Tzatziki

{{Short description|Cold cucumber–yogurt dip, soup, or sauce}} {{Redirect|Tarator|tahini- or nut-based sauce|Tarator (sauce)}}{{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox food | name = Tzatziki | image = Cacik-1.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = | alternate_name = ''Cacık'', ''tarator'' | country = Central Asia | creator = Turkic people | course = Appetiser, side dish, meze | type = Dip or soup | served = Cold | main_ingredient = Strained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, sometimes lemon juice, dill, mint, parsley, thyme | minor_ingredient = | variations = With strained or diluted yogurt and other herbs and vegetables }} '''Tzatziki''' ({{langx|el|τζατζίκι}} {{IPA|el|d͡zaˈd͡zici|}}), also known as '''''cacık''''' ({{IPA|tr|dʒaˈdʒɯk|lang}}) or '''''tarator''''', is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt<ref name="tdk.gov.tr">{{cite web|url=http://www.tdk.gov.tr/index.php?option=com_gts&kelime=CACIK|title=Türk Dıl Kurumu|work=tdk.gov.tr|access-date=5 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217100020/http://www.tdk.gov.tr/index.php?option=com_gts&kelime=CACIK|archive-date=17 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sometimes with lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme.<ref name="Kochilas">{{Cite book |last=Kochilas |first=Diane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YM56DwAAQBAJ&q=greek+tzatziki+with+red+wine+vinegar |title=My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours |date=2018-12-24 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-1-250-16637-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Grigson 2007 239–40">{{cite book|last=Grigson|first=Jane|title=Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book|year=2007|publisher=U of Nebraska P|isbn=978-0-8032-5994-2|pages=239–40|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nr2Dna7hx1EC&pg=PA239|author2=Yvonne Skargon|access-date=27 July 2010}}</ref> It is served as a cold appetiser (meze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Susanna|last1=Hoffman|first2=Victoria|last2=Wise|title=The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking|year=2004|isbn=1563058480|pages= 466–467|publisher=Workman }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=America's Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary TV Show Cookbook|year=2019|isbn=978-1945256882|page= 301 |last1=Kitchen |first1=America's Test |publisher=America's Test Kitchen }}</ref>

==Etymology== The word ''tzatziki'' appeared in English around the mid-20th century as a loanword from Modern Greek ({{lang|el|τζατζίκι}}), which in turn comes from the Turkish word {{lang|tr|cacık}}.<ref>Georgios Babiniotis, Babiniotis Dictionary</ref><ref>''Triantafyllidis Dictionary'', University of Thessaloniki</ref> The root is likely related to several words in West Asian languages. Persian ''{{Transliteration|fa|ALA-LC|zhazh}}'' ({{lang|fa|ژاژ}}) refers to various herbs used for cooking, and Kurdish jaj or {{lang|fa|ژاژ}} refers to the caraway herb.<ref name="Nisanyan">{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-26|first=Sevan |last=Nişanyan |author-link=Sevan Nişanyan |title=cacik|language=tr |url=http://nisanyansozluk.com/?k=cac%C4%B1k|website=Nişanyan - Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük}}</ref>{{efn|Persian ''zhazh (ژاژ)'' is the earlier attested form because Dehkhoda explicitly traces it to Asadi Tusi's ''Loġat-e fors'' and Asadī was an 11th-century lexicographer, whereas Kurmanji Kurdish ''jaj'' is documented in modern dictionaries.<ref>{{cite web |title=معنی ژاژ {{!}} لغت‌نامه دهخدا |url=https://vajehyab.com/dehkhoda/%DA%98%D8%A7%DA%98 |website=Vajehyab |access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ASADĪ ṬŪSĪ |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/asadi-tusi-poet |website=Encyclopaedia Iranica |access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=jaj - Kurdish Kurmanji–Turkish Dictionary |url=https://glosbe.com/ku/tr/jaj |website=Glosbe |access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref>}} That word is combined with the Turkish diminutive suffix ''-cık'' to yield ''cacık''. The Armenian word ''cacıg'' is also related to this term<ref name=Razuvajeva>{{cite journal |first=Olga |last=Razuvajeva |year=2009 |title=Slang in the Turkish Language as a Social, Linguistic, and Semiotic Phenomenon |journal=University of Gaziantep Journal of Social Sciences |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=299–316 |issn=1303-0094 |url=https://www.academia.edu/779579 |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716024655/http://www.academia.edu/779579/Slang_in_the_Turkish_Language_as_a_Social_Linguistic_and_Semiotic_Phenomenon |archive-date=16 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> and may itself derive from Turkish or Kurdish.<ref name="Nisanyan"/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-04-26|title=Definition of Tzatziki|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tzatziki|website=Merriam Webster}}</ref>

