Greek Macedonian cuisine

Macedonian cuisine    is the cuisine of the region of Macedonia, Greece. Contemporary Greek Macedonian cooking shares much with general Greek, wider Balkan and Mediterranean cuisine, including dishes from the Ottoman past. Specific influences include dishes of the Anatolian Greek, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian, Slavic, Armenian and Sephardi Jewish population. The mix of the different people inhabiting the region gave the name to the Macedonian salad.

History


A continuation from the ancient period are dishes such as lamb cooked with quince or various vegetables and fruits, goat boiled or fried in olive oil: modern recipes from Kavala to Kastoria and Kozani offer lamb with quince, pork with celery or leeks.

The arrival of Greek refugees from Asia Minor and Constantinople in the early 20th century brought also Anatolian and Constantinopolitan elements in the cuisine of the region.

Some current specialties are trahanas with crackling, filo-based pies (cheese, leek, spinach) and meat plates (such as pork, wild boar and buffalo). Others are tyrokafteri (Macedonian spicy cheese spread) and soupies krasates (cuttlefishes in wine).

Unlike Athens, the traditional pita bread for the popular souvlaki usually is not grilled, but rather fried (information included from Greek Gastronomy, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), 2004). Various products are produced from the buffalo meat. There is breeding especially around Lake Kerkini. List of the Greece’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certified and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certified products and specifications are approved by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

Local products
Selected local products are:
 * Kavourmas
 * Pastourmas
 * Kiwi of Pieria,
 * Apple of Kastoria
 * Peach of Naoussa,
 * Krokos Kozanis (saffron)
 * Potato of Kato Nevrokopi
 * Crispy cherries of Rodochori,
 * Olive oil of Thasos
 * Green olives of Chalkidiki,
 * Throumba olives of Thasos,
 * Agourelaio olive oil of Chalkidiki,
 * Beams Gigantes-Elefantes of Prespa
 * Beams Gigantes-Elefantes of Kastoria
 * Beams Plake Megalosperma of Prespa
 * Beams Gigantes-Elefantes of Kato Nevrokopi
 * Beams Kina Messosperma of Kato Nevrokopi
 * Lagana, bread
 * Koulouri Thessalonikis, sesame bread ring (a type of simit).
 * Pinakoti, bread from Mount Athos in Chalkidiki.
 * Mussels, of Makrygialos, Pieria.
 * Mushrooms, of Grevena region.
 * Petroto, cheese of Chalkidiki
 * Anevato, cheese of Grevena, Kozani
 * Kefalograviera, cheese of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, Kozani
 * Mpatzos, cheese of Chalkidiki, Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Thessaloniki
 * Manouri, cheese of Chalkidiki, Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Thessaloniki
 * Feta, cheese of Chalkidiki, Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Serres, Thessaloniki
 * Kasseri, cheese of Chalkidiki, Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Serres, Thessaloniki

Appetizers
Selected appetizers:
 * Ajvar, spicy dip from Florina
 * Atzem pilaf, from Vertiskos
 * Bouyiourdi,
 * Eggs Vlachika,
 * Baked feta with honey,
 * Feta topped with olive oil and oregano,
 * Foustoroun with Kavourmas, type of omelette
 * Gkaikanas, from Naoussa, type of omelette
 * Itsli Kefte, Icli Kofte (Kibbeh), Itsli Meatball.
 * Kichí of Kozani, a type of cheese pie (tyropita).
 * Kolokythopita (zucchini pie)
 * Loukaniko (sausage),
 * Manitaropita, mushrooms pie
 * Melintzanosalata
 * Mpoumpari,
 * Perek pie, feta cheese pie from Pontic Greek cuisine
 * Red peppers of Florina, it can be roasted, sliced and served by adding olive oil and garlic
 * Red pumpkin with mpatzos.
 * Saganaki, fried kefalograviera cheese
 * Skordalia
 * Siron with paskitan and garlic, from Pontic Greek cuisine
 * Spanakopita
 * Tabbouleh salad,
 * Tahini
 * Tanomenos sorvas, yogurt type of soup from Pontic Greek cuisine
 * Taramosalata
 * Tirokafteri, spicy cheese spread or dip made of whipped feta cheese with hot peppers and olive oil
 * Tirokroketes
 * Tiropita

