Not One, But Two Greek Salads Take the Top Spots Worldwide in 2025!

Greek crockery called Koukouvagia (Dakos). Credit: Frente / CC BY-SA 3.0

Two beloved Greek salads roseate to the apical of planetary nutrient ranking successful 2025, highlighting the enduring entreaty of the country’s accepted dishes. The TasteAtlas Awards, known for celebrating authentic and section recipes, placed Greece firmly astatine the apical of the world’s champion salads list.

The planetary nutrient assemblage has recognized the affluent flavors, caller ingredients, and taste practice down these accepted Greek dishes, marking a large triumph for Mediterranean nutrient lovers. Here are the 2 Greek salads that stole the spotlight this year.

1. Dakos

Dakos, a humble yet profoundly flavorful crockery from Crete, has claimed the apical spot successful the satellite this year. This accepted crockery reflects the bosom of Cretan cuisine—simple, honest, and rooted successful the land.

At the halfway of dakos is paximadi, a hard barley rusk. The sturdy basal holds a vibrant premix of chopped ripe tomatoes, crumbled Xinomyzithra cheese, and a drizzle of aureate olive oil. Locals similar the brushed and creamy Xinomyzithra implicit the much wide known feta cheese, which is often reserved for tourer menus.

Dakos, 1 of Crete’s champion contributions to the world. Credit: feministjulie / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The crockery is finished with full olives, capers, and a interaction of caller oregano. Many Cretans mildly hitch the rusk with earthy ail and sprinkle it with oversea brackish for added depth. When available, a fewer sprigs of kritamo—a briny oversea fennel—are added, offering a sensation of the Aegean coast.

Dakos is not conscionable food; it reflects Crete’s civilization and mode of life. Served arsenic a meze oregon a airy evening meal, this crockery celebrates section ingredients and time-honored traditions.

2. Greek crockery (Horiatiki salata)

Securing the 2nd spot successful the planetary crockery rankings, Horiatiki— wide known arsenic Greek crockery —is a beloved nationalist crockery that speaks to the bosom of Greek culinary tradition. Its name, which means “country-style” hints astatine its origins: a simple, nourishing repast assembled by farmers utilizing what was caller and disposable successful the field.

The crockery is simply a colorful premix of quartered tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sliced reddish onions, and doorbell peppers.

Topped with olives and a heavy slab of feta cheese, it’s finished with a sprinkle of oregano, oversea salt, and a generous determination of other virgin olive oil.

Horiatiki crockery with feta cheese, arsenic served connected Hydra Island. Credit: Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0

In immoderate homes, the feta is mildly mashed with a fork, allowing its briny spirit to premix with the juices from the vegetables.

Traditionally served successful a shallow bowl, Horiatiki is simply a staple connected Greek tables, from coastal tavernas to upland villages. It’s a crockery champion enjoyed successful summertime erstwhile sun-ripened tomatoes are astatine their highest and the flavors of the onshore travel alive.

8 Runners-up among the world’s apical salads successful 2025

While Greece proudly took the apical 2 spots, the remainder of the database showcases the unthinkable diverseness of salads worldwide.

From the Mediterranean and the Middle East to Asia and the Balkans, these dishes bespeak section traditions, seasonal ingredients, and determination pride. Here are the 8 runners-up rounding retired the database of the world’s champion salads successful 2025:

3. Houria – Tunisia

4. Caprese Salad – Capri Island, Italy

5. Fattoush – Lebanon

6. Shopska Salata – Bulgaria

7. Pecel – East Java, Indonesia

8. Smacked Cucumber (Pai Huang Gua) – Tibet, China

9. Piyaz – Antalya Province, Türkiye

10. Mechouia Salad – Tunisia