If we were to invite some of the most eminent minds of ancient Greece, such as Herodotus, Hercules, and Aristophanes, to dine with us, we would surely surprise them with the richness and variety of the food we would offer them. This is because many of today's foods were completely unknown in their time, while our eating habits are markedly different.
First of all, contrary to what modern nutritionists claim about the benefits of rich breakfast, the ancient Greeks started their day with a very simple meal that included a little barley bread dipped in unsweetened wine, along with olives and figs. Another common breakfast was "kykeonas", a drink made from boiled barley, flavored with mint or thyme, which was believed to have healing properties.
At lunch, people ate fish such as sea bream, red mullet, sardines and eels, pulses, especially lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and broad beans, bread, cheese, olives, eggs, nuts and fruit. Another contrast with today can be observed in the evening meal because although doctors today advise eating very lightly, our ancestors considered it the most important and largest meal of the day. It was accompanied by desserts called "tragimata", which could consist of fresh or dried fruit, mainly figs, walnuts and grapes or sweets with honey.
The ancients showed a particular preference for pork and beef, while they rarely ate goat and lamb. They also loved hunting, especially for quail and deer. But they also loved snails, which the Cretans had been eating since the time of Minos. Fruits and vegetables did play a major role on their daily table, but the variety was not as great as it is today. Fruits such as oranges, tangerines, peaches and bananas may not have existed, but pears, pomegranates, apples, figs, berries, cherries and plums were in great demand. As for vegetables, the Athenians grew them in their gardens and had a special fondness for onions, lettuce, cucumbers, peas, artichokes, celery, dill, and mint. Other, such as mushrooms, fennel, asparagus, and even tender nettles, were coveted in rivers and fields. They also had a great fondness for bread, making several varieties, from laganas, semolina bread and bread made from coarse flour, to millet bread.
The kitchen shelves of an ancient Greek home always had to be stocked with various spices and condiments, such as oregano, basil, mint, thyme, cardamom, coriander, capers and sesame seeds, which they used to make their dishes even tastier. Most of the dishes were very light as they were baked in the oven and on skewers. The same was true of the desserts, for as there was no sugar or cocoa, they were made of flour, dried or fresh fruit, and honey. The wine was served with every meal, of course, while the table never lacked olive oil, which they considered a gift from the goddess Athena in their city.
In any case, the ancients ate sparingly. They ate a variety of foods, but in very small quantities, believing that the purpose of eating was to satisfy the palate, not to fill the stomach. The most hard-boiled of the Greeks were the Spartans, who followed Laconic austerity even in their diet, taking a cup of "black broth" and a piece of bread daily, while on special occasions and celebrations boiled pork, some wine, and cake.
