Greek Cuisine Ranked Among Top Three in the World

Greek cuisine has been ranked third best in the world according to ratings compiled by TasteAtlas recently.

TasteAtlas is an experiential travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes.

A total of 395,205 (271,819 valid) dish ratings, and 115,660 (80,863 valid) food product ratings have been recorded.

Based on these ratings, the top 50 food items for each cuisine were extracted, and the best-rated cuisines in the world were ranked according to the average ratings of the best-rated dishes and food products of each country.

Italy and Japan recorded the same average rating, but Italy has taken first place again this year due to a higher rating of its best-rated dish—pizza. The third best-rated cuisine is Greek, followed by the Portuguese and Chinese in fifth place.

The US cuisine is rated 16th in the world, while England is 39th.

Greek cuisine and health benefits

The Mediterranean diet is not just delicious, but several studies have shown its potential health benefits. 

Following a Mediterranean diet could help prevent depression, groundbreaking research published in a scientific journal recently suggested.

Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, plant-based foods, and fish may decrease the risk of depression by approximately one-third, according to a recent study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

A diet high in saturated fats, sugar, and processed foods was correspondingly associated with an increased likelihood of depression.

Best dishes in the world

Based on the average user ratings for dishes, a list of the top 100 dishes in the world has been published. The best-rated dish for 2023 is the Brazilian meat cut Picanha, followed by Malaysian bread Roti Canai and Thai stir fry Phat Kaphrao.

The top Greek dish is dakos salad from the island of Crete which is rated 17th best. It tops the word’s salads.

“Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of a dry barley rusk called paximadi that is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a few generous splashes of high-quality olive oil,” reads the description on TasteAtlas.

According to the description, “It’s recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt.”

Paidakia, ribs of pork, beef, or lamb is the second-best Greek dish at number 26, followed by giouvetsi and gyros. Kokoretsi, kleftiko, and the popular fast food souvlaki all make it into the top 100 dishes of the TasteAtlas.