Moussaka is the most famous dish of Greek cuisine, but the version we know today was actually 'Frenchified' in the 1920s. Chef Nikolaos Tselementes, who was trained in France, wanted to modernize Greek food by removing Ottoman influences and adding French techniques. He added the thick top layer of Béchamel sauce, which transformed the dish from a simple vegetable and meat stew into a rich, baked casserole. The traditional layering includes fried eggplant, a spiced ground meat sauce (usually lamb or beef), and the creamy topping. This architectural approach to cooking ensures that the flavors meld together during the baking process while maintaining distinct textures. Tselementes' cookbook became so influential that his name is still used in Greece as a synonym for 'cookbook.'