Greek Food Dictionary

The Greek Food dictionary

Any time you go to Greece you will need to read or understand what there is on the menu. Now below, i have created a simple dictionary of ingredients from the Greek food where you can find all the different dishes and ingredients you might end up finding in Greece.

Hopefully that will help you understand better what you eating or know what you need in case you need to cook something Greek.  The column on the left describes everything in Greek language, the middle is  Greeklish – an effort to pronounce everything with latin letters and the third English explanation.

Enjoy!

Τρόφη Trofi Food
Αλάτη Alati Salt
Αλεύρι Alevri Flour
Αμυγδαλοτά Amigdalota Cookie often made on the islands and served at weddings and baptisms
Αρνί Arni Lamb.
Αστακός Αstakos Lobster.
Αυγό Avgo Eggs
Αυγολέμονο Avgolemono A warm sauce made with eggs and lemon. Served with meat, in soups, with vegetables.
Αρακάς Arakas Peas
Μπακαλιάρος Bakaliaros Cod, most often consuming the salted preserved cod, which was desalted and cooked with tomato sauce or fried.
Μπακλαβάς Baklavas Pastries made with phyllo, honey and walnuts
Μπάμιες Bamies Okra. Usually cooked with tomato sauce in a stew or roasted in the oven with tomatoes.
Μπιφτέκι Bifteki Beef patty. The hamburger!  Usually a mixture of ground beef along with herbs, breadcrumbs and egg.
Μπισκότο Biscoto Cookie
Μπριάμ Briam A mixture of vegetables including potato, zucchini, eggplant and onion stewed or roasted in olive oil
Δίπλες Diples Pastry made with dough, fried in olive oil and dipped in honey
Ντολμάδες Dolmades Rice or meat wrapped in vine leaves, often served with avgolemono
Ντομάτα Ntomata Tomato
Ντοματοκεφτέδες Ntomatokeftedes Tomato patties. Patties made with tomatoes,   flour and herbs fried
Ελιά Elia Olive
Ελαιόλαδο Elaiolado Olive Oil
Εξοχικό Eksohiko Meat cooked with peppers, tomatoes, onions and cheese in wax paper.
Φάβα Fava A puree made with fava beans which are yellow spit peas.
Φακές Fakes Lentils, traditionally cooked in a thick soup with olive oil and served with vinegar.
Φασολάκια Fasolakia Green beans. They are usually cooked with tomato sauce and olive oil.
Φασόλια Fasolia A general term for beans
Φέτα Feta Semi-soft cheese made from sheep and goat milk
Φραπέ Frappe A popular iced coffee made from instant coffee
Φρούτα Frouta Fruit
Γάλα Gala Milk
Γαλακτομπούρεκο Galaktobouriko A sweet made with phyllo and a custard filling
Γαρίδες Garides Shrimp
Γαύρος Gavros Anchovies. They are either marinated in vinegar and salt or fried.
Γραβιέρα Graviera A hard yellow and salty cheese made from sheep’s milk
Χωριάτικι Σαλάτα Horiatiki (salata) The village salad, classic salad you could eat in Greece. Made with tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, onion, feta and olive oil.
Χοιρινό Hirino Pork
Χυλοπίτες Hilopites A egg pasta usually cut in small squares.
Χόρτα Horta Greens. Boiled and consumed with olive oil and lemon.
Χορτόπιτα Hortopita Savory pie made with thick phyllo dough and greens.
Χταπόδι Htapodi Octopus. Served grilled or marinated.
Καφές Kafes Coffee
Καλαμαράκια Kalamarakia Calamari or squid. Often served fried as an appetizer.
Καριδόπιτα Karidopita Walnut cake. A cake made with walnuts and syrup
Κεφαλοτύρι Kefaloturi Hard yellow cheese made from sheep’s or goat’s milk
Κεφτέδες Keftedes Small fried meatballs usually made from ground beef and ground pork.
Κοκορέτσι Kokoretsi Organ meats and sweetbread pieces are passed through a skewer and wrapped with the intestines (usually of lamb) then grilled in a spit or grill until crunchy. Traditionally prepared for Easter.
Κολοκυθάκια Kolokithakia Zucchini
Κολοκυθόπιτα Kolokithopita Zucchini savory pie
Κολοκυθοκεφτέδες Kolokithokeftedes Zucchini Patties
Κοκκινιστό Kokinisto Food made with tomato, from the word kokkino which means red.
Κοτόπουλο Kotopoulo Chicken
