FROM ANTIQUITY TO MODERN GREECE

When you live in Greece you are reminded everyday of the history of this land. Not only by the ancient temples and ruins you can find all over the country, but by the language, music, art and of course the food.
 The food culture of the ancient Greeks has influenced many cultures and  the food in Greece today is the result of many influences from various cultures as well. But we  see many similarities when we compare the modern Greeks with the ancient Greeks.
 The ancient Greeks wanted to establish a civilized lifestyle that distinguished them from the barbarians and food played an important role in this. A meal was civilised because  Ancient Greeks  had good company while eating , served wine in a special way e.t.c. For them eating was not a necessity but it was a social event.
Plutarch, a Greek historian had said, “We do not sit at the table to eat… but to eat together”.
Today, eating in modern Greece is indeed a very social event. It is common  for people to relax and have great discussions or arguments about  politics, social problems or relationships while eating dinner or lunch. These meals can last for hours.
 Eating alone, even for the younger generations of Greeks is not common. You won’t see people taking a lunch break at a park eating their meal alone. Instead Greeks will  order all together at the office or sometimes share the food they have brought from home.  
Bread, Wine  Olive Oil, Honey and Figs ( which are still found in our dietary habits ) were part of their diet. For the Greeks these foods represented frugality but it is thought also loyalty to their country since these foods were produced in Greece.



In the book FOOD, A CULINARY HISTORY it says that the Greeks consumed no more than 4 pounds of meat a year-those who consumed meat and milk were nomad hunter-gatherers as opposed to civilized people who farmed the land and could transform nature (grapes=wine, wheat=bread, olives=olive oil).
Economics also played a role: the animals were more useful alive providing milk for cheese and wool.
Nowadays though Greeks eat a lot of meat



References
Dalby, A. (1996). Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece. New York, NY: Routledge.
Dalby, A., Grainger, S. (1996). The Classical Cookbook. London and Los Angeles: British Museum Press/John Paul Getty Museum Press.
Sonnenfield, A. (1999). Food, A Culinary History, J.L. Flandrin, M. Montanari, (Ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Tannahill, R. (1988). Food in History. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press a division of Crown Publishers