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| Alternative names | Cacık,tarator |
|---|---|
| Type | Dip orsoup |
| Course | Appetiser,side dish,meze |
| Place of origin | Ottoman Empire |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Strained yogurt,cucumbers, garlic,olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, sometimeslemon juice,dill,mint,parsley,thyme |
| Variations | With strained or diluted yogurt and other herbs and vegetables |
Tzatziki (Greek:τζατζίκι[d͡zaˈd͡zici]), also known ascacık (Turkish:[dʒaˈdʒɯk]) ortarator, is a class ofdip,soup, orsauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of saltedstrained yogurt or diluted yogurt[1] mixed withcucumbers,garlic, salt,olive oil, red wine vinegar, sometimes withlemon juice, and herbs such asdill,mint,parsley andthyme.[2][3] It is served as a coldappetiser (meze), aside dish, and as a sauce forsouvlaki andgyros sandwiches and other foods.[4][5]
The wordtzatziki appeared in English around the mid-20th century as aloanword fromModern Greek (τζατζίκι), which in turn comes from theTurkish wordcacık.[6][7] The root is likely related to several words in West Asian languages.Persianzhazh (ژاژ) refers to various herbs used for cooking, andKurdish jaj or ژاژ refers to thecaraway herb.[8] That word is combined with the Turkish diminutive suffix-cık to yieldcacık. It may be related to anArmenian word,cacıg.[9] According toSevan Nişanyan the Armenian word may itself come from Turkish or Kurdish.[8][10]
Evliya Çelebi's 1665travelogue, theSeyahatnâme, definedcacıχ (cacıg) as a kind of herb that is added to food.[8] The modern termcacık (جاجیك) was mentioned in print for the first time in 1844 in Hoca Kâmil Pasha'sMelceü't-Tabbâhîn (The Sanctuary of Cooks), the first Ottoman cookbook, in which the basic description is given as "yogurt with cucumber and garlic" (hıyar ve sarmısaklı yoğurt).[8]
The formtarator, found in languages from the Balkans to the Levant with derivative forms now found in a range of countries.[11][12][13]
According toSevan Nişanyan, the name tarator (sauce) comes into Turkish directly from the Venetian word "trattor". In Venetian, this word means "cook". It has acquired the meaning of a type of sauce in Turkish. It has likely been borrowed from Turkish into other languages. The first use of this word in the sense of sauce was in the book Seyehatname by the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi.[14]
Tzatziki and similar yogurt-based dishes trace their origins to theCentral Asian yogurt culture, which spread toAnatolia, theBalkans, and theMiddle East through Turkic migrations. Turks had consumed yogurt since ancient times and introduced yogurt-based cold soups and sauces to Anatolia.[15]
During theOttoman Empire, yogurt and garlic condiments became a part of themeze tradition. One notable example wastarator, prepared with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, or sometimes walnuts. The 17th-century Ottoman travelerEvliya Çelebi, in hisSeyahatname, described dishes made with yogurt and garlic, demonstrating their established place in Ottoman cuisine.[16]
In theBalkans and theLevant, variations oftarator developed with different bases: in the Levant it is usually made withtahini, while in the Balkans it may include yogurt and walnuts. In Anatolia, however, the version made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and sometimes walnuts became known ascacık.[17]
Today, cacık is widely consumed inTurkey as a refreshing dish, especially in summer, while related versions continue to exist in Balkan and Levantine cuisines.[18]
Greek-style tzatziki sauce is commonly served as ameze, to be eaten withpita bread,olives, fried eggplant, zucchini, or other vegetables.[19] It is also used for dishes likegyros, orsouvlaki and most othergreek dishes.[20]
Regular tzatziki is made ofstrained yogurt (usually fromsheep or goat milk) mixed withcucumbers, garlic, salt,olive oil,vinegar,dill,mint, andparsley.[2]
A variation made withpurslane (glistrida in Greek) may be calledglistrida me yiaourti, meaning 'purslane and yogurt salad', rather than tzatziki. One simple recipe calls for purslane, olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill.[21] There also is a version wherewalnut oil, crushed nuts (likewalnuts,hazelnuts, oralmonds) and red peppers are added to the standard yoghurt base.[22]
