Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Herbs

Mint

Δυόσμος · Diosmos

Fresh mint leaves used in Greek and Cypriot cooking

Mint occupies a narrower but more specific role in Greek cooking than the herb enjoys in, say, Middle Eastern or South Asian food: it turns up chopped through minced meat mixtures, most reliably in keftedes and in the filling for stuffed vegetables, giving a clean, cool background note against the fattier meat and the warmth of any cinnamon in the mix.

It is also the herb that most clearly divides Cypriot cooking from mainland Greek cooking in one specific dish: Cypriot koupepia, stuffed vine leaves with meat, use mint running through the filling, where the equivalent mainland dolmades lean on dill instead. Swap the herb and the dish reads as belonging to the other tradition.

Fresh mint is what both traditions actually want; dried mint is used but treated as a distinctly different, muskier ingredient, reached for in things like Cypriot flaounes rather than as a simple substitute for the fresh leaf.

Photo: Mint leaves (Mentha spicata).jpg by Commonists, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recipes with mint

29 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers with browned tops and potato wedges between them Greek Main CoursesGemista Γεμιστά · 2h 10m · serves 6 A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mint Greek Meze and AppetisersGreek Keftedes Κεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6 A square of Greek cheese pie with crisp layered phyllo and a pale creamy filling Greek Breads and PiesTiropita Τυρόπιτα · 1h 15m · serves 8 Greek scrambled eggs with tomato and crumbled feta in a pan with bread Greek Breakfast RecipesStrapatsada Στραπατσάδα · 23m · serves 3 Golden grilled halloumi slices with lemon wedges and dried mint Greek Meze and AppetisersGrilled Halloumi Χαλλούμι · 11m · serves 4 Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oil Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8 Golden Greek courgette fritters piled on a plate with tzatziki and lemon Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithokeftedes Κολοκυθοκεφτέδες · 55m · serves 6 Crisp Rhodian chickpea fritters piled on paper with lemon wedges Greek Meze and AppetisersPitaroudia Πιταρούδια · 45m · serves 6 Cypriot koupepia stuffed vine leaves arranged on a plate with lemon Greek Main CoursesKoupepia Κουπέπια · 1h 50m · serves 6 Cypriot flaounes cheese pastries with a golden sesame-topped crust Greek Breads and PiesFlaounes Φλαούνες · 2h 5m · serves 16 Slices of fresh anari cheese drizzled with honey and walnuts Greek DessertsAnari me Meli Ανάρι με μέλι · 5m · serves 4 A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta inside Greek Main CoursesBifteki Μπιφτέκι · 40m · serves 4 A plate of golden fried Greek revithokeftedes chickpea fritters Greek Meze and AppetisersRevithokeftedes Ρεβιθοκεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6 Greek Breads and PiesKolokithopita Epirus Κολοκυθόπιτα Ηπείρου · 1h 55m · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesMarouli Dolmades Ντολμάδες με μαρούλι · 1h 25m · serves 6 Santorini ntomatokeftedes tomato fritters, golden and crisp Greek Meze and AppetisersNtomatokeftedes Santorinis Ντοματοκεφτέδες Σαντορίνης · 40m · serves 6 Greek Breads and PiesKalasouna Naxou Καλαθούνα Νάξου · 1h 15m · serves 6 Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, sliced Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8 Greek SaladsKolokithosalata Κολοκυθοσαλάτα · 15m · serves 4 Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halves Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστές · 1h 40m · serves 6 A tray of golden Greek tiropitakia trigona cheese triangle pastries Greek Meze and AppetisersTiropitakia Trigona Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωνα · 1h 10m · serves 8 A slice of Greek melitzanopita aubergine and feta phyllo pie Greek Breads and PiesMelitzanopita Μελιτζανόπιτα · 1h 35m · serves 8 A slice of Kalymnos sfougato courgette and herb frittata Greek Main CoursesSfougato Kalymnou Σφουγγάτο Καλύμνου · 1h · serves 6 Greek kolokithoanthoi gemisti stuffed courgette flowers Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithoanthoi Gemisti Κολοκυθοανθοί γεμιστοί · 1h 10m · serves 6 A glass of Greek limonada fresh lemonade with ice and mint Greek DrinksLimonada Λεμονάδα · 15m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersPougia Karpathou Πουγιά Καρπάθου · 1h 10m · serves 8 Golden fried Greek patatokeftedes potato fritters Greek Side DishesPatatokeftedes Πατατοκεφτέδες · 50m · serves 6 Greek Meze and AppetisersKalitsounia Almyra Καλιτσούνια αλμυρά · 1h 10m · serves 8 Aubergine-wrapped Greek dolmades in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Ntolmades Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάνα · 1h 30m · serves 6

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