Tzatziki is Greek yoghurt (thick, strained, high-fat) combined with cucumber (drained), garlic, dill, lemon juice, and excellent olive oil. The yoghurt base must be thick enough to hold the cucumber without weeping. The garlic must be present but not aggressive. It is both a dip and a sauce — served with grilled meats, pita, as part of mezze, or dolloped into souvlaki wraps. The freshness of the dill and the quality of the olive oil are the distinguishing factors between average and excellent tzatziki.
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IThe Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
250g
Greek yoghurt (full-fat
strained)
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100g
English cucumber
grated and excess moisture squeezed out
Your own market
15ml
extra-virgin olive oil
Your own market
15ml
fresh lemon juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 cloves
garlic
minced to fine paste
Your own market
8
fresh dill fronds
finely chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
0.5g
white pepper
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Whisk Greek yoghurt in bowl until smooth and creamy.
2
Fold in grated cucumber, ensuring even distribution throughout.
3
Stir in minced garlic, dill, and sea salt until fully incorporated.
4
Add lemon juice and white pepper, stir to combine.
5
Transfer to serving bowl, create shallow indent in centre, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, garnish with single dill frond.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where tzatziki lives or dies is the cucumber drainage — grate the cucumber, salt it, wait 10 minutes, then take a clean kitchen cloth and squeeze with both hands, twisting the cloth tighter and tighter until no more liquid comes out. The amount of liquid extracted from a medium cucumber is extraordinary — nearly 100ml. Without this step, the tzatziki becomes liquid within 20 minutes of making. After draining, the cucumber should be almost dry.
V
Cross-Cuisine Parallels
Persian mast-o-khiar (yoghurt with cucumber
the Iranian ancestor, without garlic)
Indian raita (yoghurt with cucumber and cumin
the South Asian parallel)
Azerbaijani dovga (yoghurt and herb soup
the Caucasian yoghurt-herb tradition).
VI
What to Pour
Served as part of a Greek mezze with pita bread and olives, or alongside souvlaki and grilled fish. A glass of cold ouzo (anise liqueur) alongside — the anise note in the ouzo resonates with the dill in the tzatziki.
VII
Origin & Lineage
Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans. Tzatziki (from the Turkish cacık — itself from the Persian zhazh) is a pan-Balkan and Middle Eastern preparation. The Greek version with dill and olive oil is the internationally recognised standard; the Turkish version uses mint and is thinner.