The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently used in most dishes. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, aubergine (eggplant), potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange, bigarade (bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey from conifer trees. Mastic (aromatic, ivory coloured resin) is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.

The olive oil can also have some negative impact on your digestion. It is recommended to not cook in Olive oil but to add the oil after the dish is ready to serve. That is a recommendation if you are in a situation where you might have problems with digesting normally. The reason is that heated Olive oil is changing the molecular structure and its much more hard to digest.