Greek dishes explained — an A to Z glossary

Greek menus are full of words that look alike and mean nothing alike. This is a plain glossary of the dishes, drinks and terms you will meet, each with the Greek spelling, a rough pronunciation and one honest line about whether you can actually order it at Olympian — because most of them you cannot. We are a grill counter, not a taverna.

How to read this list

Stress is marked in capitals. Where a word has a well-known English spelling, that is the one used as the headword, with the Greek beside it. The last sentence of each entry tells you whether the dish is on the board at Olympian or whether it is here purely as context.

Be warned that the honest answer is usually “context.” Olympian grills skewers to order on South Pattaya Road; the whole board is pita wraps, souvlaki plates and tzatziki, and it is listed in full on the menu page. Baked taverna food needs an oven and an hour, and a street grill does not have either. Knowing the vocabulary is still useful, because it tells you what to look for elsewhere and what to ask for when you are next in Greece.

If you only want the difference between the two dishes people confuse most, that has its own page: souvlaki vs gyros vs kebab.

A to F

avgolemono · αυγολέμονο · av-gho-LEH-mo-no

Egg-and-lemon sauce, and by extension the soup made with it. Eggs are whisked with lemon juice, then hot broth is trickled in slowly so the mixture thickens instead of scrambling. Poured over chicken soup, lamb fricassee or stuffed vine leaves. It is the technique Greek cooks are judged on. Context only — not served at Olympian.

baklava · μπακλαβάς · bak-lah-VAHS

Layers of paper-thin filo pastry packed with chopped walnuts or pistachios, baked until it shatters, then flooded with honey or sugar syrup while still hot. Shared across Greece, Turkey and the Levant, and every country claims it. Context only.

dolmades · ντολμάδες · dol-MAH-thes

Vine leaves rolled around rice, herbs, onion and sometimes minced meat. Served cold with olive oil and lemon as a starter, or hot under an avgolemono sauce as a main. The name comes from the Turkish dolma, “stuffed.” Context only.

fava · φάβα · FAH-vah

A thick purée of yellow split peas, finished with olive oil, lemon and raw onion. Despite the name it has nothing to do with English broad beans. Naturally vegan, and one of the great cheap dishes of the islands. Context only.

feta · φέτα · FEH-tah

Brined white cheese made from sheep’s milk, with up to about a third goat’s milk, produced only in defined regions of Greece under a protected name. Crumbly, salty, faintly sharp. The word itself just means “slice.” Context only — Olympian’s wraps are built on tzatziki rather than cheese.

Fix · Φιξ · fix

One of the oldest names in Greek brewing, dating back to the nineteenth century, and a plain pale lager. Listed here only because people search the label they saw on holiday. Not sold at Olympian.

frappé · φραπέ · frah-PEH

Instant coffee, sugar and a splash of cold water shaken or whipped into a stiff caramel foam, then poured over ice and topped with cold water or milk. Invented in Thessaloniki in 1957 at a trade fair by a salesman who had no hot water. Greece’s national summer drink for fifty years. Context only.

G to K

galaktoboureko · γαλακτομπούρεκο · ghah-lahk-toh-BOO-reh-koh

A slab of semolina custard baked between sheets of filo and soaked in lemon syrup. Crisp top, wobbling middle. The name is literally “milk pie.” Context only.

gigantes · γίγαντες · YEE-ghan-des

Large white beans baked slowly in tomato, olive oil, onion and herbs until they go creamy. Usually written gigantes plaki on menus. Vegan, filling, and a staple of Greek fasting cooking. Context only.

gyros · γύρος · YEE-ros

Meat stacked in a cone on a vertical rotating spit and shaved off in strips as the outside browns. The word means “turn.” Often confused with souvlaki, which is a different method entirely. Not served at Olympian — there is no spit here, only skewers. Full explanation on the souvlaki vs gyros page.

halloumi · χαλούμι · hah-LOO-mee

Cypriot rather than Greek: a springy, squeaky cheese of sheep’s and goat’s milk with a high melting point, so it grills or fries without collapsing into a puddle. Often folded with mint. Context only.

horiatiki · χωριάτικη · ho-ree-AH-tee-kee

“Village salad” — what the rest of the world calls Greek salad. Tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, olives, dried oregano, olive oil and a whole slab of feta laid on top. No lettuce, ever, and no vinaigrette beyond oil and maybe a little vinegar. Context only.

