Sauces, to be honest, I am not a big fan of sour sauces. Like every mother is telling a child: just try it. Of course I try and sometimes I can find it quite tasty. But most of the time I don’t like the sour sauce. A sauce can really add value to a dish. I often see the best recipes without the sauces description. Or a link to a page full of sauce recipes. My latest post where about the Greece recipes Souvlaki and Chicken Shawarma. To make both dishes next level you need to add Tzatziki. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the typical Greek sauce: Tzatziki.
What is the definition of Tzatziki
The meaning of tzatziki is:
”Tzatziki is a side dish / sauce in Greek cuisine. Yogurt, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper are mixed together to create this wonderful sauce. The sauce is the best combination with grilled meat”.
History Tarator
The dish can be a side dish or a sauce. You add the sauce to grilled meat like Souvlaki or Shawarma. The sauce has several names for example: cacik or tarator. It’s time to even briefly delve into the history of this great sauce.
Tarator has been around since the Ottoman Empire. To creat Tarator you need Walnuts and Vinegar. The name of the dish is for the first time documented in 1876. The explanation of the dish: a herb salad with yogurt. Like a lot of dishes, there are more ways to create it. For example, in Turkey they using Tahini in the sauce. The Balkan countries have replaced Tahini with yogurt and cucumber.
Different countries, different Tzatziki
The sauce is mostly eaten with meze. You can compare maze with tapas from Spain. A lot of small dishes with pita bread and vegetables. An example of a vegetable is fried eggplant. If we talk about the original recipe (correct me if I’m wrong) you need to use yogurt.
The traditional milk used for the yogurt is from sheep or goats. To make the sauce you need to mix the yogurt together with garlic, olive oil, salt and cucumber. Of course you can add more things. For example: dill, mint, parsley, pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and coriander.
Ingredients for Tzatziki
To make this fantastic sauce you need the following ingredients: strained yogurt, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper. To give the dish extra flavor you can use red wine vinegar. You can find the recipe below or watch our video!
Tzatziki
Equipment
- Bowl
- Garlic Press
- Grater
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 500 grams Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 2 gloves Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Pepper
- Salt
Instructions
- The first thing you need to do is grate the cucumber. Put the grated cucumber in sieve. Make sure there is no added moisture. Add the cucumber in a bowl.
- Put the garlic in the garlic press and add this in the bowl together.
- Add the yogurt, salt, pepper and olive oil. Start mixing it together.
- Taste the sauce, you can add more olive oil or salt and pepper if you like.
- Put a plastic wrap on top of the bowl and put the bowl in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Take the bowl out of the fridge after 2 hours. You are ready to serve this amazing sauce!
Nutrition
FAQ Tzatziki
Below you can find the most frequently asked questions:
What is Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a side dish / sauce in Greek cuisine.
Which ingredients do I need?
You need the following ingredients: Yogurt, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper.
How long does it need to be in the fridge?
I recommend a minimum of 2 hours. If you don’t have that time you can serve it right away. You will get the best result after the 2 hours.