No Greek meal would be complete without a mouth-watering, unforgettable Greek dessert to follow.
There are so many deserts to select from while visiting Greece, so let’s look at some of the favorites that locals swear are done best in Greece!
Anything with Honey
Honey is one of those sweets that is considered to make everything a bit more healthy, according to every Greek grandma. There are many Greek desserts made with honey and they vary in ingredients from region to region and village to village in Greece.
Some of the most typical and traditional desserts made with honey are found on the Greek islands where you can sample everything from honey pies to dumplings, which are a fried thin pastry with honey. Also popular treats are pasteli, or sesame seeds and honey bars and loukoumades which are Greece’s version of fried doughnuts and honey.
Some other sweets worth checking out are sweet cheese pies made with honey as well as melekounia, a traditional sweet you will find in Rhodes.
Spoon Sweets
It all started off as a traditional gesture of hospitality to guests. Someone stops by, you offer them a drink and a “spoon sweet,” or a spoonful of sweet preserves made from healthy ingredients such as fruits or figs. They are served on a spoon, many times accompanying Greek coffee or water and are popular throughout Greece and Cyprus.
Spoon sweets first appeared in Byzantine cuisine and found their way to Greek shores by means of Arab traders in the 14th century. They can be made with whole fruit, fruit pieces, puree and resin. Spoon sweets eventually made their mark as the ideal summertime dessert in Greece.
Try a Submarine (Ipovrichio)
One typical spoon sweet which is in a class all of its own is from the island of Chios and is called “ipovrichio” or submarine. It can be flavored with vanilla or as mastic and is made from mastic resin, for which the Aegean island is famous.
This sugary fondant is served on a teaspoon and dipped into a glass of ice-cold water, thus why it is referred to as a submarine. Once you get your spoon submerged, the fondant softens and you go to work licking the spoon like a fondant lollipop of sorts. It is a summertime childhood favorite for many Greeks, that lasts well into adulthood!
Baklava
You can’t leave Greece without trying authentic Greek baklava. This delightfully sweet and sticky desert is made from layers of phyllo, honey and a nut mixture.
You can find baklava everywhere in Greece, but if you are looking for the “spitiko” or homemade version of the traditional dessert, try it out at a local village taverna on the mainland or islands.
Baklava, like all Greek dishes does vary some from regions in the country as well as the islands, the perfect excuse to sample it at every stop of your Greek holiday!
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