Evliya Çelebi's 1665 travelogue, the ''Seyahatnâme'', defined ''cacıχ'' (''cacıg'') as a kind of herb that is added to food.<ref name="Nisanyan" /> The modern term ''cacık'' ({{Lang|ota|جاجیك}}) was mentioned in print for the first time in 1844 in Hoca 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'').<ref name="Nisanyan" />

The form ''tarator'', found in languages from the Balkans to the Levant with derivative forms now found in a range of countries.<ref name="EtyDict">{{Cite book |last=Kerestedjian |first=Bedros |title=Quelques matériaux pour un dictionnaire étymologique de la langue Turque |publisher=Luzac |editor-last=Haig |editor-first=Kerest |location=London |chapter=Terator |page=138}}</ref><ref>Andriotis ''et al.'', Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης, Λεξικό της κοινής Νεοελληνικής ''s.v.'' ταρατόρι</ref><ref>E. Saussey, ''Les mots turcs dans le dialect arabe de Damas'', ''Mélanges de l'Institut français de Damas'' '''1''' (1929), p. 84, 127</ref>

According to Sevan 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 ''Seyahatnâme''.<ref>[https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/kelime/tarator] Nişanyan Dictionary "tarator"</ref>

==History== Tzatziki and similar yogurt-based dishes trace their origins to the Central Asian yogurt culture, which spread to Anatolia, the Balkans, and the Middle East through Turkic migrations. Medieval Turks introduced yogurt-based cold soups and sauces to Anatolia.<ref name="Yerasimos2002">{{cite book |last=Yerasimos |first=Marianna |title=500 Years of Ottoman Cuisine |publisher=Boyut Yayınları |year=2002 |isbn=978-975-23-0161-0|page=45 |quote=Yogurt-based cold dishes such as tzatziki were integral to Ottoman cuisine, reflecting earlier Central Asian traditions.}}</ref>

Abbasid author Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq provided 3 recipes for {{transliteration|ar|jājaq}} ({{langx|ar|جاجق}}, {{pl.|{{lang|ar|جواجيق}}}}), which were yogurt salads, in his 10th century Arabic-language cookbook, according to food historian Nawal Nasrallah, these are an ancestor of modern cucumber-salad ''jajik'', she dates this as the earliest known recipe.<ref name="nasrallah2007"> {{cite book |last1=al-Warrāq |first1=al-Muẓaffar Ibn Naṣr Ibn Sayyār |title=Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayy?r Al-Warr?q's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook |date=26 November 2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-15867-2 |pages=199,586 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dUC-e-l3XM8C&pg=PA586 |access-date=25 January 2026 |language=en |translator=Nawal Nasrallah |translator-link=Nawal Nasrallah}} </ref> Later mentions of it can be found in Egyptian cookbooks from the 14th and 15th centuries.<ref name="nasrallah2007" /><ref name="nasrallah2017"> {{cite book |last1=Nasrallah |first1=Nawal |title=Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table: A Fourteenth-Century Egyptian Cookbook: English Translation, with an Introduction and Glossary |date=27 November 2017 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-34991-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fIJ1DwAAQBAJ |access-date=25 January 2026 |language=en |chapter=17}} </ref>

