Greek cuisine is built on simplicity, olive oil, lamb, fish, feta, and yogurt. Classic dishes include moussaka, a layered casserole of eggplant, ground meat, and béchamel; pastitsio, baked pasta with meat and béchamel; souvlaki skewers; and gyro sliced from a vertical spit. Cool yogurt-based sauces such as tzatziki — with cucumber, garlic, and herbs — and dips like taramasalata, made from fish roe, are central to the table, along with dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita (spinach and feta in phyllo), and tangy brined feta cheese. The famous Greek salad, known in Greece as horiatiki or village salad, combines tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, feta, oregano, and olive oil, with no lettuce.
Spanish cuisine uses olive oil as its base and stretches across distinct regional traditions. The country is famous for cured hams: jamón ibérico from Iberian pigs is among the world's finest, while jamón Serrano from white pigs is very good but less prized. Tapas are the social heart of Spanish eating — small plates served as snacks or built into a shared meal, possibly originating as bread lids (tapa means lid) placed over wine glasses. Patatas bravas pair fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce; gazpacho is a refreshing cold tomato soup; salmorejo, from Córdoba, is its thicker, creamier cousin; and pisto is a Spanish vegetable stew similar to French ratatouille.
Paella, the iconic rice dish from Valencia, uses bomba or Calasparra rice spread in a thin layer and never stirred once added. The prized bottom layer, called socarrat, is the crispy toasted crust that signals a well-made paella, and saffron gives the dish its defining color and aroma. The traditional Valencian version includes saffron, rabbit, chicken, and beans but no shellfish — seafood-based versions are called paella mixta or marinera. Sangria is a wine punch of red wine, citrus, sugar, and sometimes brandy. In Provence and the French Mediterranean, the cuisine shares this olive oil base and bursts with herbs. Ratatouille is a stewed mix of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, and onion; bouillabaisse is Marseille's famous fish stew; pissaladière a Niçoise onion tart with anchovies and olives; and tapenade a paste of olives, capers, and anchovies. Herbes de Provence, including thyme, rosemary, oregano, savory, and a subtle touch of lavender, defines the regional seasoning, and salade Niçoise combines tuna, olives, eggs, and vegetables dressed in olive oil.