10Herbs, Sauces and Spices
Ancient Greek cooks used herbs to make simple meals more flavorful. Popular herbs included oregano, thyme, mint, dill, coriander, fennel, and bay leaves.
Rich families could afford more expensive spices and sauces, while poor families mostly used local herbs from the countryside. Many meals were simple, boiled, or baked, but herbs and olive oil helped make them tastier.
Corfu’s countryside is full of herbs, wild greens, and aromatic plants. Older Corfiot cooking often depended on whatever people could grow, collect, or produce locally.
Worth knowing: Greek food still depends heavily on herbs, olive oil, lemon, garlic, and simple natural flavors.
Final Thoughts
One of the most fascinating things about Greek cuisine is how much of its ancient character still survives.
Olive oil, bread, wine, legumes, vegetables, herbs, fish, and seasonal fruits formed the backbone of the ancient Greek diet. These same ingredients remain essential in Greece today.
In Corfu, many older families still remember a time when almost everything came from their own land: homemade bread, locally pressed olive oil, garden vegetables, olives, beans, lentils, fresh herbs, fruit, and fish from nearby waters.
These simple eating habits were not only practical but also healthy. They helped shape what we now call the Mediterranean diet.
Travel Tip: When visiting Greece or Corfu, try simple local dishes made with olive oil, legumes, fresh vegetables, herbs, and seasonal ingredients. This is one of the best ways to taste the real food history of Greece.
