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Greek salad (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?????t??? sa??ta, ), 'country/village salad', is a common component of a traditional Greek meal. It is one of the most popular salads, especially during the summer months, in Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 and Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
 as it is light, refreshing, and easy to make. True Greek salad is essentially a tomato salad made of sliced or chopped tomatoes with a few slices of cucumber
Cucumber

The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash , and in the same genus as the muskmelon....
, red onion
Red onion

Red onions, sometimes called purple onions, are Cultivar of the onion with purplish red skin and white flesh tinged with red.These onions tend to be medium to large in size and have a mild to sweet flavor....
, feta
Feta

Feta or Feta is a brine cheese curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. A sheep?s milk cheese, varying amounts of goats? milk may be added, as long as this milk makes up less than 30% of the total mixture....
 cheese, and kalamata olive
Olive

The Olive is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon, Syria and the maritime parts of Turkey and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea....
s, seasoned with salt
Salt

A salt, in chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of acids and base . Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically electric charge ....
, black pepper
Black pepper

Black pepper is a flowering plant vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning....
, oregano
Oregano

Oregano or is a species of Origanum, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and southern and central Asia. It is a perennial plant herb, growing to 20-80 cm tall, with opposite leaf 1-4 cm long....
, and basil
Basil

Basil , of the Family Lamiaceae. Basil is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a Perennial plant in warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years....
 and dressed with olive oil
Olive oil

Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The wild olive tree originated in Anatolia and spread from there as far as southern Africa, Australia, Japan and China....
.






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Greek salad (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?????t??? sa??ta, ), 'country/village salad', is a common component of a traditional Greek meal. It is one of the most popular salads, especially during the summer months, in Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 and Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
 as it is light, refreshing, and easy to make. True Greek salad is essentially a tomato salad made of sliced or chopped tomatoes with a few slices of cucumber
Cucumber

The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash , and in the same genus as the muskmelon....
, red onion
Red onion

Red onions, sometimes called purple onions, are Cultivar of the onion with purplish red skin and white flesh tinged with red.These onions tend to be medium to large in size and have a mild to sweet flavor....
, feta
Feta

Feta or Feta is a brine cheese curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. A sheep?s milk cheese, varying amounts of goats? milk may be added, as long as this milk makes up less than 30% of the total mixture....
 cheese, and kalamata olive
Olive

The Olive is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon, Syria and the maritime parts of Turkey and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea....
s, seasoned with salt
Salt

A salt, in chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of acids and base . Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically electric charge ....
, black pepper
Black pepper

Black pepper is a flowering plant vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning....
, oregano
Oregano

Oregano or is a species of Origanum, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and southern and central Asia. It is a perennial plant herb, growing to 20-80 cm tall, with opposite leaf 1-4 cm long....
, and basil
Basil

Basil , of the Family Lamiaceae. Basil is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a Perennial plant in warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years....
 and dressed with olive oil
Olive oil

Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The wild olive tree originated in Anatolia and spread from there as far as southern Africa, Australia, Japan and China....
. Common additions include bell peppers, capers, anchovies, and sardines. Lettuce
Lettuce

Lettuce is a temperate annual plant or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. In many countries, it is typically eaten cold, raw, in salads, hamburgers, tacos, and in many other dishes....
 and vinegar
Vinegar

Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid . It also may come in a diluted form....
 are also used but not the main ingredient.

A lettuce salad (called µa?????, "lettuce") is a distinct salad, also popular, especially in the autumn and spring, consisting of finely sliced lettuce, scallion
Scallion

A scallion, also commonly known as spring onion, green onion, or salad onion, is associated with various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully-developed bulb....
s, and fresh dill
Dill

Dill is a short-lived perennial plant herbaceous. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum, though classified by some botanists in a related genus as Peucedanum graveolens C.B.Clarke....
, and dressed with salt, black pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Lemon juice

Lemon juice, a fruit juice, is the juice of lemons . Fresh lemon juice is obtained by squeezing lemons. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product most of the time, usually with the addition of ascorbic acid and a preservative such as E223....
.

