Two Greek Salads Crowned World’s Best by Taste Atlas

Greek cuisine has claimed the spotlight once again, with two iconic salads topping the list of the world’s best, according to Taste Atlas.

The Cretan dakos salad secured first place, while the beloved horiatiki (Greek village salad) earned a close second.

Dakos: A Cretan Classic
Taste Atlas describes dakos as “a traditional Cretan dish featuring a dry barley rusk topped with crumbled mizithra cheese, finely chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and generous drizzles of high-quality olive oil.” The rusk is often lightly rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with sea salt, making it a perfect meze or light meal.

Horiatiki and More in the Top 50
The horiatiki, a staple of Greek tavernas, was praised for its simplicity and vibrant flavors, landing in second place. Two other Greek salads also made the top 50: horta (wild greens) at 28th and patatosalata (potato salad) at 40th, showcasing Greece’s diverse salad tradition.

The World’s Top 10 Salads
Taste Atlas ranked the following as the best salads globally:

1. Dakos – Greece
2. Horiatiki – Greece
3. Houria – Tunisia
4. Caprese – Italy
5. Fattoush – Lebanon
6. Shopska – Bulgaria
7. Pecel – Indonesia
8. Smacked Cucumber – Tibet
9. Piyaz – Turkey
10. Mechouia – Tunisia

Famous Cretan Dakos Salad Recipe