Dakos
| Alternative names | Koukouvagia, Kouloukopsomo |
|---|---|
| Type | Salad |
| Place of origin | Greece |
| Main ingredients | Dried bread or barley rusk, tomatoes, feta or mizithra cheese, oregano, herbs, olives |
Dakos or ntakos (Greek: ντάκος), also known as koukouvagia or koukouvayia (κουκουβάγια) or kouloukopsomo, is a Cretan horiatiki consisting of a slice of soaked paximadi that is topped with tomatoes and cheeses such as feta or mizithra. The salad is then flavored with herbs such as dried oregano. Ingredients such as olives, capers, and caper berries are also often added to the dish.
The salad itself has been likened to other dishes such as panzanella and pa amb tomàquet . It was ranked as the best salad in the world by TasteAtlas.
Description
[edit ]Dakos, also spelled as ntakos,[1] and also known as koukouvagia or kokouvayia (κουκουβάγια, lit. 'owl '), and kouloukopsomo (from koulouki + psomi, pup + bread, allegedly the bread given to puppies under a table),[2] is a Cretan horiatiki (Greek salad).[3] It consists of a slice of paximadi , a certain type of barley rusk that has been soaked in either water or olive oil,[4] which is then topped with chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta [5] or mizithra cheese, and olive oil.[4] [3] The rusk itself would often have garlic rubbed on it and sea salt.[1]
The salad is then seasoned with herbs such as dried oregano. Among other ingredients, peppers,[2] olives (often the Koroneiki, Lianes, and Tsounates varieties),[1] capers, and caper berries are often ingredients to the salad.[4]
Other
[edit ]The salad has been likened to being similar with other dishes such as the Catalan pa amb tomàquet , the Italian frisella,[6] and Italian panzanella .[4] It was reported to be the best salad in the world in 2025 by TasteAtlas, a food guide.[1]
References
[edit ]Citations
[edit ]- ^ a b c d "Dakos: The Number One Greek Salad in the World". Greek City Times. 10 May 2024. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b Sakellis, Eleni (1 June 2024). "Flavorful Cretan Dishes to Enjoy". The National Herald . Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b Roussos & Labridis 2024, p. 36.
- ^ a b c d "Dakos Salad". The Washington Post . 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022.
- ^ Cardani, Adele (29 July 2024). "How to embrace a healthy Mediterranean lifestyle – anywhere". The Independent . Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Davidson 2014, p. 583.
Bibliography
[edit ]- Davidson, Alan (21 August 2014). The Oxford Companion to Food. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191040726 – via Google Books.
- Roussos, Nikos; Labridis, Andreas (2024). OPSO: A Modern Greek Cookbook. Ebury. ISBN 9781529944143.