kalamaki · καλαμάκι · kah-lah-MAH-kee

“Little reed.” In Athens and southern Greece this is the word for the meat skewer itself, because souvlaki drifted into meaning any wrap. In Thessaloniki the skewer is still called souvlaki. Confusingly, kalamaki is also the everyday word for a drinking straw. A word rather than a dish, so nothing to order.

keftedes · κεφτέδες · kef-TEH-thes

Greek meatballs: minced meat worked with bread soaked in wine or milk, grated onion, mint or oregano, then floured and fried. Softer and herbier than an Italian meatball. Not on the board — though Olympian’s Pita Beef Burger is a Greek-spiced beef patty, which is the nearest thing in spirit.

L to P

loukaniko · λουκάνικο · loo-KAH-nee-ko

Greek sausage. Recipes are regional — orange peel, fennel seed, leek, oregano or wine all turn up depending on where you are. Coarse, dry-ish, made to be grilled. This is the family that Olympian’s Pita Sausage belongs to: traditional Greek sausage, grilled and folded into pita. If you avoid pork, ask at the counter what the sausage is made from before you order it.

loukoumades · λουκουμάδες · loo-koo-MAH-thes

Yeasted dough balls deep-fried until hollow and crisp, then rolled in honey syrup, cinnamon and crushed walnuts. Sold at fairs and festivals. Context only.

melitzanosalata · μελιτζανοσαλάτα · meh-lee-tzah-no-sah-LAH-tah

Aubergine charred until the skin blisters, then the smoky flesh mashed with olive oil, garlic, lemon and sometimes parsley or a little vinegar. A dip rather than a salad, whatever the name says. Context only.

moussaka · μουσακάς · moo-sah-KAHS

Layers of fried aubergine, cinnamon-scented minced meat in tomato and sometimes potato, all under a thick béchamel, baked until the top sets golden. The dish foreigners most associate with Greece and one of the least practical to make. It needs an oven and an hour, so it is taverna food, not counter food. Context only.

Mythos · Μύθος · MEE-thos

A Greek lager brand, widely exported, which is why the name turns up in searches from people who drank it on a Greek holiday. It is a beer label and nothing else. Not sold at Olympian.

ouzo · ούζο · OO-zo

Anise-flavoured spirit, clear in the bottle, turning milky white the moment you add water or ice. Drunk slowly alongside food, never as a shot, and traditionally with small plates rather than on its own. Context only.

pastitsio · παστίτσιο · pah-STEE-tsee-o

Thick tubular pasta layered with spiced minced meat and topped with béchamel, baked and cut into squares. The Greek answer to lasagne, with cinnamon and nutmeg where an Italian would use basil. Context only.

patates lemonates · πατάτες λεμονάτες · pah-TAH-tes leh-mo-NAH-tes

Potato wedges roasted in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and a little stock until the edges collapse and the pan goes sticky. The default Greek side with roast meat. Context only.

pita · πίτα · PEE-tah

In Greek this word covers both flatbread and pie, which is why spanakopita and souvlaki se pita share it. The souvlaki pita is soft, round, thickish and has no pocket; it is oiled and warmed on the grill until pliable, then rolled around the filling. It is not the hollow supermarket pocket bread. Yes — every wrap at Olympian is built on Greek-style pita.

R to Z

retsina · ρετσίνα · ret-SEE-nah

White wine flavoured with pine resin, a survival of the ancient habit of sealing amphorae with resin. Tastes faintly of forest and turpentine and divides opinion violently. Context only.

saganaki · σαγανάκι · sah-ghah-NAH-kee

Strictly the name of a small two-handled frying pan, not a dish. In practice a menu saying saganaki means cheese fried in that pan until the crust sets, or prawns and mussels cooked in tomato with feta. If you see the word, ask what is in the pan. Context only.

souvla · σούβλα · SOO-vlah

The big spit, and by extension large cuts — lamb, goat, whole pork — turned slowly over coals for hours at Easter and family gatherings. Souvlaki is the diminutive of this word. Context only; a street grill does not run a souvla.

souvlaki · σουβλάκι · soo-VLAH-kee

“Little skewer.” Meat cut into cubes, threaded onto a stick and grilled over the flame, seasoned with little more than olive oil, lemon, oregano and salt. Eaten off the stick, on a plate, or rolled into warm pita. Yes — this is the entire point of Olympian: pork or chicken, grilled to order, in pita or as a plate.

