Famous for Gods, Goddesses and Olympic Games, but what did we make of Greek snacks?
Good evening Twisties,
For once, I can proudly say that I was quite looking forward to Monday. I really enjoy writing these snack tasting posts for you and I really enjoy trying snacks from all over the world, too. You think you know a country and then poof! Something unexpected happens. All of a sudden, it shapes your view of what you know of that country completely.
I managed to do my write-ups in a weird order with France having been the most recent box that I’ve received. Not to worry, I made sure to schedule this one in so as not to miss anything out!
When I opened this box, I was really hesitant. My experience of Greek food until that point had been limited to olives (not my thing), hummus (which I later discovered is imported anyway) and a general bit of knowledge of feta cheese. Although I hadn’t tried feta cheese before and we weren’t sent any in this box, I have since had the opportunity to try it thanks to Gousto, and I can safely say that I am a fan!
Owing to the popularity of ‘Winner or Binner’ from our French and Russian snacks tastings, I will be bringing that again. Several of you seem to love that added twist, so Winner or Binner gets to stay!
Alright, let’s get stuck in!
2001 Crackers
These cute little crackers have the 12 signs of the zodiac printed on them. Not unlike a saltine or a Ritz cracker, they’re crisp. creamy and slightly salty.
Winner or Binner? I had to gently remind Mr Wolfie that these were food, not counters, he had sllghtly too much fun trying to complete the set! They’re tasty, novel and cute, Winner!
Jumbo Chips Oregano
Unfortunately, in between trying to remember to photograph everything, keep notes and try snacks, I managed not to photograph these snacks, and for that, I apologise. These chips are simple, oregano flavoured crisps (chips) from Greece. Delicious!
Winner or Binner? We couldn’t really see what was so ‘jumbo’ about these chips, but they were still very nice. A little bit greasy, also not powdery like some. The oregano was a good flavour and it would be easy to sit down and eat a bagful if you weren’t too careful. Winner!
7 Days Pizzeti
According to their website, Pizzeti are twice-baked bread chips (which are shaped like a cute mini bagel!) topped with various toppings. The ones we received are topped with Emmental cheese. tomato and garlic.
Winner or Binner? These chips are very hard and weren’t particularly flavourful. The Emmental cheese has also baked into something not unlike pieces of plastic. Sadly, these chips were a Binner.
Macedonian Halva – Vanilla
If you’ve ever had halva before, it is a sweet, crumbly Greek snack made largely from crushed sesame seeds. It has a flaky appearance and a distinctive sweet, nutty smell. The flavour itself is simultaneously sweet and bitter with a slightly smoky flavour.
Winner or Binner? I absolutely adore halva, so for me, it was a winner. With a bowlful of exotic fruits, I could get through a 500g tub of halva without thinking. For Mr Wolfie, this was possibly the devil the incarnate, but this is my blog so say it quietly with me.. Winner 😉
Mousto Koulouro Cookie
Yes, guys and girls, we know what it looks like! This sweet, brown cookie is made with grape molasses and has a sweet, slightly spicy smell. It’s quite dense too, so it’s probably a great snack if you’re feeling particularly hungry.
Winner or Binner? Bleugh! Sorry Greece, the flavour of clove in this was far, far too powerful for me. Not only was it dense, but the cookie was also very dry too and needed a drink to help it down. Another unfortunate Binner.
Mipanta Biscuits
These little biscuits are as sweet in taste as they are in appearance. Each bearing an elegant pattern and the name ‘Mipanta’, they are very similar in taste and texture to another love of mine… Crawford’s Morning Coffee biscuits! Sweet, creamy and slightly golden and spicy, perfect!
Winner or Binner? I just love how cute and adorable these little biscuits are! Whether it’s for sharing or for snacking at break time, they’re adorable and delicious. Winner!
Ion Chocofreta
The most frustrating thing about chocofreta is that you know you’ve had something like it before, but what? Because really, there is nothing like Ion Chocofreta! A chocolate wafer biscuit, topped with chocolate and chopped nuts (we think hazelnuts?). It’s a treat alright, and it’s filling!
Winner or Binner? It melted quite easily so it was pretty messy to eat, but besides that and overall, it was delicious and an easy winner. We’d definitely look out for Chocofreta again!
Lila Pause
If you’ve ever had strawberry chocolate mice, Lila Pause is like those fun little candies, melted, mixed with puffed rice, turned into a bar and covered in milk chocolate. It’s sweet, and probably for the children, it’s also popular.
Winner or Binner? Wow.. just wow. This bar had us both pulling faces. Confectionery in the UK can be pretty sweet, but this was exceptional. The strawberry was also an artificial strawberry flavour, which was disappointing. I have had better strawberry yoghurt crispy snacks, so Binner.
Gum On! Burgers
I just love the play on words here, Gum On! Come On! Very clever, Greece! We’ve probably all had or seen candies like this somewhere before, fun little candies that you can stack to look like a burger. Seen it before, so how do they compare?
Winner or Binner? I actually think these are better than the ones we have in the UK! The fruity flavour is really good and the foam burger tops are really foamy. Another Winner for Greece!
Piccolo Ouzo
Okay, so what’s really interesting here is that “piccolo” is an Italian word that means small, and Italy is right across the Ionion Sea! With that said, Ouzo is a Greek alcoholic drink, so the two have fused to create these delightful aniseed-flavoured candies, wrapped in wrappers almost as deep blue as the Ionian Sea itself!
Winner or Binner? After a few seconds of sucking one of these little candies, I piped up to Mr Wolfie that “I can’t feel my tongue!”, to which he replied, “if you had the drink, you wouldn’t be able to feel anything at all!”. While he might not be wrong there, I loved these candies and they have a great flavour for sure. Another Winner!
Loux Soft Drink
Available in lemon, orange or sour cherry, Loux is a soft drink from the Greek islands made with 20% fruit juice. We received the cloudy lemonade, which we were a little dubious about.
Winner or Binner? After the Piccolo Ouzo, Loux was guaranteed to sober up our palette! I’m not really a fan of carbonated drinks but for its refreshing lemon flavour alone, it deserves to be a Winner.
What surprised me most was..
I was expecting to see an appearance of dried fruits, most notably dates or figs, and honey. When we studied ancient Greece (as though I don’t feel ancient now myself!), I remember being taught about the popularity of honey in Greece. Alas, I didn’t see or taste any figs or honey here.
I hope you enjoyed this look at some Greek snacks. Have you tried Greek snacks before? Which ones would you try? let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
Stay safe & have fun.
Helen xx
