Oldways is taking a
culinary tour to Greece this November, starting in Thessaloniki, traveling south to Athens, and visiting food markets and restaurants along the way. One of the foods we can't wait to get our hands on is a dreamy herb- and spinach-filled savory pie called
spanakopita. It's crispy and delicious, and who can say no to pie?
Spanakopita is just the tip of the iceberg of savory pies in Greece; they are a quintessential Greek food, where [insert Greek word for ingredient]-pita (or -pittes for little pies) vary indefinitely. Tyropitas are stuffed with cheese and patatopita are stuffed with potatoes, for example.
Hortopites are Greek savory pies stuffed with horta, a general Greek term for wild greens such as purslane, sorrel and dandelion greens. In the U.S., these greens could be considered weeds, but in Greece, they are valued for their flavor and health benefits. In fact, Greeks share with American Southerners the tradition of drinking the leftover broth from cooking greens. Eating greens is a way of life there, as are the savory hortopites made with them.
The Greeks aren't the only ones with a proud culinary history of savory pies; they're found around the Mediterranean. Like many Mediterranean foods, savory pies were created as a way to stretch vegetables from the garden into a substantial meal: just mix cooked vegetables with fresh herbs, cheese, eggs, and plenty of olive oil, wrap them in thin pastry crust, and bundle them up for the oven. They store well, travel well, and they can be served cold or hot; they're the ultimate Mediterranean "fast food."
A long time ago, many small Mediterranean towns shared ovens, and savory pies were a popular item to bring to the oven on your "baking day." Back then, they were a simple and practical way to feed the family. These days, fillings are limitless and shapes range from rectangular sheet pan-sized pies to impressive spiral coils.
To find out which Mediterranean stuffed savory pie suits your style, take our quiz:
