Taverna Pot · Venetian Spiced Stew
Pastitsada
📷 Closely related photo — Photo: ΣΠ.Δ / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
Its name comes from the Venetian pastissada, a slow-braised spiced meat dish — Corfu was besieged by the Ottomans but never taken, which is a large part of why its food still tastes so Venetian.
Beef, rooster or rabbit is slow-braised for hours in a deep red tomato sauce built on a spice blend called spetseriko (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper), then served over thick pasta. A signature dish of Corfu's tavernas, traditionally cooked for Sunday lunch.
Why it's made this way: Venice ruled Corfu for over four centuries (1386–1797), and the spice trade that came with that rule — cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg — worked its way permanently into local cooking, unlike most of Greece, which developed under Ottoman influence instead.
More from Greece
Souvlaki (Σουβλάκι)
Koulouri (Κουλούρι)
Loukoumades
Spanakopita (Σπανακόπιτα)
Retsina (Ρετσίνα)
Kokoretsi
Part of World of Street Food — 3443 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.