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 more diluted). Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt (which in Greece and Turkey is usually made of sheeporgoat 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, parsleyormint. 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. In Cyprus the dish is known colloquially as talattouri, and recipes often include less garlic and more mint than the Greek counterpart.
InBulgaria 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. To prepare the dish, thoroughly mix skinned and diced cucumber, diced dill and plain yogurt. One may add salt and mint, according to taste. A variation in the Caucasus mountains, called ovdukh, uses kefir instead of the plain 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 Khiarmast, literally meaning cucumber yogurt. It is made using a thicker yogurt, which is mixed with sliced cucumber, onions or garlic, and sometimes nuts or fresh herbs.
Cacık may also be compared with raitainIndia, all are served as a refreshing appetizer alongside with other dishes.
The Sephardic Jewish name for this sauce, at least in Greece, is Tarator.
Ingredients:
Skin the cucumbers and cut into thin strips with a vegetable grater; and then cut into small pieces. Drain and squeeze well and then salt. Add the crushed garlic, the vinegar, the yogurt and mix, finally adding the oil (a little oil at a time) and mixing. If you wish, you can garnish with olives. For a more garlicky taste, add more garlic.
Please note the following instructions are not typical for Greek tzatziki
