Cacık, Tzatziki's Turkish Ancestor

Ingredients

• 500 g full-fat Turkish-style yogurt, süzme yoğurt (strained) for a thicker result; regular full-fat for the thinner, soup-like version
• 1 medium cucumber, grated on the large holes of a box grater, then squeezed completely dry in a clean cloth
• 1 clove garlic, use only one quarter of the clove — crushed or finely grated; remainder discarded
• 1 tsp dried mint, dried, not fresh
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 120–160 ml ice water, 2–4 tablespoons per portion; added at the moment of service

Method

1. 1
   Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Gather the gratings in a clean cloth and wring firmly until no further liquid runs — the mass should feel almost dry to the hand. Set aside.
2. 2
   Crush one quarter of a garlic clove to a fine paste with a pinch of salt. Combine the yogurt, dried cucumber, garlic paste, dried mint, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir until fully incorporated. The mixture will be pale, specked green, and cohesive.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies: at the moment of service — not before — stir in the ice water, 2 tablespoons per portion, until the preparation thins to a pourable, sauce-like consistency. Stirring cold water through at this point also distributes the garlic and dried mint aromatics evenly through the bowl. Serve immediately; the cold water integration cannot be done in advance.
4. 4
   Finish with a thread of olive oil across the surface and a pinch of dried mint. The dish should smell of cool mint and faintly of garlic — neither scent should dominate.