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Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas
Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas
Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas
Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas
Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas
Tzatziki | Traditional Dip From Greece, Southeastern Europe | TasteAtlas

Tzatziki

(Τζατζίκι, Tsatsiki)

Tzatziki is a Greek concoction made from yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and numerous herbs and spices such as dill, mint, or parsley. It is usually served as a sauce accompanying many meat dishes, as a simple dip, or an appetizer. Its name is derived from the Turkish word cacik, denoting a very similar dip, although some suspect that tzatziki was derived from the Indian raita dip.


Tzatziki is always served cold, and it is especially popular to serve it with dishes such as gyros and souvlaki. Often, it is served with pita bread as part of the first course of a big meal. With its huge popularity, and the fact that it is one of the best summer dips, it is not strange that there are many regional variations of tzatziki, in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

Tzatziki-infographic

Part of

Sandwich

Gym Shoe Sandwich

Gym Shoe or Jim Shoe is a traditional sandwich originating from Chicago. In order to prepare it, any kind of bread (often Italian roll, hoagie, or sub) is filled with ... Read more

Serve with

Savory Pastry

Spanakopita

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie consisting of a buttery, flaky phyllo pastry with a filling of cooked spinach, lemon juice, feta cheese, and sometimes dill. It can ... Read more

Meat Dish

Gyros

Gyros is one of the most popular Greek street food dishes, consisting of meat such as pork and chicken (in Greece) or lamb and veal (popular in other countries) cooked ... Read more

Meat Dish

Souvlaki

Souvlaki is one of the most popular Greek dishes, consisting of small cubes of skewered and grilled pork, chicken, lamb, or beef. It is a popular fast food item that is ... Read more

Flatbread

Pita bread

Pita bread is a type of flatbread believed to have originated in the Middle East around 2500 BCE, making it one of the oldest types of bread in the world.... Read more

Recipe variations

  • 4.9

    Traditional Tzatziki

    READY IN 10min

    This recipe was adapted from visitgreece.gr and gives the basic method of tzatziki preparation. The cucumbers are in this case drained without using salt, and the herbs are completely omitted.

  • 4.7

    Tzatziki with Dill

    READY IN 25min

    The following is a recipe for a more classic version of tzatziki. The cucumbers are salted before squeezing, and the tzatziki is seasoned with fresh dill.

Tzatziki Authentic recipe

PREP 10min
READY IN 10min

This recipe was adapted from visitgreece.gr and gives the basic method of tzatziki preparation. The cucumbers are in this case drained without using salt, and the herbs are completely omitted.

WHERE TO EAT The best Tzatziki in the world (according to food experts)

1

O Thanasis

AthensGreece
Mitropoleos 69
Recommended by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng and 3 other food critics.
"I’d recommend ordering the souvlaki on pita with fresh onions and tzatziki (yogurt and garlic sauce), best accompanied by a Mythos (Greek beer) and some fries."
2

Strofi Restaurant

AthensGreece
Rovertou Galli 25
Recommended by Fodor's Travel and 2 other food critics.
"Start with some mezedes, including the smoked eggplant salad or a velvety tzatziki, which perfectly complements the baked zucchini."
3

Bairaktaris

AthensGreece
Pl. Monastirakiou 5
Recommended by Lisa Richardson and 2 other food critics.
"Our server, smiling, brought samples to try. We dug into Greek salad piled high with feta, super tzatziki, grilled eggplant, and fragrant, sumptuous lamb gyros and pita."
4

Karavitis

AthensGreece
Pafsaniou 4
Recommended by Frank Bruni and 1 other food critic.
"At Karavitis, a rough-hewn rebel in a well-heeled part of central Athens, I got the thickest and most garlicky tzatziki I’d ever encountered, along with an earful about how little beyond garlic, yogurt, cucumber and olive oil should go into it."
5

Liondi

AthensGreece
Makrigianni 19-21
Recommended by Keryn Means and 1 other food critic.
"The Tzakiki is one of the best I’ve ever had."
6

Bakalaki Greek Taverna

SingaporeSoutheast Asia
3 Seng Poh Rd Singapore 168891 Seng Poh Rd
Recommended by Daniel Ang and 3 other food critics.
"For your benefit, some of the recommended include Tzatziki."
7
Recommended by Lauren Berger and 1 other food critic.
"This tiny stand in Fira's main square also doles out a tzatziki that you could eat plain."
8

Eva's Garden

MykonosGreece
N. Kalogera 2
Recommended by Tom Prendergast and 1 other food critic.
"Tucked away in the heart of Mykonos Town is this wonderful eatery serving quality local fare. Here you can find all the Greek specialties, from spanikopita (spinach pie) to tzatziki and grilled fresh bream."
9
"We highly recommend the tzatziki as a starter."
10
Recommended by Ian Yates
"The Tsatziki is one of the creamiest and flavoursome I have had and coupled with the five different styles of bread was a taste sensation."

Best Tzatziki

Ratings

4.4
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81%
Indifferent
17%
Don't like
2%
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