During the Ottoman Empire, yogurt and garlic condiments became a part of the meze tradition. One notable example was ''tarator'', prepared with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, or sometimes walnuts. ''Seyahatnâme'' describes dishes made with yogurt and garlic, demonstrating their established place in Ottoman cuisine.<ref name="Celebi1660">{{cite book |last=Çelebi |first=Evliya |title=Seyahatname |publisher=İkdam |year=1660 |edition=Modern |volume=1 |page=312 |language=tr |quote=Mentions of yogurt-based sauces and dishes consumed with cucumber and garlic.}}</ref>

In the Balkans and the Levant, variations of ''tarator'' developed with different bases: in the Levant it is usually made with tahini, 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 as cacık.<ref name="Marks2010">{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |year=2010 |isbn=9780544186316 |page=1761 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT1761}}</ref>

Today, cacık is widely consumed in Turkey as a refreshing dish, especially in summer, while related versions continue to exist in Balkan and Levantine cuisines.<ref name="Davidson2014">{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=9780199677337 |page=150 |quote=Cacık in Turkey and tarator in the Balkans illustrate the regional diversity of yogurt-based cold dishes.}}</ref>

==Variations== ===Turkey=== thumb|Turkish ''cacık'' seasoned with Aleppo pepper and mint Turkish ''cacık'' is made by combining water and yogurt together with garlic and different combinations of vegetables and herbs. Labne may be substituted for some of the yogurt.<ref name=almond>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiye| title = Çağlalı Cacık Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ET5l9FFkSY}}</ref><ref name="buzlu">{{Cite web |date=10 June 2017 |title=Buzlu Cacık |url=http://www.ardaninmutfagi.com/yemek-tarifleri/ramazan-tarifleri/buzlu-cacik |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725214400/http://www.ardaninmutfagi.com/yemek-tarifleri/ramazan-tarifleri/buzlu-cacik |archive-date=25 July 2018 |access-date=2018-07-25 |work=Arda'nın Mutfağı}}</ref>

Turkish cacık also has many variations; different recipes use wheat berries, carrots, scallions, mint, radish, red pepper, parsley, dill, basil, chondrilla juncea, vinegar, walnuts, hazelnuts and unripe almonds.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Havuçlu Cacık| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/havuclu_cacik| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725153526/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/havuclu_cacik| archive-date = 25 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="balkan">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpTmohfTQI |title=Balkan Cacığı Tarifi |time=93 seconds |access-date=2018-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174837/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpTmohfTQI |archive-date=26 July 2018 |url-status=live |people=Migros Türkiye}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiye| title = Turp Cacığı Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-25| time = 50 seconds| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohjGxAY05pg| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174837/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohjGxAY05pg| archive-date = 26 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Sebzeli Cacık| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/sebzeli-cacik| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174837/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/sebzeli-cacik| archive-date = 26 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="buzlu" /><ref>{{Cite web| title = Sirkeli Cacık| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/sirkeli-cacik| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174837/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/sirkeli-cacik| archive-date = 26 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Cevizli ve Fındıklı Cacık| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/diger/cevizli-ve-findikli-cacik| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725153406/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/diger/cevizli-ve-findikli-cacik| archive-date = 25 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Buğday Cacığı| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/bugday-cacigi| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725184131/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/zeytinyaglilar-ve-mezeler/bugday-cacigi| archive-date = 25 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="almond" /><ref>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.12991/mpj.20163435871| issn = 1309-0801| volume = 20| issue = 1| pages = 34| last1 = Şenkardeş| first1 = İsmail| last2 = Tuzlacı| first2 = Ertan| title = Wild Edible Plants of Southern Part of Nevşehir in Turkey| journal = Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal| access-date = 2018-07-25| date = 2015-10-01| url = http://dergipark.gov.tr/doi/10.12991/mpj.20163435871| hdl = 11424/5322| hdl-access = free| archive-date = 12 July 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210712041438/http://dergipark.gov.tr/doi/10.12991/mpj.20163435871| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| title = Emirdağ kültür araştırmaları sempozyumu| year = 1995| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g2WBAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

