The meze tradition (from the Persian maze — taste, snack) spread throughout the Ottoman Empire and its successor states. The Anatolian meze table reflects 7,000 years of agricultural civilisation: Anatolia was one of the first regions where wheat was domesticated, where viticulture developed, and where the olive was first cultivated. Every meze preparation references this depth.
The meze table — a collection of small dishes served simultaneously before the main course — is one of the oldest continuously practiced meal structures in the world. It is not an appetiser course; it is a complete philosophical approach to eating: the meal begins with abundance, with variety, with conversation, and with raki (or wine or tea), before a larger preparation arrives. The meze table demonstrates technical breadth — it typically includes cold preparations (zeytinyağlılar — olive oil dishes), hot preparations (kızartmalar — fried dishes), yogurt-based preparations, and pickled and preserved items — each made with different technique.
**The cold olive oil preparations (zeytinyağlılar):** - Vegetables braised slowly in olive oil — no butter, no other fat — until completely tender and the olive oil has been absorbed into them. The preparation is served at room temperature and improves over 24 hours as the flavours develop. - The key: generous olive oil (more than seems necessary), low heat, a long cooking time, and patience. - Classic zeytinyağlı preparations: artichoke hearts with peas (zeytinyağlı enginar), green beans (zeytinyağlı fasulye), stuffed grape leaves (zeytinyağlı yaprak sarması). **The principle of room temperature service:** - Turkish cold preparations are served at room temperature, never directly from the refrigerator. Cold suppresses the aromatic compounds in olive oil (its volatiles are temperature-dependent) and the flavour of vegetables. Zeytinyağlı preparations should have been removed from the refrigerator at least an hour before service.
The Turkish Cookbook