Tzatziki in a glass bowl.

Tzatziki, tzadziki, or tsatsiki (τζατζίκι) is a Greek meze or appetizer, possibly of Turkish origin, also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros. Tzatziki is made of strained yoghurt — in Greece and Turkey usually sheep's-milk or goat's-milk yoghurt — to which are added cucumbers (either pureed and strained or seeded and finely diced), garlic, salt and usually olive oil, sometimes vinegar, and dill, parsley or mint. Olive oil, olives, and herbs are often used as garnishes as well. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1037 × 691 pixels, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tzatziki in a glass bowl. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1037 × 691 pixels, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tzatziki in a glass bowl. ... Meze goes well with ouzo/raki   It should be possible to replace this fair use image with a freely licensed one. ... Souvlaki (Greek: Σουβλάκι) is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. ... This article is about the food dish. ... Yoghurt or yogurt, or less commonly yoghourt or yogourt (see spelling below), is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. ... Ewe is an ethnic group from West Africa, in Ghana, Benin and Togo. ... This article is about the domestic species. ... This article is about the fruit. ... Binomial name L. Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. ... For the Popeye character, see Olive Oyl. ... Vinegar is sometimes infused with spices or herbs—as here, with oregano. ... For other uses, see Dill (disambiguation). ... This article is about the herb. ... “Mint” redirects here. ...

In Cyprus, the dish is known colloquially as talattouri (cf. tarator), and recipes often include less garlic and more mint than the Greek counterpart. Tzatziki is always served cold. Tarator is a cold soup, popular in summertime in Bulgaria. ...

Tzatziki is often served with bread (loaf or pita) as part of the first course of a meal. Tzatziki is also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros, in which case it may be called cucumber sauce (especially in the U.S.). For other uses, see Pita (disambiguation). ... Souvlaki (Greek: Σουβλάκι) is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. ... This article is about the food dish. ...

The Greek word is derived from the Turkish cacık,^[1] which means a form of chutney (cacık, the Turkish side dish with similar ingredients, is diluted). This article is about the condiment. ... Pronounced JAH-Jik, this classic Turkish dish is the Turkish version of Tzatziki (which is usually less dense compared to the greek version) . It is easy to make and should be served cold in very small bowls as a first course. ...

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 vegetable oil are then added. Tarator is a cold soup, popular in summertime in Bulgaria. ...

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'. The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas in the Caucasus region, usually considered the southeastern limit of Europe. ... Grains of kefir For the Islamic term, see Kaffir. ... Okroshka (Russian: окрошка) is Russian cold soup. ...

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 sometimes made with sour cream instead of yogurt. However, Greek-style strained yogurt, of various fat levels, is now sold in many supermarkets, eliminating the most time-consuming step of preparing tzatziki in the traditional way and allowing the cook to quickly prepare a yogurt-based tzatziki with a thick consistency.

Cacık may also be compared with raita and pachadi in India, all are served as a refreshing appetizer along with other dishes. For other uses, see Raita. ... Pachadi refers to traditional South Indian side-dish. ...

The Sephardic Jewish name for this sauce, at least in Greece, is tarator. Languages Hebrew, Ladino, Judæo-Portuguese, Catalanic, Shuadit, local languages Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions, Spaniards, Portuguese. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Tarator is a cold soup, popular in summertime in Bulgaria. ...

See also

• Benedictine (condiment)
• Cacık
• Greek cuisine
• Tarator, a Bulgarian salad or cold soup with similar ingredients and taste

Benedictine is a condiment made with cucumbers and cream cheese. ... Pronounced JAH-Jik, this classic Turkish dish is the Turkish version of Tzatziki (which is usually less dense compared to the greek version) . It is easy to make and should be served cold in very small bowls as a first course. ... Greek cuisine is the cuisine of Greece and of the Greeks . ... Tarator is a cold soup, popular in summertime in Bulgaria. ...

References

External links

• Cooking For Engineers - Tsatsiki Recipe - with step-by-step photos and discussion