For ''cacıklı arap köftesi'', kofta made from a mix of bulgur and ground meat is served over ''cacık''. In this case the ''cacık'' is made with chard rather than the usual cucumber (spinach or parsley may be substituted for the chard. Some recipes use purslane).<ref>{{Cite web| title = Cacıklı Arap Köfte| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/et-yemekleri/cacikli-arap-kofte| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725153745/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/et-yemekleri/cacikli-arap-kofte| archive-date = 25 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Cacıklı Arap Köftesi Tarifi, Nasıl Yapılır? - Sahrap Soysal| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = https://www.sahrapsoysal.com/cacikli-arap-koftesi-tarifi-t-3637| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174838/https://www.sahrapsoysal.com/cacikli-arap-koftesi-tarifi-t-3637| archive-date = 26 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref> ''Bulgurlu madımak cacığı'' is made with cracked wheat, cucumber and a type of knotweed called ''madımak''.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Soysal| first = Sahrap| title = Bulgurlu Madımak cacığı| access-date = 2018-07-25| url = http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/sahrap-soysal/bulgurlu-madimak-cacigi-40115910| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170813133849/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/sahrap-soysal/bulgurlu-madimak-cacigi-40115910| archive-date = 13 August 2017| url-status = live}}</ref>

===Balkans=== thumb|Bulgarian ''tarator'' served as soup ''Tarator'' is found in many Balkan countries, often served as a soup or liquid salad, especially in summer.<ref name="OxfordFoodTarator">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Tarator |encyclopedia=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |url=https://app.ckbk.com/reference/food77337c20s001e039/tarator |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="BulgariaTaratorPDF">{{cite web |title=Tarator Traditional Bulgarian Cuisine |url=https://visitbulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/publication_5866_2.pdf |website=Visit Bulgaria |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref> It is typically made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, oil, and salt, and commonly includes dill and walnuts; water may be added to thin it, and the dish is served chilled.<ref name="BulgariaTaratorPDF" /><ref name="TasteAtlasTaratorRecipe">{{cite web |title=Authentic Tarator Recipe |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/tarator/recipe |website=TasteAtlas |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref> In Bulgaria, tarator is a traditional cold soup and a popular summer dish.<ref name="BulgariaTaratorPDF" /><ref name="TasteAtlasTaratorRecipe" /> A thicker related preparation is ''Snezhanka'', which is made with strained yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, dill, and oil, with walnuts sometimes added.<ref name="SnezhankaMeiji">{{cite web |title=Snezhanka |url=https://www.meijibulgariayogurt.com/en/recipe/detail-74.html |website=Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt Club |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="TasteAtlasSnezhanka">{{cite web |title=Snezhanka salata |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/snezhanka-salad |website=TasteAtlas |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref>

In Albania, tarator is likewise eaten as a cold summer dish made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and herbs, often with olive oil; the consistency may range from soup-like to dip-like depending on the yogurt used and the amount of added water.<ref name="AlbanianTarator1">{{cite web |title=Tarator – An Albanian Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup |url=https://mediterraneanlatinloveaffair.com/tarator-albanian-cold-cucumber-soup/ |website=Mediterranean Latin Love Affair |date=11 September 2018 |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="AlbanianTarator2">{{cite web |title=Tarator – Yogurt and Cucumber Soup |url=https://discoveringalbania.com/tarator-yogurt-and-cucumber-soup/ |website=Discovering Albania |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref>

===Greece=== [[File:Tzatziki meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce.jpg|thumb|right|Tzatziki with olives and a spearmint garnish, served as meze]] Greek-style tzatziki sauce is commonly served as a meze, to be eaten with pita bread, olives, fried eggplant, zucchini, or other vegetables.<ref>''Fodor's Greek Islands'', 2011, s.v. Skopelos</ref> It is also used for dishes like gyros, or souvlaki and most other greek dishes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schofield |first=Helen |title=What To Eat With Tzatziki |url=https://scrummylane.com/what-to-eat-with-tzatziki-50-delicious-creative-ideas/ |archive-date= |website=Scrummy Lane |date=26 July 2022 }}</ref>

Regular tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar, dill, mint, and parsley.<ref name="Kochilas"/>

