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A plate of Turkish Meze

A Meze or Mezze (Turkish Meze from Arabic: مزة; Greek Μεζές, pl. Μεζέδες; Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian мезе, Montenegrin Meza, Russian Закуска‎), in eastern Mediterranean, Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine, is a selection of appetisers or small dishes taken with alcohol, similar to tapas of Spain. In Levantine cuisine, these dishes form part of any large-scale meal, but are known as muqabbilat (starters) when not accompanied with alcohol. Image File history File links Mezedes. ... Image File history File links Mezedes. ... A bottle of ouzo Ouzo (ούζο) is a Greek anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. ... Rakı becomes cloudy white when mixed with water. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2122 KB) A plate of delicious Turkish Mezes File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Meze Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2122 KB) A plate of delicious Turkish Mezes File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Meze Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Cuisine of Turkey is highly influenced by its Ottoman heritage, and thus, it is a fusion and refinement of Turkic, Arabic, Persian and Greek cuisines [1]. Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm, with particular influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia such... Tapas (pronounciation: TAH-pas) are a variety of Spanish appetizers, such as mixed olives, cheeses, or an elaborate creation like battered and fried baby squid (Puntillitas). ... Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant region. ...

In Turkey, meze are served along with raki in similar establishments called meyhane. Turkish meze often consist of kashar cheese, dolma or sarma, and köfte and most popular; hummus. Rakı becomes cloudy white when mixed with water. ... Musicians performing at an Ankara meyhane. ... Caciocavallo (Albanian: Kaçkavall; Bulgarian: Кашкавал (Kashkaval); Romanian: Caşcaval; Serbian: Kačkavalj; Sicilian: Cascavaddu; Turkish: Kaşar) is a type of cottage cheese made out of sheeps or cows milk, originally produced in Sicily, Italy, but now... Dolma (Arabic: ورق عنب warak einab; Aramaic: prakheh; Armenian: Õ¿Õ¸Õ¬Õ´Õ¡ tolma/dolma; Azerbaijani: dolma, Bosnian: dolma; Georgian: ტოლმა tolma; Greek: ντολμάδες dolmades; Ladino: yaprakes finos; Persian: دلمه dolmeh; Romanian: sarma; Serbian: japraci; Turkish: dolma) is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in Turkish Cuisine, also known in Middle Eastern and Greek cuisines, as well as the... Sarmale in cabbage leaves Sarma (sarma сарма, plural sarme сарми in most Southern Slavic languages, and sarmale in Romanian), is a word for a grape leaf or cabbage roll common to Southeastern Europe and adjacent areas. ... Kofta is the common English name for a Middle Eastern food, at its most basic consisting of balls of minced meat mixed with spices or onions. ...

Likewise in Greece, mezedes are little dishes, commonly seafood dishes such as "little fishes" of grilled octopus, designed to complement a beverage, tease the tastebuds and encourage diners to linger around a table for good conversation. In large portions, mezedes can replace a full meal, although this is not nutritionally advisable. They are served in a tsipouradiko or ouzeri (café-like establishments that serve tsipouro or ouzo, respectively). Coffeehouse in Damascus A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. ... Tsipouro (Τσίπουρο) is an alcoholic drink found in Greece and in particular in Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia and on the island of Crete. ... A bottle of ouzo Ouzo (ούζο) is a Greek anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. ...

In Serbia, meze can include cheese, ham, kulen and similar foods. Motto: none Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Serbian, cyrillic script1 Government Republic  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica  - President Boris Tadić Establishment    - Formation 814   - First Serbian Uprising 1804   - Internationally recognized July 13, 1878   - Kingdom of SCS created December 1, 1918   - SCG dissolved June... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Ham with cloves Technically, ham is the thigh and buttock of any animal that is slaughtered for meat, but the term is usually restricted to a cut of pork, the haunch of a pig or boar. ... Kulen is a type of flavoured sausage made of minced pork that is traditionally produced in Slavonia and Vojvodina. ...

Montenegrin-style meze platters typically include Prosciutto, Salami and Njeguški cheese, accompanied with roasted capsicums and/or green olives marinated in olive oil with garlic. Montenegrin cuisine is a result of Montenegros geographic position and its long history. ... Prosciutto Prosciutto (IPA: [proʃuʔ͡to]) is the Italian word for ham. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... NjeguÅ¡i is a small settlement in Montenegro. ...

Popular meze dishes in Syria and Lebanon, also often found elsewhere under different names, include:

• Mutabbal/Babaghanoush
• Hummus
• Hummus with meat (hummus bi'l-lahm)
• Kibbeh
• Kibbe Nayye
• Sausages (naqaniq)
• Spicy sausages (sujuq)
• Whole roasted young birds
• Yoghurt
• Labneh
• Shanklish
• Kishkeh
• Muhammara
• Tabouli
• Fattoush
• Rocket salad (salatat jarjir)
• Artichoke salad

Popular mezes in Bulgaria: Baba ganoush or Babaghanoush is the name of two very popular Middle Eastern dishes made primarily of eggplant (aubergine). ... Hummus with oil and lemon juice Classic hummus, Yemeni dish Hummus (Arabic: ‎; Hebrew: ; Armenian համոս translit: hamos; also spelled houmous, hommus, hummous or humus) is a dip made of chickpea paste and tahini (sesame seed paste), with flavorings such as olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and paprika. ... ĵKibbeh (also kibbee) is a common food in North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of the Caucasus such as Armenia. ... Kibbe Nayye (also kibbee, Kubbeh) is a common appetizer meal in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine normally served with arak. ... Some of the many varieties of Sausages A sausage consists of ground meat and other animal parts, herbs and spices, and possibly other ingredients, generally packed in a casing (traditionally the intestines of the animal), and preserved in some way. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Yoghurt or yogurt, or less commonly yoghourt or yogourt (see spelling below), is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. ... Labneh is a Middle Eastern yogurt cheese made from sheep, cow, or occasionally goat milk. ... Shanklish or shinklish (Arabic: شنكليش), also known as sorke or surke, is a type of cows milk cheese made in Syria and Lebanon. ... Tabouli (or tabbouleh) is a Middle Eastern vegetarian salad. ... Fattoush is a Middle Eastern Salad, the primary ingredient of which is toasted pitta breads. ... Leafy arugula Arugula, also known as garden rocket, rocket, rocket salad, rugola, or roquette[1], is a type of leaf vegetable, and although often mistaken for a sort of lettuce, is in fact an herb, being a member of the mustard family. ... Artichokes are three types of vegetables. ...

• Lukanka
• Soujouk
• Sirene prepared in various ways
• Shopska salad

Lukanka is simialr to soujouk but is often less mild. ... Soujouk (sucuk in Turkish, суджук in Bulgarian) or sujuq is a type of sausage eaten in many countries. ... Sirene is a type of feta cheese made in Bulgaria. ... Shopska salad or Shop salad (Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian: Шопска салата, Shopska salata) is popular in Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia. ...

See also

• Cuisine of Turkey
• Cuisine of Lebanon
• Greek products
• Cuisine of Greece