Tzatziki (τζατζίκι)  is related to souvlaki, the most famous Greek fast food and Greeks have a love-hate relationship with it: we love it because it’s creamy, fresh and piquant and we hate it because the garlic smell can turn a romantic moment to a disaster. Some people claim that consuming cinnamon or mint after eating tzatziki makes the smell go away. Some others claim that if both people eat it the smell is not annoying. Personally, I think that none of these work and I see no point in eating tzatziki and then destroying the taste that it leaves in the mouth by chewing cinnamon or peppermint, so if you are determined to eat tzatziki, just do so with no guilt!
Tzatziki is of Turkish origin and is used as a dip. Traditionally,it escorts grilled porc, lamb or goat and we eat it with bread, pita bread or fried potatos. However, it can be also eaten with soya kebab, toasted bread, whole-wheat bread, arabic bread, vegetable sticks, chicken, olives and appetizers such as meat balls, giant bins, fried zucchini, tomato or zucchini balls etc.
Below there is a tzatziki recipe translated in English.
Καλή όρεξη!

Συνταγή για τζατζίκι
Υλικά

 

• 500 γρ. στραγγιστό γιαούρτι

• 3  σκελίδες σκόρδο

• Ένα μέτριο αγγούρι

• Μία κουταλιά της σούπας ψιλοκομμένο άνηθο

• Αλάτι

• Πιπέρι

• Ελαιόλαδο

 
Εκτέλεση

 

• Καθαρίζουμε το σκόρδο και το λιώνουμε σε γουδί ή το τρίβουμε.

• Τρίβουμε το αγγούρι και το στραγγίζουμε καλά. Επίσης, το στύβουμε με το χέρι για να φύγουν όλα τα υγρά.

• Ανακατεύουμε πολύ καλά το γιαούρτι με όλα τα υλικά σε ένα μπολ.

• Σκεπάζουμε το μπολ και το αφήνουμε στο ψυγείο για μία ώρα πριν το σερβίρουμε.

 

Tzatziki recipe

 

Ingredients

 

• 500 gr strained yogurt

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 medium cucumber

• 1 soup spoon finely chopped dill

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive oil

 
Preparation

 

 

• Peel off the garlic and mash it in a mortar or grate it.

• Grate the cucumber and let it drain. You can also squeeze it by hand in order to get rid of its liquids.

• Mix well the yogurt with all the ingredients in a bowl.

• Cover the bowl and keep it in the refrigerator for one hour before serving.

 

Tips:

If you don’t like dill you can skip it or use fresh peppermint instead.

If you want the taste to be less strong you can use less garlic and add more cucumber.

Strained yoghurt can be found in most big supermarkets or Greek food markets.