Rice Pudding Is the Real Taste of Athens

Don’t talk to me about loukoumades. I may be Greek, but deep-fried, honey-dipped Hellenic doughnuts simply make me gag. Hand me a plate of rich, nourishing rizogalo — rice and milk — instead. I’ll take it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. When it comes to satisfying a sweet tooth, Greece’s deceptively simple yet distinctive take on rice pudding is the ultimate comfort food. 

After growing up in a Greek-Australian household, the sweet aroma of rizogalo, made with five or six everyday ingredients, being prepared on the stove is seared into my olfactory memory. I’d watch my grandmother Pipina stir whole milk, water, and starchy round grain rice known as glacé in a big pot, before adding sugar, vanilla, and corn flour. She continued to stir, keeping it on low heat, until the rice softened and the mixture thickened. It was then time to ladle the steaming rizogalo into bowls on the kitchen counter to allow it to cool.

Next, the real magic happened. She would lightly dust the rizogalo with ground cinnamon, creating shapes to make my sisters and I smile, before refrigerating it. Rizogalo is meant to be eaten cold to best divulge its delicate flavors. Of course, I couldn’t wait till the next day. So, I made sure to scrape every last trace of the heavenly concoction, while still warm, from the pot. 

But rizogalo wasn’t always sweet. The history of this milk-rice combo dates back to ancient times. Experimental archaeologist and food historian Mariana Kavroulaki explains that rizogalo is closely connected with the history of rice. "Rice became known to historians, geographers, and botanists via Alexander the Great’s conquests," she says. 

References to a milk and rice recipe have been traced to ancient texts. "The first was made in the 2nd century A.D. by Galen, a Roman era Greek physician," Kavroulaki says. "A preparation of rice and goat milk was used for centuries as medicine to treat stomach aches." Rice was expensive, so it was reserved for medicinal purposes. 

In the 11th century, Byzantine scientist and writer Symeon Seth made mention of the first proper rizogalo recipe, with rice, goat milk, and blanched almonds, served with honey and cinnamon. "He claimed it was good for the stomach, but it wasn’t because it’s much too heavy," says Kavroulaki. 

Only when the price of rice started to fall, in the 18th century, did the grain enter Greek homes on a wider scale. 

Heading into the 20th century, rizogalo wasn’t commonly prepared at home. "Dairy shops were responsible for popularizing the dish, and there were hundreds of them in Athens," says Kavroulaki. Thousands of sheepfolds and goat herds existed on the city’s outskirts. 

"Rizogalo was made for children as a sweet treat but never for visiting guests. It was considered too 'simple.' Women showed off homemaking skills through fancy desserts and weaving."

In her cookbook Salt of the Earth, chef and author Carolina Doriti features a recipe for baked rizogalo made with egg yolk, lemon zest, and powdered mastiha (a liqueur) with ground pistachios on top. "For Greeks, rizogalo has always been an affordable, easy-to-make, satisfying sweet dish," she says. "You can flavor it with uniquely Greek ingredients like Krokos Kozanis (saffron) or mastiha." 

Despite competition from more elaborate Western sweets, rizogalo holds deep sentimental value for many Greeks. "Rizogalo could easily have vanished over time but, today, you can find it at dairies, bakeries, supermarkets, and patisseries," says Doriti. "It has made somewhat of a comeback because it’s gluten-free and low in sugar. Parents buy it for their kids." Doriti points out it’s an easily adaptable recipe which can be made with vegan milk or without sugar, while restaurants experiment with wild, red, or black rice. 

As an adult, every time I dip a spoon into soul-warming rizogalo topped with a spicy kick of cinnamon, my mind sends me hurtling back to childhood and the warmth of home, when life was simpler and bills were something my parents worried about. And in my wanderings around Athens, it’s a relief to find this timeless working-class dish is alive and well. If you’re planning a visit to the Greek capital, here is where locals go to sample the real deal.

Varsos

In 1892, Vassilios Varsos was 17 when he opened a dairy in Athens’ city center. Thirty years later, the visionary entrepreneur relocated to the affluent northern suburb of Kifissia. Today, Athens’ oldest and best-loved dairy whips up 300 rizogalo servings on its busiest days. Regulars gather at the vintage patisserie-cafe for long conversation over thick Greek coffee. Velvety rizogalo is served in a shallow teal bowl on placemats emblazoned with the store motto: "against all odds." Third-generation co-owner Giorgos Varsos, 76, is a stickler for tradition. His grandfather’s time-honored recipe is made with cow’s milk, long-grain white nihaki rice, and a pinch of lemon zest. 

Stani 

Stani, which means livestock pen, is one of the last surviving traditional dairies that once flourished in downtown Athens. Nikolaos Karageorgiou founded in Piraeus in 1931, transferred the business to an Omonia Square side street in 1949, and it’s been a beloved Athenian mainstay ever since. Monochrome photos depicting Barba (uncle) Niko delivering sweet treats by horse and cart grace the walls. Here, rizogalo is made with cow’s milk from Corinth highlands and ladled onto a plate, allowing for a generous dusting of cinnamon. Expect queues in the summer, when travelers cram the few tables or patiently queue to sample the creamy, just-sweet-enough classic. 

Asimakopouli

Gritty inner-city Exarchia may have a rebellious streak, but it’s also where you’ll find one of the last bastions defending bona fide old-school dairy goods. This former dairy, established in 1915, evolved into a patisserie but never forgot its humble roots. Third-generation members of the Asimakopoulos family are rightly proud of their rizogalo. Sold in little, clear tubs, takeout-only, they sit row by row in a fridge below a cool white Pentelic marble counter. The silken texture and slightly sweeter taste of this cow's milk version lure hard-to-please teens and budget-minded university students alike. 

Kostarelos

In upscale Kolonaki, third-generation cheesemakers extraordinaire Kostarelos, whose dairy expertise dates to 1937, operates a chic deli-cafe-wine bar. There, you’ll find rizogalo made with a combination of sheep and goat’s milk — the rarest of finds — especially in the heart of the city. Before sprinkling cinnamon, sample it in its purest form so you can discern the rich, mature flavor. Milk is sourced from shepherds on Evia island to make rizogalo in-house in strict accordance with grandma Alexandra’s secret recipe. In winter, the dish is also served warm, but be quick as the pot empties around midday. Refrigerated tubs are available for takeout. 

Magginas Kalyviotiko

Based east of Athens in rural Kalyvia, the Magginas family has been in the dairy goods business since 1952. Since the 2020 opening of their smart patisserie-cafe in the swanky, southern Athens coastal suburb of Glyfada, their fanbase has expanded significantly. Locals and passersby stop by for luscious rizogalo and espresso — an unexpectedly divine pairing. This is a rizogalo to remember, prepared with goat or cow’s milk sourced from small-scale dairy farmers in line with a beautifully balanced family recipe. With just the right amount of sweetness and ratio of milk to rice, both versions are equally light and fluffy.