Specialties
Selected main courses:
 * Arni me kydonia, lamb meat with quinces
 * Arni me spanachi, lamb with spinach (Kavala)
 * Arni Κapamas, lamb with kapamas cooking technique
 * Agriogourouno, wild boar meat.
 * Cod with wild greens,
 * Traditional couscous, from Thessaloniki with beans and vegetables.
 * Hirino me selino, pork meat with celery
 * Dolmades, stuffed grape leaves, also known as Dolmades or Dolmadakia
 * Euriste, recipe with chylopítes (type of pasta) from Pontic Greek cuisine
 * Fasoulotavas,  recipe with baked giant dried beans called gigantes, a version is gigantes plaki
 * Grivadi (kyprinos) with spinach,
 * İmam bayıldı,
 * Leeks and rice with sour plums,
 * Lentils with bulgur,
 * Louvidia with plivrimes, Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia) with pork pancetta
 * Mantza,   vegetables
 * Makálo, meatballs with garlic sauce (Kastoria).
 * Makaronia with eggplant sauce,
 * Makedonian Tsompleki,
 * Manitarosoupa, mushrooms soup
 * Melintzanofai,
 * Misoúra, meat plate.
 * Moussaka,
 * Mussels with saffron,
 * Ospriada Makedoniki,  a mix of legumes
 * Patsas, hot soup.
 * Petoura (petila), a type of hilopites
 * Sardines with cabbage from Pieria,
 * Spanakorizo,
 * Pontic Magiritsa,
 * Soupies krasates, cuttlefishes in wine
 * Souvla, Souvlaki, and Kontosouvli,
 * Tas kebab,
 * Tigania, fried pork.
 * Trahanas, may be soup.
 * Tsigerosarmades,
 * Yaprákia, Christmas food in the region of Kozani, meat and rice in pickled cabbage-leaf (a variation of sarma)
 * Various dishes with buffalo meat
 * Various fish plates, especially pestrofa and grivadi (kyprinos), fished in the lakes of the region.
 * Various types of loukaniko, sausages.

Desserts
Selected desserts:
 * Akanés, from Serres
 * Amygdalota
 * Armenovíl/Armenonville,  from Thessaloniki
 * Ashure
 * Baklava from Asia Minor,
 * Bougatsa krema (cream),
 * Galaktoboureko, custard pie with syrup
 * Galatopita,
 * Crêpe,
 * Komposta, from peach or other local fruits
 * Diples
 * Dondurma, Turkish mastic ice cream
 * Éclair
 * Halvas with tahini
 * Halvas with semolina,
 * Karydopita
 * Kariokes, small sized walnut-filled chocolates and shaped like crescents
 * Knafeh (kadayıf) from Constantinople,
 * Kiounefe,
 * Kazan ntimpi,
 * Kourkoubinia
 * Kourampiedes
 * Kydonopasto
 * Laggites, or Tiganites
 * Loukoumades, fried honey doughnuts
 * Loukoumi,
 * Malli tis grias
 * Madolato
 * Melomakarona
 * Muhallebi, or Mahallebi
 * Moustalevria
 * Moustopita,
 * Mpezedes (Mareges)
 * Pandespani
 * Pastafrola
 * Pasteli, honey sesame bar
 * Poniró, from Serres
 * Rizogalo
 * Roxákia,
 * Revani, from Veria
 * Sáliaroi (Saliaria), from Kozani
 * Samali, extra syrupy Greek semolina cake with mastic
 * Şekerpare
 * Spoon sweets
 * Trigona Panoramatos Thessalonikis,
 * Tsoureki
 * Tulumba, syrupy dessert.
 * Candied fruits, known as fruit glace with the well-known the marron glace. Candied fruits can be found in Greece in specialty candy shops selling along with other related products exclusively, such as dried fruits, nuts, jellies, koufeta, loukoumia, chocolate bars, sokolatakia (bonbon), pralines, spoon sweets, pasteli, halva, fudge, petit four, granola, granola bars, sweet spreads, breakfast cereals, energy bar, and others.

Drinks
Selected beverages and drinks:
 * Frappé coffee, invented in Thessaloniki in 1957.
 * Salepi
 * Ouzo
 * Retsina
 * Tsipouro
 * Wine,
 * Liqueur,
 * Mountain tea
 * Beer, Beer in Greece
 * Xino Nero, from Florina
 * Mineral water, from several recognized water sources from Greece.
 * Sparkling mineral water, mineral carbonated water from sources from Greece.