Fried, sweet and ready to eat: Greece's syrupy treats

You may have met loukoumades but what about the fried and cheesy lalangia, or syrup-soaked ladies fingers?

Source: Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations

There’s a reason why Greece’s first loukoumades (pronounced loo-koo-mah-thes) were made for Olympic champions. Traced back to the first Olympic Games in 776BC, they were dished out to the victor as a prize in the form of ‘honey tokens’.  

The old Greek proverb “all is well when the honey is sweet” rings true  for Greek's culinary dessert gems. In honour of all things sweet and syrupy, we’ve compiled some of our favourite fried Greek sweets recipes, from donuts and beyond.

Greek honey balls (loukoumades)

Fried until puffed and golden, drizzled in honey and sometimes finished with nuts, loukoumades date back to as early as 776BC. They come in a variety of shapes but are often bite-size balls, making them even more impossible to resist.

Loukoumades_1153377411 Source: Supplied

Greek fried dough with cheese and honey (lalangia)

These golden puffs of fried dough live in the sweet spot between a pancake and a fritter. In Greece, they’re popular breakfast food, topped with cinnamon, fruit, nuts, sheep’s milk cheese and honey.

Greek fried dough with cheese and honey (lalangia) Source: Chris Chen

Fig loukoumades with raspberry syrup

Traditional loukoumades get figgy with this fruity makeover. The raspberry syrup adds a tart little kicker at the end.

Fig Loukemades Source: Supplied

Fried honey rolls (thiples)

Also known as diples, these deep-fried pastries are finished in the classic Greek way – that is – drizzled with honey, ground cinnamon and chopped nuts, which in this case, are chopped walnuts.

Source: Brett Stevens

Greek ladies’ fingers (daktyla)

With their spiced nutty filling and crisp golden exterior, daktyla are often enjoyed during Lent, but we think they make a sweet year-round treat.

Source: Sean Fennessey