Mediterranean Cuisine Herbs, Spices, Olive and Yogurt - Avra Cafe Bexhill-on-Sea, UK

The rich heritage of the various communities no doubt has brought the life the cuisine scene in England. I had some really incredible traditional Greek food lately.

Met the Greek chef and the owner. With 2 years of Koine Greek in school I managed to get some pronunciation going. But nothing has prepared me the moment for the introduction of Greek food beyond feta cheese and Greek yogurt.

Learnt that xoirino means pork. Xoirino Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce and pita bread. It had pork shoulder for meat. It was so flavourful.

A quick check has it that these were the components of the dish: oregano, pepper, lemon juice and garlic. Not forgetting cayenne powder sprinkled over it. Tzaziki was a mix of yogurt, cucumber and mint. Ate it with pita and what a homely wholesome meal.

We ate quite a bit of vegan food as it is still the Greek Orthodox period leading to the Easter. There is a demand as some forms of Fasting is ongoing.

We had Arakas Latheros, it means peas cooked in olive oil. Peas dominate with addition of carrots, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. With dill, salt, pepper and olive oil we had a dish of healthy proportions.

I thought we had some good soup back home. Here are some great introductions to the  Mediterranean soup.

The Lentils soup had carrots and tomatoes added. Cooked with like oregano, rosemary, black pepper, vinegar and olive oil and we got a thick and well textured soup. It's filling and healthy.

The last was the white beans soup or Fasolada, with celery, onions, carrots, tomatoes and bay leaves. Surprise, its the Greek national dish. It was more soupy. It's simple and nutritious. No wonder some of these dishes are a choices for those who go vegan for a season for spiritual reasons.

As with Mediterranean food, in the hands of any cook, it will turned out great esp with the help of generous among herbs and spices.





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