Greek Herbs And Spices - Marjoram (Mantzourana)

 Image: Wikipedia Commons

Marjoram - called Mantzourana in Greek - is a shrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. Indigenous to the Mediterranean area, it can be used fresh or dry. It is similar to oregano, but milder and slightly sweeter.

It can be used with most meat dishes as well as fish and tomato dishes and salad dressings.

Although not certain, it is most probable that marjoram originated in Greece. In Ancient Greece it was planted on the graves of beloved ones in order that they would enjoy eternal peace and happiness. Hippocrates also used it medicinally.

Ancient Greeks also made head wreaths from marjoram for wedding couples, symbolising love, honour and happiness.

Greek Herbs and Spices - Bay Leaf (Daphni)

Image: Wikipedia Commons

This is the second in the series of posts on herbs and spices used in Greek cooking.

Bay laurel leaves are called Daphni (soft d) in Greek and has been cultivated since the time of the ancient Greek writer and philosopher Homer. In his Odyssey he mentions bay laurel as a herb and medicine used by Ulysses.

It is usually the dried bay leaves that are used, though fresh leaves can also be used, and are common as a herb in Greek cooking - especially in dishes with plenty of tomato. The leaves are removed before serving.

The origin of the name and the history are particularly interesting. The Greek name Daphni comes from the eponymous nymph, who was daughter of the river god Peneios (Lathonas) and earth goddes Gi. Her parents transformed her into a bay laurel tree (daphni) so as to escape the god Apollo and keep her virginity.

It was used for laurel wreaths - a symbol of high status - in ancient Greece, and was also given as the prize at the Pythian Games because the games were in honour of Apollo - the laurel was one of his symbols.When he slayed the dragon Python at Delphi he is said to have made a crown of victory from laurel, hence the presenting of 'crowns of victory' at the Pythian and Olympian games. The Oracle of Delphi and priestess of Apollo, Pythia, is also said to have chewed bay leaves before making her proclamations.


As well as its use in cooking, the bay laurel is also said to have healing properties. Its essential oil is said to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism with massage, and is used to treat earaches and high blood pressure in aromatherapy.  Additionally, a poultice soaked in boiled bay leaves is a folk remedy for rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and stinging nettle.

Greek Herbs and Spices - Basil (Vasiliko)

 Image: Wikipedia Commons

This is the first of a series of posts on herbs and spices used in Greek cooking. We're going to keep it in alphabetical order.

The word Basil comes from the Greek word Vasiliko, which is what it is still called in Greece today, meaning royal. It is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross in 330 AD and it has been speculated that it may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine" (Oxford English Dictionary).

In ancient Greece Hippocrates regarded basil as beneficial to the heart and prescribed it for treatment of constipation and as an anti-emetic.

It also has religious significance. Many Greeks bring basil plants as gifts to the church and the priest will bless the plants for the health and prosperity of people's homes. The Greek Orthodox Church also uses it to prepare holy water. The ancient Greeks, along with the Egyptians, believed that if basil was placed in the hands of a dead person, it would ensure a safe journey and open the gates of heaven for them.

Greek Prickly Pears

Although it is not exclusive to Greece, the Prickly Pear Tree grows prolifically in many areas here. It is a delicious fruit and we are now busy eating the prickly pears here!

Prickly pears here are called either Frangosyka (Frankish Figs) or Pavlosyka (Paul's Figs). The latter name is used only in Corfu as far as I know and, though it is not certain, I have been told that the name comes from Pavliana, a part of the island where they were originally prolific. If anyone has any more information on this, then I would be glad to here from you.

Although we say 'tree', it is really a cactus plant and grows easily and prolifically in many areas in southern Europe. In Corfu you can find the plants all over the island. The name 'prickly pear' comes from the fact that the fruit has large, sharp thorns which make it difficult to handle. The photo above is of a large, sprawling cactus on our neighbour Soula's land.

An interesting and perhaps little known fact is that researchers from the University of South Florida have found that mucilage from the prickly pear cactus is a natural water purifier. Their researches revealed that the thick gum produced by the cactus could capably filter 98 percent of the bacteria Bacillus cereus from the polluted water. You can read more about this here in a post from my other blog.

You can see in the photo below how the fruit is picked. The tin-shaped part at the top of the long handle is hollow so that you can enclose the fruit in it and then twist and pull it off and put it straight into the bucket or basket. This means that you avoid having to handle the thorns. You'll notice it has two sizes to accommodate for different sized fruit! This is the cutting edge of village technology!

This is Soula showing the fruit that she's just picked.

These are some of the Frangosyka that we picked.

Again, when you are peeling the fruit, you have to be careful of the thorns. As well as the large, obvious thorns, there are tiny little hair-like thorns that take an age to get out of your fingers - ask me!

You can see one way of peeling in the photo below, using a fork to hold the fruit and a knife to peel it. The final photo shows the fruit as it is once the skin has been removed. I can tell you it's definitely worth the effort! The juicy fruit is definitely one of my favourites and especially if you keep it in the fridge before eating.

First, cut off the end.

Slice the skin lengthwise.

Peel off the skin to reveal the inner fruit.

The fruit ready to eat. You can see the seeds here as well. Delicious!

Greek Mastic

Mastic Tears

Photo: Wiki Images

This post is about the traditional Greek product Mastic. Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), which is traditionally produced on the Greek island of Chios . It is known as the "tears of Chios," as the resin is produced in "tears" or droplets. Although, initially in liquid form, they become drops of hard brittle translucent resin after drying in the sun. The resin softens, however, when chewed and becomes a bright white and opaque gum.

The word mastic itself, has the same root as the English word 'masticate' - to chew.

The tree is native to the Mediterranean region, but only the mastic trees of southern Chios "weep" the mastic resin when their bark is scored. The island's mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval villages, collectively known as the 'Mastichochoria ' which are also located in the southern part of Chios. In addition to mastic, mastic oil is also produced. There is even a small Museum of Mastic in the village of Pyrgi.

Pistacia lentiscus shrub

Photo: Wiki Images

Mastic has been used as a medicine since antiquity and in the Middle East is still used in traditional folk medicine. In Ancient Greece it was given as a remedy for snakebite and has been referred to by great Greeks of the time - Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides mentions the healing properties of mastic in his book De Materia Medica and Hippocrates wrote that the mastic is good for prevention of digestive problems and colds.

Nowadays, mastic is used to prepare mastic liqueurs like Mastichato, a spoon sweet known as "vanilla", beverages, chewing gum, cakes, pastries, sweets, desserts, breads, and in cheese production. It is also a binding material or material preparation stabilizer for oriental sweets like "Turkish Delight" or mastic gum ice cream, and is suitable for preparing a pudding. In desserts, as an ingredient of jam or cakes, mastic is used to replace cornstarch and gelatin.