Bringing Elements of Greek Lifestyle Into Your Home

Greece is loved by many for its rich history, culture, design, cuisine, and more. After visiting Greece, many wish they could bottle up elements of the Greek lifestyle to take home with them.

If you have a love for the simple, laid-back and joyful Greek way of life, here are some easy ways of introducing a slice of Greece into your own home!

By Katerina Anastasiadis 

Greek diet

There is a lot of research about the healthy Greek diet, which is rich in legumes, vegetables, olive oils, fish, herbs, nuts and yoghurt. Food is an extremely important part of Greek culture and for many is one of the reasons they love visiting Greece. From simple boiled vegetables drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and the famous Greek salad; to rich traditional recipes such as Gemista, Moussaka and Dolmades- there is so much variety to choose from.

Insights Greece - Bringing Elements of Greek Lifestyle Into Your Home

Keep in mind that the Greek diet is more than just a list of foods. It’s about knowledge of gastronomy, skills, practices, and traditions related to the cultivation and preparation of food. Greeks take their food seriously and treat it as one of life’s everyday pleasures that should be enjoyed with family and friends.

Family, Friends & Filoxenia 

Greek culture places a large emphasis on family value and unity and when we say family, we also mean extended family. For Greeks, friends become family and strangers are made to feel welcome too. Greeks are known for their Filoxenia (hospitality) and when visiting a Greek home (especially one with a Yiayia) it means you will be mothered, smothered and welcomed with open arms. Entertaining is one of the most important parts of Greek life and that means lots of good food, conversations and laughter.

Insights Greece - Bringing Elements of Greek Lifestyle Into Your Home
@sophiaenjoythinking

Greek décor

Greece is also a cultural capital of the world for its beautiful architecture and design. One unique aspect of Greek interior styling is its minimalism and simplicity. You only need a few key pieces in a room to add a touch of the Aegean to any space. Whether it be traditional ceramics or pottery, all white details, or a chic boho island cushion and chair- there are plenty of ways to add a hint of Greek décor to your home.

Coffee

Greece has a rich tradition surrounding the consumption of coffee. Not only is traditional Greek coffee considered to be one of the healthiest in the world, thanks to its heart- healthy compounds, it is the ritual of drinking caffeine that makes it so special. This is a special time to catch up with friends and slowly sip on a cup as you chat about your day’s events.

Wine

Insights Greece - Bringing Elements of Greek Lifestyle Into Your Home
@manousakiswinery

Greece may not be as well-known as other Mediterranean countries for its wine, but Greeks do love their glass or two- with many still making their own homemade varieties. Recent research revealed that Ikarians (one of the world’s 7 Blue Zones) drank a glass of wine each day. It’s quite common for locals on islands and in remote villages to have a small glass of wine with lunch and dinner.

Music

With a long history dating from the Antiquity, during which poetry, dancing, and music were inseparable- music has always played an important part in the Ancient and modern Greeks’ everyday life. Whether you love soul, jazz, rock, RnB, pop, country or even heavy metal- it’s therapeutic to put on your favourite sounds and sit back and relax with tunes that make you feel good. And as you know, Greeks don’t need an excuse to dance either- so even if you are home alone- turn up that music and get moving to the beat. We promise it will make you feel good!

*Main feature image by Blue Mandarin Photography © (Copyright) 

100% Superfood Dish: The Everyday Greek Salad

Discover why this humble salad is not only a gratifying and balanced meal in itself on a hot summer’s day but a super healthy one too.

The Greek salad, or Horiatiki, which translated in Greek means ‘village salad’, was ironically born in the Greek capital rather than a Greek village. It is said to have been the invention of taverna owners in Plaka during the 1960s and ‘70s, who according to government standards were not allowed to charge for cucumber and tomato salad (much as there’s no charge for tap water today), so they added a piece of feta to the mix and voila! – a dish tourists had to pay for was invented.

With the passing of time, the salad was embellished with Kalamata olives, strips of green bell pepper and a sprinkle of oregano (today it’s common for it to be served with a sprinkle of capers and a bed of barley rusks too). There cannot be a Greek salad without slatherings of olive oil, which by the end of the meal becomes a sauce at the bottom of the plate that’s beautifully mixed with crumbs of feta, cucumber and tomato seeds and salt. At this point, it’s considered almost unorthodox not to grab a piece of a hunk of bread and dip it indulgently into the juices, in a ritual beloved to most Greeks that’s called ‘papara’. And it gets even better. This salad is a superfood dish!

Insights Greece - 100% Superfood Dish: The Everyday Greek Salad
image via My Greek Dish

Tomato

Tomatoes, which originated in central America, reached Greece as recently as the early 1800s, along with potatoes. Red, juicy, plump tomatoes sprinkled with salt are a sensory delight on a hot summer’s day and offer significant health benefits. They’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins C, K, B3, B5, B6 & B7, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. When cooked they are also high in lycopene, known for its cancer-preventative qualities. They’re good for the skin, boost heart health and balance blood sugar levels. They’re ideally eaten at room temperature.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are high in water content, which makes them wonderfully hydrating on a hot summer’s day, especially if they’ve been chilling in the fridge. They contain fisetin, an anti-inflammatory substance that helps protect from age-related neurological diseases of the brain, as well as polyphenols called lignans, which are also anti-inflammatory. They also contain vitamin K and are high in insoluble fibre, which aids digestion. Tip: Don’t throw away the peels. Use them as a refreshing, pore-tightening face toner by rubbing them on well-cleansed skin.

Onion

Nutrient-dense and packed with antioxidants (with 25 varieties of flavonoid), onions are known for their medicinal properties, as is garlic, also from the Allium family. They are high in potassium, Vitamins C, B9 (folate) and B6 (pyridoxine, known for alleviating melancholy) and have strong anti-inflammatory properties that are said to prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure. They’re thought to prevent cancer, increase bone density and are considered a great antibacterial food, especially good when accompanying meat dishes as they’re said to help break down fats and clean the blood.

  • Insights Greece - 100% Superfood Dish: The Everyday Greek Salad
  • Insights Greece - 100% Superfood Dish: The Everyday Greek Salad
image via Serious Eats

Green Bell Pepper (optional)

Sometimes left to the side of the plate, green bell peppers are high in fibre, Vitamins C and E.

Greek Feta

Low in fat, feta cheese is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk and is high in probiotics, which help strengthen gut health. It’s high in vitamins K, B and A, magnesium, calcium and iron so it’s good for your eyesight and boosts bone density.

Kalamata Olives

High in antioxidant phenolic compounds, which also give them their distinctively sharp flavour, these olives are also high in vitamins E, C, A, B and K, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Oregano

Anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial oregano is strong not only in its flavour but in its antioxidant effects. This anti-inflammatory herb is also thought to be good for soothing congestion.

Olive Oil

Global scientific research has repeatedly touted the numerous health benefits of Greece’s antioxidant-rich ‘liquid gold’. The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil (oleic acid) protect from oxidative stress, help prevent cardiovascular diseases and have anti-cancer properties. Olive oil also helps the re-mineralisation of the bones, lowers cholesterol and helps keep brain function strong while balancing hormone levels.