Saganaki

Today I wanna tell you about Saganaki. Saganaki, hot breaded cheese, is one of the most popular appetizers in Greece. The slices of cheese, which are about 1-1.5 cm thick, are breaded and heated in olive oil in a pan. Saganaki is prepared in portions in a small pan. Hence the name: Saganaki means translated approximately "small pan".

The dish should be served quickly and hot, because Saganaki tastes best when half melted. Different kinds of cheese are used for Saganaki. The cheese can be made from cow's milk as well as sheep's milk. Popular is the variety Kefolotiri or also Feta. The cheese slices are usually breaded. Then the cheese is fried in olive oil in a pan. On the grill, the saganaki comes in aluminum foil. Every cook in Greece uses his own spices. These are often oregano, garlic or thyme. Sometimes the starter is served on a plate with slices of tomato or olives. Almost always a piece of fresh lemon is added. So the tavern guest has the free choice whether to eat the warm cheese with or without lemon juice. As with almost all dishes in Greece, bread is also eaten with Saganaki. The cheese lies heavy in the stomach. The starter is quite rich in calories, but also makes you feel quite full. More expensive variants of the Saganaki are for example with seafood. Mussel Saganaki or shrimp Saganaki (Garides Saganaki) are offered in some restaurants. The dish is rarely translated into German and English. So you can find it on the menus in Greece under "Saganaki".