From the sticks to the city – about greek salad
Greek salad (or horiatiki salata – “country salad”) is one of the most recognizable dishes in Greek cuisine, but its history is much younger than we might think. Although Greeks ate olives, cheese, and vegetables in ancient times, the classic Greek salad in its modern form only emerged in the 20th century. Horiatiki salata, in the form we know today (cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, feta, olive oil, oregano), appeared in Athens in the 1960s and 1970s. There’s a theory that it originated as a “clever response” by restaurateurs to government pricing regulations. The government set maximum prices for “salad” dishes – but feta was considered a “cheese,” not a “side dish,” back then, so adding a slice of feta circumvented the price restrictions. And so, a salad with feta “on top” was born – a classic today! The “prototype” of the salad we know today comes from rural Greece, particularly the south (Peloponnese, Cyclades). It was a farmers’ meal – quick, nutritious, based on garden vegetables, cheese, and olive oil. It was served in a clay or metal bowl, with sourdough bread for dipping in olive oil and vegetable juice, known as “papara.” Papara (παπάρα) is the traditional Greek ritual of eating bread dipped in olive oil, sauce, or broth – something between “cleaning the plate” and a simple, home-cooked pleasure. With the development of tourism in Greece (since the 1970s), horiatiki has become an ambassador for Greek cuisine. Tourists loved its simplicity and freshness, and it spread around the world. The ingredients of its traditional version include: tomatoes – cut into wedges, cucumber – usually sliced, red onion – wedges, black olives – most often the Kalamata variety, feta cheese – in one piece, not crumbled!, olive oil, and oregano. Contrary to the “international” version, the original Greek salad does not contain lettuce, peppers, sauces, or – oh my God, I’ve never encountered anything like it – corn. However, as I mentioned in the article “From Choice to Color” about the local cuisine of Zakynthos, there are many variations of Greek salads throughout Greece. For example, on the island of Santorini, capers or caper leaves are often added instead of cucumbers. Sometimes the tomatoes are dried or baked – this is considered a local specialty. Feta, on the other hand, is sometimes replaced with local chloro cheese, made from goat’s milk. A close cousin of horiatiki is dakos salad, popular in Crete. Its base is barley rusks – paximadi – drizzled with olive oil and topped with tomatoes. Mizithra (a soft, slightly salty cheese) is placed on top instead of the classic feta. Cretans also add fresh herbs like wild oregano, mint, or thyme. In the Cyclades, on the island of Mykonos, ingredients are not spared. Here, we have a rich, “tourist” version, with arugula, avocado, and even grilled vegetables. On the island of Rhodes, with its strong Middle Eastern influences, Greek salads tend to be more substantial. Green peppers, local olives, and sometimes cooked wheat grains are added. However, here in Zakynthos, you can find a version with pickled onions or sweeter cherry tomatoes. Sometimes, the local cheese ladotyri is also added. Regardless of the quantity and type of ingredients, one thing should be remembered: always serve a piece of feta on top of the salad! Before eating, the Greeks divide it with a fork and mix it with vegetables, it is an important ritual that should be remembered😊
