032Tzatziki

Method

Classic thick taverna style. Serve chilled alongside grilled meats, souvlaki, fried courgettes, or warm pita bread.

You will need

• box grater
• colander
• clean tea towel or muslin
• mixing bowl
• garlic press

1. Coarsely grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, toss it thoroughly with half a teaspoon of sea salt in a colander, and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out its liquid. 15 min Ready when: cucumber releases abundant liquid
2. Transfer the grated cucumber into a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze with maximum force over the sink until practically bone-dry. 5 min Ready when: no further moisture drops when squeezed
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the strained Greek yogurt, the squeezed cucumber flesh, the crushed garlic paste, red wine vinegar, and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 3 min Ready when: mixture is cohesive and dense
4. Fold through the finely chopped dill if using, taste, and season with additional sea salt if necessary. 2 min Ready when: herbs are evenly flecked throughout
5. Cover the bowl and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the garlic heat to mellow and marry into the yogurt. 30 min Ready when: flavours become balanced and harmonious
6. Spoon into a shallow serving bowl, create a swirl on the surface with the back of a spoon, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and crown with a single Kalamata olive. 2 min Ready when: olive oil settles into the surface grooves

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Make ahead and storing

Can be made up to 24 hours in advance; garlic flavour strengthens overnight.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; stir before serving if slight separation occurs.

Substitutions

• fresh lemon juice for red wine vinegar. Commonly used instead of vinegar, offering a fresher citrus kick.
• fresh or dried mint for fresh dill. A traditional variation, particularly preferred on the Aegean islands and Cyprus.

Common mistakes

• Insufficiently wringing out the grated cucumber. Cucumber contains over ninety percent water; if not wrung dry, it will turn the dip into a sloppy soup within an hour.
• Using thin or unstrained natural yogurt. Greek tzatziki requires genuine strained yogurt (straggisto) to achieve its signature rich, spoonable density.

Regional variants

• In parts of Macedonia and Thrace, dill is omitted completely, keeping the focus strictly on garlic and olive oil.
• On many Aegean islands, fresh spearmint replaces dill for a cooling herbal note.

About the dish

Tzatziki is arguably the most famous Greek meze in the world, rooted in shared Ottoman and eastern Mediterranean yogurt and cucumber preparations. While its Turkish counterpart cacık is often a loose, chilled soup, the Greek standard evolved into a thick, concentrated dip made strictly with strained sheep or cow milk yogurt (straggisto). The secret to a proper domestic tzatziki lies in thoroughly salting and wringing out the grated cucumber, ensuring the dip remains velvet-smooth and thick enough to hold its shape on bread.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, summer, sunday lunch.

Cousins elsewhere

• Cacık (Turkish). Usually served as a thinner, chilled cold soup with water or ice, whereas Greek tzatziki is kept thick and spoonable.
• Tarator (Bulgarian). A liquid chilled summer soup made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, walnuts, and dill.
• Talattouri (Cypriot). The Cypriot cousin flavoured with dried mint rather than dill.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

168 kcal · protein 7.9 g · fat 13.6 g (saturated 5.1 g) · carbohydrate 5.2 g (sugars 3.8 g) · fibre 0.2 g · sodium 428 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following the classic mainland taverna method using dense strained yogurt and vigorously hand-squeezed cucumber..

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