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Tzatziki (, tzatzíki, ), also known as cacık () or tarator, is a class of dip, , or found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted or diluted yogurt mixed with , , salt, , red wine vinegar, sometimes with , and herbs such as , , and .

(2018). 9781250166371, St. Martin's Press. .
(2025). 9780803259942, U of Nebraska P. .
It is served as a cold (), a , and as a sauce for and sandwiches and other foods.
(2025). 9781563058486, Workman.
(2025). 9781945256882, America's Test Kitchen.


Etymology
The word tzatziki appeared in English around the mid-20th century as a from (τζατζίκι), which in turn comes from the word cacık.Georgios Babiniotis, Babiniotis Dictionary Triantafyllidis Dictionary, University of Thessaloniki The root is likely related to several words in West Asian languages. (ژاژ) refers to various herbs used for cooking, and jaj or ژاژ refers to the herb. That word is combined with the Turkish diminutive suffix -cık to yield cacık. It may be related to an Armenian word, cacıg. According to Sevan Nişanyan the Armenian word may itself come from Turkish or Kurdish.

Evliya Çelebi's 1665 travelogue, the Seyahatnâme, defined cacıχ ( cacıg) as a kind of herb that is added to food. The modern term cacık (جاجیك) was mentioned in print for the first time in 1844 in Kâmil Pasha's Melceü'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).

The form ', found in languages from the Balkans to the Levant, may be of Persian origin, with derivative forms now found in a range of countries.Andriotis et al., Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης, Λεξικό της κοινής Νεοελληνικής s.v. ταρατόριE. Saussey, Les mots turcs dans le dialect arabe de Damas, Mélanges de l'Institut français de Damas 1''' (1929), p. 84, 127


History
have used yoghurt-based condiments since . One such example is , a yoghurt-like condiment that would be combined with honey, or and herbs/seasoning to be consumed.
(2025). 9780313330032, Greenwood Publishing Group. .
(2025). 9780761164548, Workman Publishing. .
(2025). 9780313086892, ABC-CLIO.
In more modern times, there was a dish called Tarator made of ground and vinegar in the . Dishes of various preparations in the region, including dips, salads, and sauces, acquired the name. In the , tarator is a sauce based on , while in and the it came to mean a combination of yogurt and cucumbers, sometimes with walnuts. It has become a traditional part of .
(2010). 9780544186316, HMH. .


Variations

Greece
Greek-style tzatziki sauce is commonly served as a , to be eaten with , , fried eggplant, zucchini, or other vegetables. Fodor's Greek Islands, 2011, s.v. Skopelos It is also used for dishes like , or and most other .

Regular tzatziki is made of (usually from or goat milk) mixed with , garlic, salt, , , , , and .

A variation made with purslane ( in Greek) may be called , meaning 'purslane and yogurt salad', rather than tzatziki. One simple recipe calls for purslane, olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill.

(1999). 9780312200763, Macmillan. .
There also is a version where , crushed nuts (like , , or ) and red peppers are added to the standard yoghurt base.


Turkey
Turkish cacık is made by combining water and yogurt together with garlic and different combinations of vegetables and herbs. may be substituted for some of the .

Turkish cacik also has many variations; different recipes use , , , mint, , red pepper, , , , chondrilla juncea, , walnuts, hazelnuts and unripe almonds.

For cacıklı arap köftesi, made from a mix of and ground meat is served over cacık. In this case the cacık is made with rather than the usual cucumber ( or may be substituted for the chard. Some recipes use purslane). Bulgurlu madımak cacığı is made with cracked wheat, cucumber and a type of called madımak.


Balkans
Tarator is found in many Balkan countries. It is often prepared as a cold , 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 "dry tarator", or as Snezhanka salad, which means ' salad', and is served as an 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, minced , salt and vegetable oil are then added.

In , tarator is a popular (appetiser), but is also served as a side dish along with with some meals. and 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.

In , 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 with tarator. Other similar Albanian variants are Salcë Kosi and Xaxiq.


Cyprus
In , the dish is known as ταλαττούρι (" talattouri")
(2025). 9781563058486, Workman. .
and is similar to the Greek recipe with a more characteristic flavour of mint and added acidity in the form of lemon juice.

It is made from strained yogurt, sliced cucumbers, minced garlic cloves, lemon juice and sprinkled with dried mint, oregano or olive oil.


Middle East
In , jajeek is often served as meze. It may accompany alcoholic drinks, especially arak, an -like drink made from . In , it is known as mast o khiar.

In Saudi Arabia, it is known as سَلَطَة خِيار باللَّبَن, salaṭat ḵiyār bi-l-laban, made from yogurt and cucumbers.


Similar dishes
A similar dish in the Caucasus mountains, called ovdukh, uses instead of the yogurt. This can be poured over a mixture of vegetables, eggs and to create a variation of , sometimes referred to as a "Caucasus okroshka".

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 "".

In Iran, is another type of yogurt soup; instead of cucumbers it contains a variety of herbs such as , , , and . In this style, sometimes dried bread chips, chopped nuts or raisins are put in the dish just before serving.


See also
  • List of dairy products
  • List of dips
  • List of hors d'oeuvre
  • List of yogurt-based dishes and beverages

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