Greek moussaka

Background

Moussaka is a baked dish based on eggplant or potatoes, often with minced meat, common in both the Balkans and the Middle East, with recipes varying widely by place. According to English Wikipedia, the modern Greek version was created in the 1920s by the famous chef Nikolaos Tselementes: eggplant and meat sauce are layered and topped with a white sauce (béchamel) thickened with egg or flour, then baked and served hot. Tselementes also devised a vegan version for Orthodox fast days. A similar earlier dish appears in al-Baghdadi's 13th-century Arabic cookbook: slices of eggplant alternated with seasoned minced meat and onions in a shallow dish; 19th-century Ottoman Turkish cookbooks also contain several recipes. Versions in Egypt, Turkey and elsewhere are quite different from the Greek one.

Local customs

• In Greek tavernas, moussaka is often baked before noon, cut into squares and served warm rather than piping hot, so the layers are more distinct
• it is usually accompanied by Greek salad and bread and shared with other dishes.

Religion & beliefs

• The Greek Orthodox Church has many fasting days (such as Great Lent before Easter), during which many people avoid meat and dairy
• at these times some restaurants offer meatless fasting versions, and Tselementes himself designed a vegan moussaka.

Travel tips

• Moussaka is served in tavernas in Athens' Plaka, Monastiraki, Psyrri and the residential neighborhoods
• a meal takes about an hour. Home-style eateries usually have the day's oven dishes ready by midday, so lunch offers the widest choice. It combines well with the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and a walk around Plaka. Dietary notes: moussaka usually contains lamb or beef, and the béchamel contains milk, butter, flour and eggs, so it is not suitable for those allergic to dairy, gluten or eggs
• some versions add potato or zucchini
• vegetarians can look for meatless versions during fasting periods or ask the restaurant. Athens is hot at midday in summer, so visit the sites first and have lunch afterward. Prices and opening hours are set by each restaurant
• popular old places often have queues, so eating outside peak mealtimes is more relaxed.