spanakopita · σπανακόπιτα · spah-nah-KOH-pee-tah

Spinach, spring onion, dill and feta between layers of filo, baked in a tray and cut into squares or rolled into coils. Eaten warm or at room temperature, at any hour. Context only.

tirokafteri · τυροκαυτερή · tee-ro-kahf-teh-REE

Feta whipped with roasted red pepper or chilli and olive oil into a spreadable, genuinely hot dip. The name means “spicy cheese.” Close to the only Greek dish with real heat in it. Context only.

tiropita · τυρόπιτα · tee-ROH-pee-tah

The cheese version of spanakopita: feta and egg in filo. Bought from a bakery on the way to work and eaten out of a paper bag. Context only.

tsipouro · τσίπουρο · TSEE-poo-ro

Spirit distilled from grape pomace — the skins and pips left after pressing wine. The northern Greek staple, sometimes with anise, sometimes without, drunk in small glasses with food through a long afternoon. On Crete the same idea is called tsikoudia. Context only.

tzatziki · τζατζίκι · dzah-DZEE-kee

Strained yogurt with cucumber grated and squeezed bone dry, garlic, olive oil and salt, sometimes dill or a little vinegar. Thick, cold and sour, and its job in a wrap is to cool the grilled meat and carry the garlic. Yes — in every wrap at Olympian, and orderable on its own. It is the thing early reviewers mention most. It contains dairy, so it is vegetarian but not vegan — see the dietary notes.

What Olympian actually serves

Thirty-odd words above, eight things on the board. Here is the honest mapping.

Live prices are on the board at the counter and in the ordering app — they are not published here, because a board changes faster than a web page. Order at the shop, call +66 86 061 8843, or use Grab Food.

The words people mix up

Souvlaki, kalamaki, souvla. All three come from the same root and all three mean something skewered. Souvla is the big spit for whole cuts, souvlaki is its diminutive, and kalamaki is the Athenian synonym for the small skewer. Order souvlaki in Athens and you may be handed a wrap; order it in Thessaloniki and you get the stick.

Pita the bread, pita the pie. Same word, two jobs. Spanakopita is a pie. Souvlaki se pita is a wrap. Nothing about the word tells you which, so read the rest of the menu line.

Feta and halloumi. Feta is Greek, brined, crumbly and falls apart in a pan. Halloumi is Cypriot, springy, and holds its shape on a grill. They are not substitutes for each other.

Fava. Greek fava is split peas. English fava beans are broad beans. Two different plants, one shared name.

Tzatziki and cacık. The Greek version is thick enough to hold a spoon upright. The Turkish version is loose, often served as a cold soup or a drink. Both are yogurt, cucumber and garlic; the difference is water.

Saganaki. A pan, not a recipe. Always worth asking what is in it.

If any of this raises a question the glossary does not answer, the FAQ page covers the practical side — hours, waiting times, what to order first — and Greek souvlaki in Pattaya covers the local context.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between souvlaki and gyros?

Souvlaki is cubed meat grilled on a skewer. Gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotating spit and shaved off. Olympian grills skewers only.

Does Olympian serve moussaka or pastitsio?

No. Both are baked oven dishes that take about an hour, and Olympian is a grill counter. They are in this glossary as context, not as a menu preview.

Is Greek food spicy?

Rarely. The flavour comes from olive oil, lemon, garlic, oregano and grilled meat rather than chilli. Tirokafteri, a whipped feta and chilli dip, is one of the few genuinely hot Greek dishes, and it is not on the board here.

What is the difference between feta and halloumi?

Feta is a Greek brined sheep-milk cheese that crumbles and melts. Halloumi is Cypriot, springier, and has a high enough melting point to grill without collapsing.

Is Mythos a restaurant or a beer?

In this glossary it is a Greek lager brand, listed because people remember the label from holiday. It is not sold at Olympian.

What does kali orexi mean?

Καλή όρεξη, kah-LEE OH-rek-see — “good appetite,” the Greek equivalent of bon appétit. You say it to whoever you are about to eat with.

Read next

• Souvlaki vs gyros vs kebab — Skewer or spit, and why the bread matters as much as the meat
• The menu — The eight things you can actually order, and what to try first
• Halal, vegetarian and allergy notes — Pork, dairy, gluten and the questions to ask at the counter
• About Yannis — The Thessaloniki background behind the recipes
• Questions and answers — Hours, delivery, waiting times and first-timer advice