Best regional Greek salads beyond horiatiki?

[mj_toronto8]

I realized recently that whenever people talk about Greek salads, it almost always comes back to horiatiki. I am just curious because I KNOW Greeks are eating different salads. I was in a taxi once where the driver parked at an Aldi, ran in, bought lettuce, and then proceeded to drive us where we were going. Anyway, that got me curious about what people eat.

I’ve heard of dakos in Crete and I know some islands and villages seem to use different vegetables, herbs, breads, cheeses, etc.. I’m especially curious about dishes that people actually eat in the summer rather than restaurant versions made for tourists. What do you think?

 

[k_tsoukalas]

That’s a great question. Horiatiki definitely gets most of the attention outside Greece, but Greeks eat plenty of other salads, especially during the summer when vegetables are at their best.

The taxi driver buying lettuce doesn’t surprise me at all! A simple marouli salad (lettuce, scallions, dill, olive oil, and lemon) is extremely common and often appears on family tables. In the summer, I also see lots of cucumber salads, tomato and cucumber combinations, and cabbage salads dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar.

One thing I love about Greek salads is that they’re usually simple, seasonal, and made to accompany the meal rather than be the meal itself.