reece is a country where cured fish is a part of its culinary tradition. More popular in the northern part of the country, the cured fish is a 'must' in many dishes. Whether salted, air-dried, smoked or pickled, fish is standard fare on the Greek table. Mackerels, sardines, herrings, cods and grey mullets are the most popular cured fishes. In the northern part of Greece, in Macedonia is very popular the 'lakerdha'. It is made with large mackerel cut into thin rounds and carefully salted until the fish is sweet. It is served plain or topped with raw red onion and is a perfect accompaniment for drinking ouzo. In Salonica, country's second largest city, which is considered to be the informal 'gourmet capital' of Greece, one can find another variant of lakerdha, that of 'Politiki lakerdha', an alternative brought by the Greeks of Constantinople.

Salonica's shops display quantities of this lakerdha alternative, the popular brine-cured fillets of bonito from the waters around Lesvos island.
'Tsiros', a small, slat-cured mackerel is another popular cured fish in Macedonia. The fish is prepared either as a salad or filleted, fried and served with 'skordalia', a dish made with garlic and mashed potato.
he island of Lesvos is famous for ouzo (the best ouzo is found there) and for the exceptional 'mezedes' (literally the snacks or the tidbits) to accompany it. The king among these mezedes is the 'Kalloni Sardines', a unique sardine type, which is harvested from island's synonymous gulf, that of Kalloni. The Kalloni sardines are extremely sweet, and oiler than most and are salted for only one day in order to be kept juicy and virtually raw. They are served as they are, barely salted.

European countries are more accustomed and familiar to the Ocean herrings, and cods. That not means that these fishes cannot be found in the Greek table. On the contrary, herrings and cods are very popular in Greece, especially in Macedonia and Thrace. It is worth to point out that one of the most popular dishes in the whole of the country is 'Bakaliaros Skordalia', made from roasted or grilled cod and skordalia (see above).

The herrings of course have their own place on the Greek table. Very popular is the herring baked in the oven and the 'regosalata' (literally the herring salad), not exactly a salad but rather a mezes made from herring, milk, onions, green pepper, parsley, olive oil and vinegar. 'Likourinos', the male grey mullet is a very popular mezes in Macedonia. It is usually filleted and smoked or brine-cured.

ther popular cured fishes include smoked eels and smoked trouts, which are coming from the lakes and rivers of the country's northern part.
Today, large state of the art industries within the country provide the Greek and the international markets with large varieties of cured fish.
The range of that industries includes a variety of salted fish and fillets such as anchovies, sardines and mackerels, smoked fish and fillets such as mackerels and herrings, fillets of marinated fish and wet salted cod and fillets.