Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Pantry Staples

Honey

Μέλι · Meli

Greek thyme honey being drizzled over a dessert

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.

Photo: Dipper stick and honey in a jar.jpg by Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0.

Recipes with honey

29 recipes on the site using it.

Diamond-cut baklava pieces glossy with honey syrup, studded with walnuts and a clove Greek DessertsGreek Baklava Μπακλαβάς · 1h 45m · serves 24 A bowl of golden loukoumades glossy with honey, dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnuts Greek DessertsLoukoumades Λουκουμάδες · 45m · serves 6 Oval honey-soaked Greek Christmas cookies topped with chopped walnuts Greek DessertsMelomakarona Μελομακάρονα · 1h 5m · serves 30 A pot of Greek beef stifado with whole small onions in a dark cinnamon-spiced sauce Greek Main CoursesGreek Stifado Στιφάδο · 3h · serves 6 Slices of fresh anari cheese drizzled with honey and walnuts Greek DessertsAnari me Meli Ανάρι με μέλι · 5m · serves 4 Curled crisp Greek diples pastry ribbons drenched in honey and walnuts Greek DessertsDiples Δίπλες · 1h 15m · serves 10 Cut bars of Greek pasteli sesame honey candy on a wooden board Greek DessertsPasteli Παστέλι · 25m · serves 16 Golden Cretan kalitsounia cheese hand pies drizzled with honey Greek DessertsKalitsounia Καλιτσούνια · 1h 10m · serves 8 Bars of Corfu mandolato almond nougat studded with toasted almonds Greek DessertsMandolato Μαντολάτο · 55m · serves 16 Greek DessertsLalangia Λαλάγγια · 1h 50m · serves 8 Diamond-cut pieces of Rhodes melekouni sesame honey sweet Greek DessertsMelekouni Μελεκούνι · 40m · serves 16 A pot of Greek rakomelo, warm spiced raki with honey Greek DrinksRakomelo Ρακόμελο · 13m · serves 4 Greek DessertsKatimeria Kalymnou Κατιμέρια Καλύμνου · 1h 15m · serves 8 A bowl of thick Greek yogurt topped with honey and crushed walnuts Greek Breakfast RecipesGreek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts Γιαούρτι με μέλι και καρύδια · 5m · serves 1 A stack of Greek tiganites pancakes drizzled with honey and walnuts Greek Breakfast RecipesTiganites me Meli Τηγανίτες με μέλι · 35m · serves 4 Golden Greek frigania fried bread slices drizzled with honey Greek Breakfast RecipesFrigania Φρυγανιά · 22m · serves 4 A cup of Greek mountain tea with dried sideritis stems Greek DrinksTsai tou Vounou Τσάι του βουνού · 13m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek strained yogurt topped with fresh seasonal fruit Greek Breakfast RecipesGiaourti me Frouta Γιαούρτι με φρούτα · 10m · serves 1 A glass of Greek portokalada fresh orange drink with ice Greek DrinksPortokalada Πορτοκαλάδα · 10m · serves 4 Greek DessertsSfakianopita Σφακιανόπιτα · 1h · serves 6 Greek DessertsMelopita Sifnou Μελόπιτα Σίφνου · 55m · serves 8 Greek Meze and AppetisersFeta Psiti me Meli Φέτα ψητή με μέλι · 17m · serves 4 Fried halloumi slices drizzled with honey and sesame seeds Greek Breakfast RecipesHalloumi me Meli Χαλούμι με μέλι · 13m · serves 2 Greek Breakfast RecipesPaximadia me Meli kai Karydia Παξιμάδια με μέλι και καρύδια · 5m · serves 1 Greek Breakfast RecipesTrahanas me Gala Τραχανάς με γάλα · 17m · serves 2 A cup of Greek faskomilo sage tea with dried sage leaves Greek DrinksFaskomilo Tsai Τσάι φασκόμηλο · 13m · serves 4 A loaf of Greek bobota cornbread, sliced Greek Breads and PiesBobota Μπομπότα · 55m · serves 8 Greek DessertsPastelli Παστέλι · 25m · serves 12 Greek Meze and AppetisersManouri me Meli Μανούρι με μέλι · 20m · serves 4

More pantry staples

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