🇬🇷 Top 15 souvenirs from Greece

Every season, a huge number of tourists choose Greece as a holiday destination. And this, in principle, is not surprising. Beaches of incredible beauty, cities with ancient history (we talked about Athens here), delicious and healthy local food (you can find a list of the best dishes here), convenient location and, of course, the azure sea. And, accordingly, every guest of this country sooner or later faces the question: “What should I bring for myself and my relatives from Greece?” Let's look at this in more detail and make the top 10 best souvenirs.

Olive oil

Undoubtedly, olives will open our ranking of the best gifts. Greek cuisine is very simple, but incredibly tasty. Greek dishes differ from dishes from other countries in their simplicity and at the same time amazing combinations, characterized by the use of a large number of herbs, herbs and spices, and olive oil adds a special charm.

Olive oil is a symbol of Greece, so every tourist should grab it from the sunny country. It is sold here both in souvenir shops and in regular supermarkets. Of course, in a regular store the cost will be lower. Many sellers claim that there is no bad olive oil in Greece.

You can buy it in various variations, first, second and third pressings or in combination with kernel oil. The most expensive oil is called Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. This oil is of the highest grade and first cold pressed; its characteristic feature is its pronounced smell. As a gift you can buy a small bottle of 500 ml.

Olives

Unlike many olive producers we are accustomed to, the Greeks do not pickle them, but pickle them or stuff them. The color of the product depends on the stage of maturity at which it is harvested. Green olives are olives of early and middle stages of maturity, black olives are of late maturity. 

You can buy them both at the market and in the supermarket. Olives are sold in a glass jar, plastic or cellophane vacuum packaging. For a gift, of course, it is better to take a beautifully decorated version – in glass, especially since such fruits will be pasteurized. 

A quality product should be shiny with thin skin. Small olives are usually lighter in color than larger ones, and if the fruit is too dark, it has probably been chemically treated.

Cheese

The most popular cheese is Feta. Of course, you can buy it here too, but the real product can only be brought from Greece. This is the same cheese that is used in the popular “Greek salad”. Its consistency is very similar to feta cheese and is made from sheep or goat milk. You can buy it in supermarkets, as special conditions are required for storage.

Graviera is another popular Greek cheese. It is produced mainly in Crete, Lesbos and Naxos. Different types of this product differ in the type of milk and aging time. For example, Cretan graviera is made from sheep's milk, and on the island of Naxos cheese is made from cow's milk. The product can be used as an addition, for example, to pasta, or as an independent snack.

Strong alcoholic drinks

The top strong drinks include ouzo and tsipouro. We can say that ouzo is Greek vodka. The drink is obtained by infusing moonshine with anise with the addition of cloves, almonds, cinnamon and other spices. Use it as an aperitif. You can buy either a small souvenir bottle with a volume of 0.2 liters or a full size one.

To make tsipouro, the distillate of fermented grape pomace is mixed with ethyl alcohol and infused with anise. 

In addition, you can bring a bottle of rakia – strong grape moonshine. This gift is not suitable for everyone because of its tart taste. Or grab the famous Metaxa, which is made using wine and brandy made from grapes. There are both budget options for the drink and elite ones.

Greek wine

Did you know that Greece can be called the birthplace of winemaking? And this is exactly so. After all, it was here that the cult of Dionysus, the god of wine, was developed.

The most famous Greek wine is the white wine Retsina, which is produced only in these lands. “Retsina” translates to “resin,” which is what the drink actually contains. Previously, it got into the wine from a plug that closed the amphora where the drink was stored. And now resin is added on purpose, because it gives special notes to the taste. The strength of “retsina” is 11.5 revolutions.

In fact, the variety of wines in Greece is wide. You just need to contact a specialist who will help you choose what you need.

Local sweets

Of course, the favorite delicacy of the Greeks is baklava. The sweet made from puff pastry with nuts and honey is familiar to many from childhood far beyond the borders of Greece. But this is where it looks most like a layer cake sprinkled with natural syrup.

Kozinaki is a heavenly dessert for many. What could be better when sweetness is also so healthy? They are made from various nuts: pistachios, almonds, peanuts. Sesame seeds and honey syrup are also added. 

Sweets can be bought by weight, or you can find them packaged in beautiful boxes. The only negative is the difficulty of transportation in the summer. But you can always try.

Honey

The most delicious and high-quality honey is considered to be that produced in the apiaries of Crete, Rhodes and Thassos. It is very fragrant. Buy the best honey on the market.

Of course, honey produced in apiaries high in the mountains is distinguished by its incredible taste. It seems to me that such a product even has a special energy. And it will make a great gift.

Spices

Spices are sold in many souvenir shops. You can buy them either individually, packaged in small bags, or as mixtures for certain dishes. For example, spices for gyros, Greek salad, moussaka.

You definitely need to pay attention to saffron. Even in Ancient Greece, it was used as a remedy for melancholy and hypochondria. When the god Hermes was throwing discs, he hit his friend Crocus, from which he later died. But God could not bear such a loss and turned his friend into a purple flower with three stamens to make him immortal. This flower is called “crocus” after the friend of Hermes and is a Greek saffron. 

In addition to being added to various dishes, it is also added to tea. For those who love to cook, saffron will be a good and valuable gift.

Natural cosmetic

The basis of Greek cosmetics is olive oil, which makes it a very good gift. You can buy different variations: soap with the scent of honey, jasmine, shampoo, balm, cream, shower gel or body scrub. Cosmetics are sold in perfume and cosmetics stores, as well as in pharmacies.

Souvenirs

Of course, any souvenir shop will be full of both the usual trinkets and original gifts. In addition to ceramics, magnets, and pens depicting landmarks, you can also find canvases with beautiful landscapes. And pilgrims bring icons as gifts. 

Whatever your choice, this gift will always be a warm reminder of your trip to Greece.