Boat Moussaka and Greece's Food Culture, -Food Experience Blog

This weekend I traveled to the Greek island of Crete for Greek Independence Day and was able to try several new foods. One new meal I had the pleasure of trying was moussaka. Moussaka is a very common Greek dish so I'm surprised it took me this long to try. I'm bad at explaining what I eat, but according to Google moussaka is typically made up of sauteed eggplant and tomato with minced meat. I don't even know what sauteed or minced means. I got it because it looked like lasagna. 

See? It looks like lasagna. If I were to guess the top part is probably sauteed eggplant? The meat is definitely in the middle. After Googling what "saute" means I can state with confidence the top is the eggplant. I tried this dish on a ferry that goes to Crete. The ferry is an eight-hour ride with very limited seating, so I took my time eating the dish to take advantage of the comfortable chairs in the dining area. I thought it was lasagna the entire time until one of my friends asked me how the moussaka was. It was very good lasagna and maybe even better moussaka. After (poorly) describing a traditional Greek meal it's important to discuss the role food plays in Greek culture.

Food ties into community and family. Meals aren't treated the same way Americans typically treat them. Many Americans have the ability to convince themselves that anything is a meal. A peanut butter cliff bar during the walk to class, a sausage egg and cheese from a Dunkin Donuts drive-through while running late to work, or coffee in the morning are good examples of this. Sometimes when I'm really on a budget I'll eat sleep for dinner and just go to bed early. Most of the time our quick cheap meals boil down to being in a rush for something else. We eat quickly and alone. This is not the case in Greece. Mealtimes are used to relax, visit with friends and family, and enjoy the cuisine. They share food, stories, and each other's company. They take their time without worrying about what's next in their day. Most Greek meals last a couple hours. Similar to other cultures many Greek shops have breaks during the day for meals. The slow meals were definitely a culture shock. My friends and I would be done with our meals for an hour before being brought our checks. It's truly a stress-free and food-oriented culture. Meals tie people together. Before moving on to narrative nonsense that no longer relates to the Greek Cuisine article I'll leave you with a great quote from the Greek philosopher Epicurus.

 "We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink, for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf." 

If this were an American quote you would definitely find it in the living room of a middle-aged wine mom with a family of 4+. The words would lie on a white backdrop, with black writing, surrounded by a wooden frame above their fireplace mantel. 

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