Greek cuisine guide
Where it comes from
Greek cooking sits on the Mediterranean triad of wheat, olive oil and wine, with a repertoire shaped by a long Ottoman overlap and by the Orthodox fasting calendar — which is the historical reason so many dishes are naturally vegan. Lemon and oregano do much of the aromatic work; feta and yoghurt much of the dairy.
The fasting inheritance is a genuine commercial asset: gigantes, dolmades, fasolada and much of the vegetable repertoire are plant-based by tradition rather than by adaptation, and guests filtering for vegan options should find them easily.
Allergens and dietary needs
Dairy is the dominant allergen — feta, yoghurt and kefalotyri appear widely — with wheat in filo and bread, and sesame on bread and in halva. Fish and molluscs are common in coastal cooking.
Protected names apply here too: feta is a protected designation of origin, and the word carries a specific legal meaning in the EU market.
Naming it on an English-language menu
Flag the fasting-tradition dishes as vegan where they are. Gigantes, fasolada and much of the vegetable repertoire qualify by tradition, and guests filtering for plant-based options should find them at once.
Use feta precisely. It is a protected designation of origin in the EU, so the word is a specific claim about what is on the plate rather than a generic description.
Staple ingredients
- olive oil
- feta
- lemon
- oregano