Like a tiny taste of the sun, a handful of classic ingredients typify Greek cuisine's fresh, vibrant flavors: olive oil, lemon, feta cheese, oregano and thyme. They give a burst of flavor to seafood, salads and vegetable dishes.

Olives and grapes grow in even the most inhospitable soils. For ancient Greeks, the simplicity of a diet based on these ingredients harmonized nicely with a philosophy of moderation: Too much wine causes grief, but so does too little.A study completed in the 1960s gave props to the Cretan diet, noting the health benefits of eating plentiful fresh fruits and vegetables and olive oil as the primary fat. The study first showcased the health rewards of what today we call the "Mediterranean diet."