Other usage

The term "Greek salad" is also used in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 to refer to a lettuce salad with Greek-inspired ingredients, dressed with vinegar
Vinegar

Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid . It also may come in a diluted form....
 and oil. Lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and olives are the most standard elements in an American "Greek" salad, but cucumbers, peperoncini, bell peppers, onions, radish
Radish

The radish is an Eating root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman Empire times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world....
es, dolmades, anchovies/sardines and pickled hot peppers are common. In the Detroit, Michigan area, for example, a "Greek salad" also includes beet
Beet

The beet is a plant in the Amaranthaceae. It is best known its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red root vegetable known as the garden beet....
s. Rather than simple olive oil and vinegar, as in a µa????? - lettuce salad, prepared dressings containing various herbs and seasonings are frequently employed. This style of "Greek salad" is rarely encountered in Greece except in the homes of American Greeks or restaurants that cater to tourists. In these countries, the true Greek salad, when encountered, may be called by the Greek term horiatiki—pronounced [h??ri?'ćt?ki?]—or by such terms as "country salad", "peasant salad", or "village salad", to avoid confusion.

Greek salad is also found in other European countries e.g. Germany (where it is often called Bauernsalat), France (salade ŕ la Grecque), Hungary (görög saláta) and Spain (ensalada griega).

Various other salads have also been called "Greek" in the English language in the last century, including some with a very old connection to Greek cuisine. For example, one 1938 American recipe
Recipe

A recipe is a set of instructions that show how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish .Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components:...
 called for a mayonnaise-dressed lettuce salad with shredded cabbage
Cabbage

The cabbage is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae , used as a Leaf vegetable. It is a herbaceous, biennial plant, dicotyledonous flowering plant distinguished by a short stem upon which is crowded a mass of leaves, usually green but in some varieties red or purplish, forming a characteristic compact, globular cluster ....
, carrots, and diced smoked herring
Herring

Herring are small, oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, including the Baltic Sea....
 (rega/renga).

The salads of Greek cuisine are wide and varied. Each region of Greece has or has had a salad specific to the village or area. The most common, described above, start most meals today in Greece at home or when dining out. Other salads of Greek cuisine include cabbage salad ("slaw") (Lahanosalata), dressed with olive oil and lemon juice
Lemon juice

Lemon juice, a fruit juice, is the juice of lemons . Fresh lemon juice is obtained by squeezing lemons. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product most of the time, usually with the addition of ascorbic acid and a preservative such as E223....
 and garlic. Beetroot salad (Pantzarosalata), sliced beetroots, sometimes with beet greens as well, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Rocket salad, arugula
Arugula

Eruca sativa , also known as rocket or arugula, is an edible plant. It is a species of Eruca native to the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Jordan and Turkey....
 dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Lemon juice

Lemon juice, a fruit juice, is the juice of lemons . Fresh lemon juice is obtained by squeezing lemons. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product most of the time, usually with the addition of ascorbic acid and a preservative such as E223....
, can include anchovies. Patata salata: Potato salad with olive oil, finely sliced onions, lemon juice or vinegar. Revithosalata, chickpea
Chickpea

The chickpea is an edible legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Chickpeas are high in protein and one of the earliest cultivated vegetables....
 salad. "Maintanouri", parsley salad, usually used as a condiment. Cypriot salad, native to the island of Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
, consists of finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers and flat-leaf parsley, and most closely resembles the 'Greek salad' of Greece.

Some spreads and dips found in the meze
Meze

Meze or mezze in the Eastern Mediterranean is a selection of appetizers or small dishes often served with beverage, like anise-flavored liqueurs as the Arak , ouzo, Raki_ or different wines, similar to the tapas of Spain or finger food....
 of Greek cuisine are also affectionately called 'salad' in Greek. Melitzanosalata (Greek: µe??t?a??sa??ta), is an eggplant 'puree' that includes olive oil, red wine vinegar, flat-leaf parsley and garlic (with regional variations). Taramosalata
Taramosalata

Taramosalata or Taramas is a Greek and Turkish meze. It is traditionally made from taramas, the salted and cured roe of the cod or the carp, though blends based on other forms of fish roe, particularly cod, have become more common....
 (Greek: ta?aµ?sa??ta) is fish roe mixed with lemon juice, onions, and olive oil, and breadcrumbs or mashed potato.

See also

  • Greek cuisine
  • Cuisine of Cyprus
    Cuisine of Cyprus

    Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine encountered on the island of Cyprus, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Cypriot cuisine is shaped by the island's Mediterranean climate, geography, and history....
  • Greek food products
    Greek food products

    Greek Products ...
  • Greek Macedonian cuisine
    Macedonian cuisine (Greek)

    Macedonian cuisine is the cuisine of Greek Macedonia . Contemporary Greek Macedonian cookery shares many elements with general Greek cuisine and wider Balkan cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine, accompanied by oriental elements....
  • Meze
    Meze

    Meze or mezze in the Eastern Mediterranean is a selection of appetizers or small dishes often served with beverage, like anise-flavored liqueurs as the Arak , ouzo, Raki_ or different wines, similar to the tapas of Spain or finger food....


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