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Kalliopi's KitchenGreek food recipes

Fruits

Orange

Πορτοκάλι · Portokali

Fresh oranges used in Greek baking and desserts
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Orange plays a role in Greek cooking that leans almost entirely towards the sweet side of the kitchen, in clear contrast to lemon's dominance of the savoury side. The Peloponnese in particular grows oranges in real volume, and its cooking reflects that with orange zest and juice running through cakes, festive breads and syrups far more than the rest of the country's baking does.

Portokalopita is the clearest showcase: torn, dried-out phyllo pastry folded into a batter built almost entirely around orange zest and juice, then soaked in an orange-based syrup once baked. Vasilopita, the New Year cake, and tsoureki, the Easter bread, both lean on orange zest for their characteristic aromatic lift as well.

Candied orange slices baked on top of a cake, caramelising under the oven's heat until the peel turns translucent and slightly bitter against the sweet flesh, is a specific and recognisable finishing technique in Greek baking, seen most often on portokalopita itself.

Recipes with orange

25 recipes on the site using it.

Oval 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 6Cypriot mahalepi milk pudding topped with rose syrup and crushed pistachiosMahalepiMahalepi ΜαχαλεπίDesserts · 30m · serves 6A golden braided Greek tsoureki Easter bread with a red egg tucked inTsourekiTsoureki ΤσουρέκιBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 12Twisted golden Greek koulourakia Easter cookies on a baking trayKoulourakiaKoulourakia ΚουλουράκιαDesserts · 1h · serves 30A golden Greek vasilopita New Year cake dusted with icing sugarNew Year Cake with the Hidden CoinVasilopita ΒασιλόπιταDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 12Curled crisp Greek diples pastry ribbons drenched in honey and walnutsFried Honey PastryDiples ΔίπλεςDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 10A slice of Greek karydopita walnut syrup cake on a plateWalnut Spice CakeKarydopita ΚαρυδόπιταDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 12A tray of Greek portokalopita orange phyllo cake soaked in syrupPortokalopitaPortokalopita ΠορτοκαλόπιταDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 15Mani syglino cured and smoked pork with orange peel and fennelMani Cured and Smoked PorkSyglino Maniatiko Σύγκλινο ΜανιάτικοMain Courses · 2h · serves 8A sliced Greek fanouropita spice cake, dusted with cinnamonEggless Spice Cake for Saint FanouriosFanouropita ΦανουρόπιταDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 12Diamond-cut pieces of Rhodes melekouni sesame honey sweetRhodes Sesame and Honey Wedding SweetMelekouni ΜελεκούνιDesserts · 40m · serves 16A sliced Greek yiaourtopita yogurt cake dusted with icing sugarYogurt CakeYiaourtopita ΓιαουρτόπιταDesserts · 1h · serves 10A glass of Greek portokalada fresh orange drink with iceFresh Orange DrinkPortokalada ΠορτοκαλάδαDrinks · 10m · serves 4Corfu Easter Sweet BreadFogatsa Kerkyras Φογάτσα ΚέρκυραςBreads and Pies · 1h 40m · serves 12Rhodes Sesame Ring CookiesKoulourakia Rodou Κουλουράκια ΡόδουDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 10A plate of Greek ladokouloura olive oil cookies dusted with sugarVegan Olive Oil CookiesLadokouloura ΛαδοκούλουραDesserts · 50m · serves 10A slice of Greek ravani semolina syrup cake dusted with coconutSemolina Syrup CakeRavani ΡαβανίDesserts · 1h 5m · serves 12A round Greek Christopsomo Christmas bread with a decorative dough crossChristmas BreadChristopsomo ΧριστόψωμοBreads and Pies · 1h 45m · serves 12Greek loukaniko sausage braised in red wine sauceSausage Braised in WineLoukaniko krasato Λουκάνικο κρασάτοMain Courses · 50m · serves 4A jar of Greek nerantzi glyko candied bitter orange peelBitter Orange Spoon SweetNerantzaki glyko Νεραντζάκι γλυκόDesserts · 2h 30m · serves 16Greek amygdalota almond macaroons dusted in icing sugarAlmond MacaroonsAmygdalota ΑμυγδαλωτάDesserts · 50m · serves 12A tray of Greek moustokouloura grape must ring cookiesGrape Must CookiesMoustokouloura ΜουστοκούλουραDesserts · 50m · serves 16Cypriot Semolina Custard PastriesShamishi ΣιάμισιDesserts · 1h 10m · serves 6A small glass of Patras tentoura liqueur beside cinnamon bark and clovesPatras Cinnamon and Clove LiqueurTentoura ΤεντούραDrinks · 45m · serves 20

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