Yogurt Culture – Tzatziki
I am fascinated by the way a food item appears in varying forms in different cultures. Take dumplings, for example. Every culture has a dumpling. Boiled, baked, or fried. Stuffed with a filling or not. It is especially interesting when you see a continuum of gradual changes in foods as you move geographically from one location to another. Look at stews as they transition from bright Thai curries with coconut milk, into the curries of India and Pakistan to the less spicy, but no less delicious stews of Iran and the Middle East.
Yogurt is much the same. Whether from sheep, goat, or cow; thick enough to spread on toast or thin enough to drink as a beverage; tart, salty, or bracing; sweet or fruity. Yogurt is universal. And for good reason. It’s basically spoiled milk (albeit a controlled spoiling) that lasts longer than fresh milk.
In India, yogurt is the main ingredient in lassi, a drink that can veer sweet and fruity or salty and savory. If you travel further west towards the Northern Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Russia, locals drink kefir, a fermented milk drink similar to yogurt. On the opposite end of the yogurt texture spectrum, labneh is a thick, strained, Middle-Eastern yogurt, often compared to cream cheese and used as a dip or spread. When in France a few summers ago, we had the richest, creamiest yogurt with our breakfast, every day. Of course in the US, we mostly relegate yogurt to the morning meal, sweetened with fruit and sugar, that is, unless, we are eating frozen yogurt for dessert.
In the Mediterranean, garlicky yogurt sauce is often served as a dip with pita as a meze or small dish among many appetizers, as well as a sauce on meats. Tzatziki, from Greece, with cucumber and dill, is one of the best known versions, although variations spread eastward through Turkey and Iran, and into India where raita is a cool accompaniment that tames the spiciness of Indian curries, in much the same way that sour cream mellows hot Tex-Mex food.
I serve tzatziki as a side whenever I make Greek salads. With a wedge or two of pita, it makes a great appetizer or part of a simple summer lunch. Tzatziki is also delicious sharing the plate with a larger meal of skewered meat such as chicken souvlaki or lamb kebabs, grilled vegetables, and Persian rice. However you eat it, tzatziki, or a yogurt dish from any culture for that matter, is a refreshing and healthy addition to your diet.
Tzatziki
There are as many ways to make tzatziki as there are cooks in the kitchen. You can peel and seed the cucumbers or not, grate or dice them. Use chopped fresh dill or mint or oregano. Add vinegar or lemon juice. No matter how it’s made, your yogurt sauce will go great with the rest of the meal, whatever it may be.
makes about 1½ cups, about 45 minutes, 15 minutes active, plus resting time
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
½ tsp. kosher salt
1½ cups Greek yogurt (full fat is better, but any will do)
½ Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated on a microplane grater
juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped, divided
pita warmed in the oven, brushed with olive oil, salt, and oregano, and cut into wedges for serving (optional)
- Grate the cucumber into a bowl on the large holes of a box grater and mix with salt. Set cucumber in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and allow the salt to draw the water out of the cucumber. Allow to sit for a half hour, then discard water and squeeze the cucumber in your hands to remove excess water. Place in a large bowl.
- Add the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and half the dill. Stir to combine, place in the refrigerator, and allow flavors to meld for at least an hour. Taste and correct seasonings. Sprinkle with remaining dill and serve with pita warmed in the oven, brushed with olive oil, salt, and oregano, and cut into wedges.
