Do the Greeks typically order mineral water with meals? Is there a fizzy Greek mineral water that is particularly good? We have our faves in France and Italy and wondered if you find standard brands throughout Greece or are mineral waters local. Thanks in advance for your tips.

Take care,
Robyn France

I don't recall ever seeing a Greek fizz-water, or a non-fizz Greek mineral water for that matter. Club soda seems to be what most restaurants offer in that regard as well as the common bottles of "plain" water found everywhere.

Yep, it's pretty much plain bottled water or soda (pronounced SO-tha).

Off topic, but I had previously offerred to make food suggestions on what to bring back. First, go to a grocery story, not a gourmet store. Here's things I like to buy:
Gigantes -- big white beans, bigger than white limas, not available where I live in the US. These are so good, and really bring back the taste of greece.
Sea salt -- I prefer the larger crystals to the smaller, cheap and very good.
Tomato paste -- you can buy this in small triangular shapped packets that slip into your luggage and are most convenient when you just need a little tomato paste and don't want to open a whole can
Oregano, oregano, oregano. Before returning to the US, I always buy a kilo of oregano at one of the spice stores by the central market in Athens, just off Athinas street. I use this for cooking, and also to give away to everyone I know. I also buy some oregano on the stick to use in salads and for sprinkling over cheese and olives.
Speaking of which, cheese and olives! You can buy olives that are packaged in plastic with all the air sucked out, and these are really good for travelling as they are most convenient to pack. Available at the grocery store.
Cheese. Perfectly legal to bring back. I prefer the kind that is vacuum packaged as it seems to travel the best.
Salted pumpkin seeds. I'm addicted to these, and generally bring back 5 kilos. Sometimes 10. No joke. Even if you don't share my addiction, you should check these out at a nut store where they roast them themselves (they also sell them on the street, but these tend to be of lower quality, so I stick to the self-roasters). They are called passatempo (pa-sa-TEM-po).

These are the essentials that I buy every time!

Talking about food favorites, whenever I'm in Athens I make it a point to go to the Central Marketplace on Athinas Street to stock up on the dried fruit "leather" made from Pureed Apricots. I always bring a few kilos home with me. I love that stuff!!!

Hi
Check the mineral water secion in a good supermarket. I've seen Greek mineral water on the shelves. In a restaurant, order the water with gas as it is almost impossible to pour bubbly tap water into a bottle and tell you its mineral water. I drink German or Italian Bubbly water at home also.

How about mastic? I have read about this unusual Greek spice, which is quite expensive in the US..trouble is, I am not sure how to use it, except in baking?

Many thanks for the update to all--I appreciate it and look forward to a Greek grocery store visit. Brotherleelove--u mention the apricot leather. When I was a kid my Grandparents lived in mixed ethnic neighborhood in NYC and would always get us something called pisteel (I thought it was an arabic word but it may have actually been Greek). Do any of you know what the Greek name is for the apricot leather--that stuff is divine. Thanks.

No, I can't say I've ever heard the Greek word for it. All I know is that it's delicious!!

There is "SOUROTI" which is a typical Greek brand. You can find it in a blue bottle of glass (it's quite nice, you can keep it for yourself). I don't know whether they have SOUROTI in restaurants but will definately find it in super market.

1/ Souroti is the greek San Pelegrino,
excellent quality!

2/ IOLI and KORPI are good brands as well.

3/ Most of the larger islands or regions have some local springs of outstanding quality.

Mastic is exclusively produced in Chios.
It is used as liquor ,chewingum flavor, and for sweets...try to find a 'Mastiha Shop ' at the airport or ,on Eleftheriou Venizelou street near Syntagma (or Panepistimiou).
It is expensive because it is rare and has medicinal qualities.Large parts are sold to europeans or japaneese pharmaceutical/beauty care industries.

If you're on a budget, be aware that in some restaurants, the waiter will bring large, expensive bottles of mineral water without telling you it costs extra. They will ask you if you'd like some water, then pour it for you. You'll be surprised to see it on your bill - once we were charged 7 euros!

I don't know anything about brands, but I do know that when I was there, the water tasted like the best in the world! Everything pretty much did I would pay anything to have a "Life" peach nectar drink right about now!

On the note of Gigantes beans, has anyone found them in the US? That was the first thing we tried to find when we got home and Whole Foods doesn't even have them. Any suggestions?

C-C, you'll just need to plan another trip to Greece to buy gigantes!!

Seriously, I've never been able to find gigantes (giant) beans in a local US grocery store. Then again, I don't live where there are large Greek populations. If you live where there is a Greek market, no doubt you can find them there.

Although they don't have dried gigantes (by far the best way to go), Trader Joe's and, I think, Whole Foods, and many specialty or gourmet stores carry canned gigantes in sauce. They are not as good as home cooked, but will definitely do in a pinch. They are generally found next to the canned stuffed grape leaves.

If all else fails, you can order the gigantes on-line. I did a quick look and found two places that have them -- I've never ordered from either, but it may give you a place to start:
http://www.minosimports.com/
https://www.greekinternetmarket.com/groceries.php

I made gigantes for dinner last night, and they were SO GOOD!

Eleni--do you typically buy the dried gigantes in Greece and bring them home? Are they prepackaged in sealed packs and do you declare them at the agriculture stop? Or do you buy them loose in bins and just bring them home as is? I am interested in trying some--I know my little Greek market has the cans, but I wonder if they carry dried too. I will check that out before we leave. Thanks for the info.

I always buy them dried in Greece and bring them back to the US, as I have never seen the dried ones available where I live. Depending on the time of year, I buy them at the grocery in sealed plastic bags at the grocery store, or in bulk from people selling off trucks by the side of the road. I always declare everything at customs, including cheese. Usually I have a duffle bag full of various foods which I carefully describe on my customs form. No one at customs has ever shown the slightest interest. The first time I brought back 2 kilos of oregano (this is a LOT of oregano) I thought I might get some questions, but I didn't.