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Pantry Staples

Honey

Μέλι · Meli

Greek thyme honey being drizzled over a dessert
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Honey has been Greece's primary sweetener since long before refined sugar was widely available, and it remains central to the country's dessert tradition for that reason: baklava, melomakarona, loukoumades and countless other sweets are finished in a honey-based syrup rather than a plain sugar one, and the flavour of the honey itself is meant to come through rather than disappear.

Thyme honey, produced in real volume on islands where wild thyme grows across otherwise dry, scrubby hillsides, is treated as a genuinely distinct and prized variety, valued for a deeper, slightly resinous character compared with the milder, more floral honeys produced from other blossoms. A recipe calling simply for good honey, in an ingredients list with very few other components, is often specifically asking for this character.

Beyond dessert, honey appears drizzled over fresh anari or other soft, mild cheeses as one of the simplest dishes in the entire repertoire, and stirred into thick strained yogurt with walnuts for a breakfast or light dessert that needs essentially no further cooking at all.

Recipes with honey

29 recipes on the site using it.

Diamond-cut baklava pieces glossy with honey syrup, studded with walnuts and a cloveBaklavaBaklavas ΜπακλαβάςDesserts · 1h 45m · serves 24A bowl of golden loukoumades glossy with honey, dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnutsLoukoumadesLoukoumades ΛουκουμάδεςDesserts · 45m · serves 6Oval honey-soaked Greek Christmas cookies topped with chopped walnutsMelomakaronaMelomakarona ΜελομακάροναDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 30A pot of Greek beef stifado with whole small onions in a dark cinnamon-spiced sauceStifadoStifado ΣτιφάδοMain Courses · 3h · serves 6Slices of fresh anari cheese drizzled with honey and walnutsCypriot Fresh Cheese with HoneyAnari me meli Ανάρι με μέλιDesserts · 5m · serves 4Curled crisp Greek diples pastry ribbons drenched in honey and walnutsFried Honey PastryDiples ΔίπλεςDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 10Cut bars of Greek pasteli sesame honey candy on a wooden boardSesame and Honey BarsPasteli ΠαστέλιDesserts · 25m · serves 16Golden Cretan kalitsounia cheese hand pies drizzled with honeyCretan Sweet Cheese Hand PiesKalitsounia ΚαλιτσούνιαDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 8Bars of Corfu mandolato almond nougat studded with toasted almondsCorfu Almond NougatMandolato ΜαντολάτοDesserts · 55m · serves 16Peloponnese New Year's Eve Fried DoughLalangia ΛαλάγγιαDesserts · 1h 50m · serves 8Diamond-cut pieces of Rhodes melekouni sesame honey sweetRhodes Sesame and Honey Wedding SweetMelekouni ΜελεκούνιDesserts · 40m · serves 16A pot of Greek rakomelo, warm spiced raki with honeyWarm Raki with Honey and SpicesRakomelo ΡακόμελοDrinks · 13m · serves 4Kalymnos Honey-Soaked Cheese PancakesKatimeria Kalymnou Κατιμέρια ΚαλύμνουDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 8A bowl of thick Greek yogurt topped with honey and crushed walnutsYogurt with Honey and WalnutsGiaourti me meli kai karydia Γιαούρτι με μέλι και καρύδιαBreakfast Recipes · 5m · serves 1A stack of Greek tiganites pancakes drizzled with honey and walnutsPancakes with HoneyTiganites me meli Τηγανίτες με μέλιBreakfast Recipes · 35m · serves 4Golden Greek frigania fried bread slices drizzled with honeyFried Bread with HoneyFriganya ΦρυγανιάBreakfast Recipes · 22m · serves 4A cup of Greek mountain tea with dried sideritis stemsMountain TeaTsai tou vounou Τσάι του βουνούDrinks · 13m · serves 4A bowl of Greek strained yogurt topped with fresh seasonal fruitStrained Yogurt with Fresh FruitGiaourti me frouta Γιαούρτι με φρούταBreakfast Recipes · 10m · serves 1A glass of Greek portokalada fresh orange drink with iceFresh Orange DrinkPortokalada ΠορτοκαλάδαDrinks · 10m · serves 4Cretan Thin Cheese Pie with HoneySfakianopita ΣφακιανόπιταDesserts · 1h · serves 6A slice of Sifnos melopita honey cheesecakeSifnos Honey CheesecakeMelopita Sifnou Μελόπιτα ΣίφνουDesserts · 55m · serves 8Baked feta with honey, sesame seeds and chilli flakesBaked Feta with Honey and SesameFeta psiti me meli Φέτα ψητή με μέλιMeze and Appetisers · 17m · serves 4Fried halloumi slices drizzled with honey and sesame seedsPan-Fried Halloumi with Honey BreakfastHalloumi me meli Χαλούμι με μέλιBreakfast Recipes · 13m · serves 2Rusk with Honey and WalnutsPaximadia me meli kai karydia Παξιμάδια με μέλι και καρύδιαBreakfast Recipes · 5m · serves 1Sweet Trahanas Milk PorridgeTrahanas me gala Τραχανάς με γάλαBreakfast Recipes · 17m · serves 2A cup of Greek faskomilo sage tea with dried sage leavesSage TeaTsai faskomilo Τσάι φασκόμηλοDrinks · 13m · serves 4A loaf of Greek bobota cornbread, slicedBobotaBobota ΜπομπόταBreads and Pies · 55m · serves 8Bars of Greek pastelli sesame and honey candySesame and Honey BarPastelli ΠαστέλιDesserts · 25m · serves 12Pan-seared Greek manouri cheese drizzled with honey and sesameGrilled Manouri Cheese with HoneyManouri me meli Μανούρι με μέλιMeze and Appetisers · 20m · serves 4

More pantry staples

Olive OilWalnutsAlmondsBrandyCapersOlivesOuzoPetimeziRose WaterSaltSesame SeedsSugarTsipouroVinegarWine