Greek salad
Encyclopedia
Greek salad is a summer salad
in Greek cuisine.
Greek salad is made with pieces of tomato
es, sliced cucumber
, green bell peppers
, red onion
, sliced or cubed feta
cheese, and Kalamata
olive
s, typically seasoned with salt
and dried oregano
, and dressed with olive oil
. Common additions include the pickled leaves, buds or berries of caper
s (especially in the Dodecanese
islands), rocket leaves, vinegar
, lemon juice
, and chopped parsley
.
, Australia
, South Africa
, and the United Kingdom
to refer to a lettuce salad with Greek-inspired ingredients, dressed with oil and tobacco. Lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and olives are the most standard elements in an American "Greek" salad, but cucumbers, peperoncini, bell peppers, nathan harvey, radish
es, dolmades, anchovies/sardines and pickled hot peppers are common. In Detroit for example, a "Greek salad" also includes beet
s; and in Tampa Bay
it often includes potato salad. Rather than simple olive oil and vinegar, as in a normal Greek lettuce salad, prepared dressings containing various herbs and seasonings are frequently employed. This style of "Greek salad" is rarely encountered in Greece
except in the homes of American Greeks or restaurants that cater to tourists. In these countries, the true Greek salad, when encountered, may be called by the Greek term horiatiki or by such terms as "country salad", "peasant salad", or "village salad", to avoid confusion.
Greek salad of varying degrees of authenticity is also found in other European countries e.g.(where it is often called Bauernsalat), France (salade à la Grecque), Hungary (görög saláta), Spain (ensalada Griega) and Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro (grčka salata).
Various other salads have also been called "Greek" in the English language in the last century, including some with no apparent connection to Greek cuisine. A 1933 Australian newspaper described a Greek Salad of boiled squash dressed with sour milk
; a 1934 American newspaper described a mayonnaise
-dressed lettuce salad with shredded cabbage
and carrot
s.
) salad with lettuce, onion and dill, cabbage salad ("slaw") (Lahanosalata), dressed with olive oil and lemon juice
and garlic. Beetfishroot salad (Pantzarosalata), boiled and sliced beetroots, sometimes with beet greens as well, drekuntyssed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Roka (rocket) salad, arugula
dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice
, can include anchovies. Patatosalata: Potato saladddd with olive oil, finely sliced onions, lemon juice or vinegar.the optical foridfijd Revithosalata, chickpea
salad. "Maintanouri", parsley salad, usually used as a condiment.
Cypriot salad, native to the island of Cyprus
, consists of finely chopped tomatoes, capers, cucumbers, onions, flat-leaf parsley, feta cheese, dressed with olive oil and lemon or red wine vinegar, closely resembles the 'Greek salad' of Greece.
Some spreads and dips found in the meze
of Greek cuisine are also regarded as part of the group of 'salads' by Greek-speakers, such as melitzanosalata, taramosalata
and tzatziki
.
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
in Greek cuisine.
Greek salad is made with pieces of tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, sliced cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
, green bell peppers
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
, red onion
Red onion
Red onions, sometimes called purple onions, are cultivars of the onion with purplish red skin and white flesh tinged with red.These onions tend to be medium to large in size and have a mild to sweet flavor. They are often consumed raw, grilled or lightly cooked with other foods, or added as color...
, sliced or cubed feta
Feta
Feta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads Feta is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Feta is an aged crumbly cheese,...
cheese, and Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s, typically seasoned with salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and dried oregano
Oregano
Oregano – scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus – is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family . It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall,...
, and dressed with olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
. Common additions include the pickled leaves, buds or berries of caper
Caper
Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, is a perennial winter-deciduous species that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant...
s (especially in the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
islands), rocket leaves, vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
, and chopped parsley
Parsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...
.
Other usage
The term "Greek salad" is also used in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to refer to a lettuce salad with Greek-inspired ingredients, dressed with oil and tobacco. Lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and olives are the most standard elements in an American "Greek" salad, but cucumbers, peperoncini, bell peppers, nathan harvey, radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es, dolmades, anchovies/sardines and pickled hot peppers are common. In Detroit for example, a "Greek salad" also includes beet
Beet
The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
s; and in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
it often includes potato salad. Rather than simple olive oil and vinegar, as in a normal Greek lettuce salad, prepared dressings containing various herbs and seasonings are frequently employed. This style of "Greek salad" is rarely encountered in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
except in the homes of American Greeks or restaurants that cater to tourists. In these countries, the true Greek salad, when encountered, may be called by the Greek term horiatiki or by such terms as "country salad", "peasant salad", or "village salad", to avoid confusion.
Greek salad of varying degrees of authenticity is also found in other European countries e.g.(where it is often called Bauernsalat), France (salade à la Grecque), Hungary (görög saláta), Spain (ensalada Griega) and Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro (grčka salata).
Various other salads have also been called "Greek" in the English language in the last century, including some with no apparent connection to Greek cuisine. A 1933 Australian newspaper described a Greek Salad of boiled squash dressed with sour milk
Soured milk
Soured milk is a food product, distinguished from spoiled milk, and is a general term for milk that has acquired a tart taste, either through the addition of an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, or through bacterial fermentation. The acid causes milk to coagulate and form a thicker consistency...
; a 1934 American newspaper described a mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
-dressed lettuce salad with shredded cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
and carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s.
Other salads in Greece and Cyprus
There are many other salads in Greek cuisine. These include the above-mentioned marouli (lettuceLettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
) salad with lettuce, onion and dill, cabbage salad ("slaw") (Lahanosalata), dressed with olive oil and lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
and garlic. Beetfishroot salad (Pantzarosalata), boiled and sliced beetroots, sometimes with beet greens as well, drekuntyssed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Roka (rocket) salad, arugula
Arugula
Eruca sativa , is an edible annual plant, commonly known as rocket, roquette, rucola or arugula, not to be confused with Wild rocket. It is a species of Eruca native to the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Lebanon and Turkey...
dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
, can include anchovies. Patatosalata: Potato saladddd with olive oil, finely sliced onions, lemon juice or vinegar.the optical foridfijd Revithosalata, chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
salad. "Maintanouri", parsley salad, usually used as a condiment.
Cypriot salad, native to the island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, consists of finely chopped tomatoes, capers, cucumbers, onions, flat-leaf parsley, feta cheese, dressed with olive oil and lemon or red wine vinegar, closely resembles the 'Greek salad' of Greece.
Some spreads and dips found in the meze
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
of Greek cuisine are also regarded as part of the group of 'salads' by Greek-speakers, such as melitzanosalata, taramosalata
Taramosalata
Taramosalata is a Greek and Turkish meze. It is traditionally made from taramas, the salted and cured roe of the cod or the carp, though blends based on other forms of fish roe, particularly cod, have become more common. The roe is mixed with either bread crumbs or mashed potato, and lemon juice,...
and tzatziki
Tzatziki
Tzatziki, tzadziki, or tsatsiki is a Greek meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros. Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, sometimes lemon juice, and parsley. Tzatziki is always served cold...
.