Good
question. I happen to be the right person to answer the question since I was
born and raised in the Mediterranean until age 13. I am Bulgarian/Macedonian
and Greek Orthodox. In my life there, I have eaten plenty of Falafels,
Shawarma, and Hummus. These days I am the Owner of the Colfax Greek Bistro in
Colfax, Ca. serving Falafels, Gyros¸ Hummus plus Spanakopita, Dolmas, Baklava
and Turkish coffee.
So which of
those above are Mediterranean and which are Greek? A good Quiz!
Here is my
dictionary with the correct answers to the questions.
Gyros are
Greek and the Mediterranean form is Shawarma. The meat, whether beef, lamb,
combination of both or chicken is placed on a rotisserie ‘stacked’
horizontally. The Gyros are made with the meats ‘blended’ in the shape of a
cone that is placed on a rotisserie.
What about
Falafels? They are completely Mediterranean.
What about Hummus sauce which is
made of garbanzo beans? Mediterranean.
What about the Tzatziki sauce which is
homemade at the Colfax Greek Bistro? It is totally Greek. The Mediterranean
Shawarma has a slightly different yogurt sauce.
What about
Spanakopita? They are Greek and what is interesting is that the Mediterranean equivalent
is called Fatayer. Both are triangles filled with spinach and feta cheese but
the Spanakopita uses the thin Filo dough and the Fatayer uses regular dough.
Dolmas are
both Greek and Mediterranean. Grape leaves, stuffed with herbed rice. They can
be vegetarian or can have seasoned ground meat. Allspice is the favorite spice
of the Mediterranean variety. I helped my Mom make them on many occasions which
brings sweet memories.
Baklava is
both. I am often asked about HOW to SAY it. Is it BAKlava, or BakLAVA? In
Arabic (my first language) I learned to call it the latter and to make it more
interesting, the word is really BakLAWA.
Finally,
Turkish coffee. Customers often ask me, what IS Turkish coffee? I describe it
best as ‘Espresso but sweet instead of bitter.” Being the youngest of the family,
I was the ‘designated’ Turkish coffee maker when we guests arrived. I have
sweet memories of my mother giving me a step stool to be able to reach the
stove level. What is Greek coffee? It is more bitter and resembles Espresso in
flavor.
Come and
enjoy all this good food in Colfax at the Colfax Greek Bistro.
Elan Vitkoff