Food in Greece

The food in Greece is absolutely delicious! We do not eat until around 9:00 or 10:00 pm. Even after two weeks, I am still getting adjusted to the difference in meal times compared to the United States. The structure of meals is pretty much the same as home, with bread and appetizers being served first, followed by main courses, and finished with a dessert. Restaurants also usually offer complementary Ouzo at the end of a meal, which is a Greek alcohol that helps the digestive system. The etiquette and portion sizes are similar to the US as well, but the food is always very healthy and fresh. It is extremely rare that a dish will be frozen and if the meat or seafood is not fresh, the menu actually states that under the item. There are a lot of vegetables in most meals and you can taste the difference of how fresh they are. Also, dessert often consists of fruit, usually honeydew melon and watermelon, which is a much healthier option than the desserts we usually order back home. It is interesting how sweet fruit tastes to me now that I have not been eating baked goods and ice cream like I usually do for dessert in the States.
Breakfasts are always served at our hotels, and then I eat lunch and dinner out at restaurants. It has been less expensive than I expected to do that because Greek prices in general are very reasonable. The most delicious food I have tried thus far is a swordfish that a restaurant in Rhodes recommended to me. I originally ordered another seafood dish, but the waiter let me know that the swordfish had been caught that same day and recommended that I try it. I was so happy he did because it was so good and I had never tried swordfish before. I think it is awesome how honest the Greeks are when doing business. They are not just looking to make a profit, but actually want you to have the best experience possible at their restaurants and shops.
While dining at a restaurant in Crete for dinner one night, we got a first hand look at how fresh the food truly is in Greek restaurants. We sat outside in a garden area with lemon trees overhead. A lemon actually fell from a tree above us onto our table. We all thought it was so funny until a member of the wait staff casually came over and proceeded to use the lemon right away to serve with one of our dishes. It really does not get much fresher than that. I love all of the food in Greece and while I will miss it, I definitely plan to bring some recipes back to share with friends and family!