Turkishcacık is made by combining water and yogurt together with garlic and different combinations of vegetables and herbs.Labne may be substituted for some of theyogurt.[23][24]
Turkish cacik also has many variations; different recipes usewheat berries,carrots,scallions, mint,radish, red pepper,parsley,dill,basil,chondrilla juncea,vinegar, walnuts, hazelnuts and unripe almonds.[25][26][27][28][24][29][30][31][23][32][33]
Forcacıklı arap köftesi,kofta made from a mix ofbulgur and ground meat is served overcacık. In this case thecacık is made withchard rather than the usual cucumber (spinach orparsley may be substituted for the chard. Some recipes usepurslane).[34][35]Bulgurlu madımak cacığı is made with cracked wheat, cucumber and a type ofknotweed calledmadımak.[36]
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Tarator is found in many Balkan countries. It is often prepared as a coldsoup, popular in the summer. It is made of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, walnut, dill, vegetable oil, and water, and is served chilled or even with ice. Local variations may replace yogurt with water and vinegar, omit nuts or dill, or add bread. The cucumbers may on rare occasions be replaced with lettuce or carrots.
A thicker variation is sometimes known as "drytarator", or asSnezhanka salad, which means 'Snow White salad', and is served as anappetiser or side dish. During preparation, the yogurt is hung for several hours in a kerchief and loses about half of its water. The cucumbers, garlic, mincedwalnuts, salt and vegetable oil are then added.
InBulgaria,tarator is a popularmeze (appetiser), but is also served as a side dish along withShopska salad with some meals.Sunflower oil andolive oil are more commonly used, and the walnuts are sometimes omitted.Tarator is seasoned with garlic and dill, both of which can be omitted. It is a popular dish in Bulgaria and a common refresher during the summer.
InAlbania,tarator is a very popular dish in the summertime. It is usually served cold and is normally made from yogurt, garlic, parsley, cucumber, salt and olive oil. Fried squid is often offered withtarator. Other similar Albanian variants areSalcë Kosi andXaxiq.
InCyprus, the dish is known asταλαττούρι ("talattouri")[37] and is similar to the Greek recipe with a more characteristic flavour of mint and added acidity in the form of lemon juice.[38]
It is made from strained yogurt, sliced cucumbers, minced garlic cloves, lemon juice and sprinkled with dried mint, oregano or olive oil.[38]
InIraq,jajeek is often served as meze.[39] It may accompany alcoholic drinks, especiallyarak, anouzo-like drink made fromanise. InIran, it is known asmast o khiar.[39]
In some parts of the Arab world, it is known asسَلَطَة خِيار باللَّبَن,salaṭat ḵiyār bi-l-laban, made from yogurt and cucumbers.[39][40]
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A similar dish in theCaucasus mountains, calledovdukh, useskefir instead of the yogurt. This can be poured over a mixture of vegetables, eggs andham to create a variation ofokroshka, sometimes referred to as a "Caucasusokroshka".
Mizeria is a Polish dish of sliced cucumbers mixed with sour cream or another fermented milk product, often herbs (such as dill or chives) and seasonings, which is commonly served as a savoury or sweet side salad with typical dinner dishes.
In South Asia, a similar dish is made with yogurt, cucumber, salt and ground cumin (sometimes also including onions) called "raita".
In Iran,ash-e doogh is another type of yogurt soup; instead of cucumbers it contains a variety of herbs such asbasil,leek,mint,black pepper andraisins. In this style, sometimes dried bread chips, chopped nuts or raisins are put in the dish just before serving.
Yogurt-based cold dishes such as tzatziki were integral to Ottoman cuisine, reflecting earlier Central Asian traditions.
{{cite book}}:Check|isbn= value: checksum (help)Mentions of yogurt-based sauces and dishes consumed with cucumber and garlic.
Cacık in Turkey and tarator in the Balkans illustrate the regional diversity of yogurt-based cold dishes.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)| Ingredients |
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