In ancient Greece, food wasn't just about eating. Food carried all sorts of religious and philosophical meanings.
TO BEGIN, the Greeks never ate meat unless it had been sacrificed to a god, or had been hunted in the wild. They believed that it was wrong to kill and eat a domesticated animal without sacrificing it to the gods.
When it came to vegetables, many Greeks believed that some were cleaner or dirtier than others, or that certain gods liked certain foods better:
The Pythagoreans (followers of Greek philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Pythagoras), for example, would not eat beans.
On the other hand, some other members of Greek society thought of the god Dionysos (son of Zeus, chief of the Olympians. Dionysos is the god of wine and madness, vegetation, and the theatre, and was the focus of various mystery cults) whenever they drank wine (which was often).
Ancient Greeks also focused on Demeter (goddess of grain and fertility. As the patron deity of agriculture, Demeter was worshipped with festivals) and her daughter Persephone (also the daughter of Zeus, goddess of the Underworld and wife of Hades) whenever they ate bread.
Fish was also of particular importance to ancient Greeks.
A MIX OF EUROPE AND THE ORIENT
Greek food today is a mix of Oriental and European dishes, using a variety of cooking methods from frying to broiling and boiling. There is much focus on wheat (or barley or millet), wine, and olive oil. Vegetables, especially tomatoes and legumes (lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas) also play a significant role in their diet.
