Tzatziki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tzatziki, Tzadziki, or Tsatsiki (τζατζίκι) is a Greek meze, or appetizer. The Greek word is derived from the Turkish cacık, which means a form of chutney (Cacık, the Turkish side dish with similar ingredients, is diluted). Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt (which in Greece and Turkey is usually made of sheep or goat milk), cucumbers (either pureed and strained or seeded and finely diced), sometimes onion, and garlic for taste—in Greece this can be as much as a whole head of garlic for a large bowlful of tzatziki. It is usually seasoned with olive oil, a spoonful of vinegar, and diverse herbs including dill, parsley or mint. It is often served with pita bread as the first course of a meal, with black olives on top or served separately. It is one of the standard components of the Greek souvlaki and gyros. When used as a condiment on gyros in the United States, it is referred to as cucumber sauce. In Cyprus the dish is known colloquially as talattouri (cf. tarator), and recipes often include less garlic and more mint than the Greek counterpart.
In Bulgaria the same dish is known as "dry tarator" (сух таратор) or "Snezhanka" salad (салата "Снежанка"), which means "Snow White salad", and is served as an appetizer. During preparation, the yoghurt (кисело мляко) is hung for several hours in a kerchief and loses about half of its water (drained yoghurt, цедено кисело мляко). The cucumbers, garlic, minced walnuts, salt and pepper are then added.
Similar dishes in Iraq are known as jajeek.
A variation in the Caucasus mountains, called ovdukh, uses kefir instead of the yogurt, thus creating a refreshing summer drink. This can be poured over a mixture of vegetables, eggs and ham to create a variation of okroshka, sometimes referred to as a 'Caucasus Okroshka'.
A similar dish is made in Iran called mast-o-khiar, literally meaning yogurt with cucumber. It is made using a thicker yogurt, which is mixed with sliced cucumber, garlic, and mint (sometimes chopped nuts are also added).
In America, tzatziki is is often made with sour cream instead of yoghurt.
Cacık may also be compared with raita in India, all are served as a refreshing appetizer alongside with other dishes.
The Sephardic Jewish name for this sauce, at least in Greece, is tarator.
[edit] See also
- Benedictine (condiment)
- Cacık
- Greek cuisine
- Tarator, a Bulgarian salad or cold soup with similar ingredients and taste
[edit] External links
- Cooking For Engineers - Tsatsiki Recipe - with step-by-step photos and discussion
