cod are other common Greek seafood choices.

For dessert, baklava, which is made from a special kind of dough called phyllo, is the most common Greek delicacy. It is prepared with nuts, honey, and sugar, and is a layered pastry.

The food of Greece offers something for everyone. It is also a healthy cuisine, mostly because of the liberal amounts of olive oil in it. Grecians, who eat a traditional Greek diet, have been known to live on average quite a bit longer than inhabitants of other countries. Greek food is tasty and good for your health and you won't find a better combination than that.