A variation made with purslane ({{Transliteration|el|glistrida}} in Greek) may be called {{Transliteration|el|glistrida me yiaourti}}, meaning 'purslane and yogurt salad', rather than tzatziki. One simple recipe calls for purslane, olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Macmillan| isbn = 978-0-312-20076-3| last = Kochilas| first = Diane| title = The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece| date = 1999-03-15| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xdFP7vjdJrcC&pg=PA36| access-date = 25 July 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174837/https://books.google.com/books?id=xdFP7vjdJrcC&pg=PA36| archive-date = 26 July 2018| url-status = live}}</ref> There also is a version where walnut oil, crushed nuts (like walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds) and red peppers are added to the standard yoghurt base.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Celery and Walnut (or Hazelnut) Tzatziki |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017236-celery-and-walnut-or-hazelnut-tzatziki |website=NYT Cooking}}</ref>

===Cyprus=== In Cyprus, the dish is known as {{Lang|el|ταλαττούρι}} ("''talattouri''")<ref>{{cite book|last=Hoffman|first=Susanna|title=The olive and the caper: adventures in Greek cooking|year=2004|publisher=Workman|isbn=978-1-56305-848-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/olivecaper00susa/page/149 149]|url=https://archive.org/details/olivecaper00susa|url-access=registration}}</ref> and is similar to the Greek recipe with a more characteristic flavour of mint and added acidity in the form of lemon juice.<ref name="mygreekdish.com">{{Cite web|date=2018-11-23|title=Talatouri recipe (Cypriot tzatziki sauce with mint)|url=https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/talatouri-recipe-cypriot-tzatziki-sauce-with-mint/|access-date=2021-12-30|website=My Greek Dish|language=en-US}}</ref>

It is made from strained yogurt, sliced cucumbers, minced garlic cloves, lemon juice and sprinkled with dried mint, oregano or olive oil.<ref name="mygreekdish.com"/>

=== Iran ===

In Iran, it is known as ''mast o khiar''.<ref name="Marks 2010"/>

===Arab world===

In Iraq, ''jajeek'' is often served as meze.<ref name="Marks 2010">{{cite book|first1=Gil|last1=Marks|title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT1761|publisher=HMH|date=17 November 2010|isbn=9780544186316}}</ref> It may accompany alcoholic drinks, especially arak, an ouzo-like drink made from anise.<ref name="Marks 2010"/>

In some parts of the Arab world, it is known as {{Lang|ar|سَلَطَة خِيار باللَّبَن}}, {{tlit|ar|salaṭat ḵiyār bi-l-laban}}, made from yogurt and cucumbers.<ref name="Marks 2010" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=عوض |first1=سميرة |title=شيف اليوم علي أبو طير.. سفرة رمضانية فاخرة بنكهة فلسطينية |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/women/2021/5/7/%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9 |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=Al-Jazeera |date=26 Apr 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619152018/https://www.aljazeera.net/women/2021/5/7/%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9 |archive-date=19 Jun 2023 |language=ar |trans-title=Today's chef is Ali Abu Tayr... a luxurious Ramadan meal with a Palestinian flavor.}}</ref>

==Similar dishes== {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2021}} A similar dish in the Caucasus mountains, called ''ovdukh'', uses kefir instead of the yogurt. 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''".

''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 as basil, leek, mint, black pepper and raisins. In this style, sometimes dried bread chips, chopped nuts or raisins are put in the dish just before serving.

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==See also== {{Portal|Greece|Turkey|Food}}  {{div col|colwidth=20em}} * Cold borscht * List of dairy products * List of dips * List of hors d'oeuvre * List of yogurt-based dishes and beverages {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Bulgarian cuisine Category:Cold soups Category:Cypriot cuisine Category:Dips (food) Category:Fermented dairy products Category:Greek sauces Category:Greek appetizers Category:Iranian cuisine Category:Iraqi cuisine Category:Levantine cuisine Category:Meze Category:Sauces Category:Turkish soups Category:Yogurt-based dishes Category:Creamy dishes