Greek food began to take on influences of other cultures as far back as 350 BC when Alexander the Great extended the Greek Empire through Europe to India. In 146 BC, Greece fell to the Romans, resulting in a fusion of Roman and Greek influences. The Byzantine Empire began in 330 AD, when Emperor Constantine transferred administration and power to Constantinople. Centuries later, this turn fell to the Turks in 1453 and was part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years and some classic Greek dishes still have Turkish names. With each successive invasion and settlement came more culinary influence, including Venetian, Balkan, Slav and English, resulting in a cross pollination of culinary influences and adaptations, which are seen throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.- The first cookbook was written by the Greek food gourmet, Archestratos, in 330 B.C., which suggests that cooking has always been of importance and significance in Greek society.
- Modern chefs owe the tradition of their tall, white chef's hat to the Greeks. In the middle ages, monastic brothers who prepared food in the Greek Orthodox monasteries wore tall white hats to distinguish them in their work from the regular monks, who wore large black hats.
- Many ingredients used in modern Greek cooking were unknown in the country until the middle ages. These include the potato, tomato, spinach, bananas, and others which came to Greece after the discovery of the Americas – their origin.