Κουλουράκια Koulourakia Cookies, usually the shape of a ring or braided.
Κουνουπίδι Kounoupidi Cauliflower. Usually consumed cooked in tomato
Κουραμπιέδες Kourabiedes Christmas butter cookies covered with powdered sugar.
Κρασί Krasi Wine (A variety of famous wines exist in Greece)
Λάδι Ladi May refer to any oil, but usually means olive oil
Λαχανικά Lahanika Vegetable
Λάχανο Lahano Cabbage
Λαχανοντολμάδες Lahanodolmades Dolmades made with cabbage
Λαδερό Lathero Stewed dishes (sometimes roasted), usually vegetable based made with olive oil and tomato
Μαγειρίτσα Mageiritsa A soup made from lamb offal and avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce), served traditionally on the eve of Easter.
Μακρόνια Makaronia Spaghetti
Μελιτζάνες Melitzanes Eggplant
Μελιτζανοσαλάτα Melitzanosalata Eggplant dip
Μελομακάρονα Melomakarona Honey cookies. Cookies traditionally made for Christmas with honey, olive oil and walnuts.
Μεζές Mezes Small servings or tidbits of food to be served with a drink.
Μουστοκούλουρα Moustokouloura Cookies made from the must of wine.
Μουσακάς Mousakas Casserole made with potato, eggplant and ground beef.
Μοσχάρι Moshari Veal
Νερό Nero Water
Νιστίσιμο Nistisimo Foods that adhere to the Greek Orthodox Fast (nistia)
Ομελέτα Omeleta Omelet
Ορεκτικό Orektiko Appetizer
Ούζο Ouzo Alcoholic drink of anise distillation
Παγωτό Pagoto Ice Cream
Παπουτσάκια Papoutsakia A dish of baked eggplants stuffed with ground beef, cheese and tomato.
Παξιμάδι Paximadi A rusk, usually referring to Cretan barley rusk.
Παστέλι Pasteli A sweet made from sesame seeds and honey.
Παστίτσιο Pastitsio A casserole made with pasta, ground beef, béchamel and tomato.
Πίτα Pita Refers to the savory pies made with phyllo dough but also to pita bread
Πιπεριά Piperia Peppers
Ψάρια Psaria fish
Ραβανί Ravani A cake made with semolina and syrup.
Ρεβύθια Revithia Chickpeas
Ρίγανι Rigani Oregano
Ρύζι Rizi Rice
Σαγανάκι Saganaki Fried cheese
Σαλάτα Salata Salad
Σάλτσα Saltsa Sauce
Σαρδέλα Sardela Sardines. Usually served grilled or cured
Σύκο Siko Fig
Σκορδαλιά Skordalia A garlic dip made with garlic, bread or potato and olive oil
Σούπα Soupa Soup
Σουτζουκάκια Soutzoukakia Meat balls that are covered in spicy tomato sauce
Σουβλάκι Souvlaki Skewers with pork meat (sometimes with chicken)
Σπανακόπιτα Spanakopita Spinach pie made with phyllo and spinach and with or without feta cheese.
Σπανακόρυζο Spanakorizo Dish made with spinach an rice cooked with a bit of tomato.
Στοιφάδο Stifado Refers to a stew made with baby onions, tomatoes and spices, usually with veal but also made with rabbit or chicken.
Ταραμοσαλάτα Taramosalata Dip made from a mixture of fish roe, bread and olive oil.
Τηγανιτί Tiiganito Fried
Τυρί Tiri Cheese
Τυρόπιτα Tiropita Cheese savory pie usually made with feta cheese.
Τραχανάς Trahanas Pellet shaped pasta made with milk
Τσουρέκι Tsoureki A sweet bread made with eggs and various spices. Similar to a brioche. Traditionally made for Easter.
Τζατζίκι Tzatziki Dip made from yogurt, garlic, olive oil and dill.
Βασιλόπιτα Vasilopita Cake made for New Years Day to celebrate Saint Basil. A coin is hidden in the cake, the person who gets the coin is believed to have good luck for the year.
Βύσινο Vissino Sour cherry
Βυσσινάδα Vissinada Sour cherry drink, served often in the summer.
Βοδινό Vodino Beef (cow)
Βραστό Vrasto Boiled
Γεμιστά Yemista Stuffed tomatoes, peppers and/or zucchini with just rice or herbs or with ground meat.
Γιαούρτι Yiaourti Yogurt
Γιουβαρλάκια Yiovarelakia Beef and rice balls cooked in avgolemono sauce
Γιουβέτσι Yiouvetsi Casserole, usually a type of meat cooked with pasta
Γλυκό Ylyko Sweet/dessert
Γλυκό του κουταλιού Ylyko Koutaliou Spoon sweets. Preserves of whole fruits that are served to guests on small spoon and plate.
Ζάχαρι Zahari Sugar
Ζύμι Zimi Dough
Ζωμός Zomos Broth