''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in

Eastern Mediterranean The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...

cuisines. It is similar to Spanish

tapas Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

antipasti. A ''meze'' may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. ''Meze'' are often served with spirits such as '' arak,

rakia Rakia, rakija, rakiya, rachiu or rakı (), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50–80%). Ov ...

, raki, oghi,

ouzo Ouzo (, ) is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Cyprus and Greece. It is made from rectified spirits that have undergone a process of distillation and flavoring. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis, sam ...

,'' or ''

grappa Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 Alcohol proof, US proof). Grappa is a protected name in the European Union. Grappa is made by ...

'' at

meyhane A ''meyhane'' or ''pothouse'' (from ) is a traditional restaurant or bar (establishment), bar in Turkey, Balkans, Azerbaijan and Iran. It serves alcoholic beverages like wine, rakı, vodka, or beer, with meze and traditional foods. Etymology ...

and ouzeri or at regular restaurants. Meze_Lido_Restaurant_Adalar

The word meze, used in all the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, borrowed from Turkish meze meaning 'appetizer', which in turn had borrowed it from the Persian maze or maza (مَزه) meaning 'taste' or 'relish'.

Common dishes

In Turkey, ''meze'' often consist of '' beyaz peynir'' 'white cheese', ''kavun'' (sliced ripe

melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

), ''acılı ezme'' (hot pepper paste often with walnuts), '' haydari'' (thick strained yogurt with herbs), ''patlıcan salatası'' (cold

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

salad), ''beyin salatası'' (

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

salad), ''kalamar tava'' (fried calamari), midye dolma and ''midye tava'' (stuffed or fried mussels), enginar ( artichokes), ''

cacık Tzatziki (, , ), also known as ''cacık'' () or ''tarator'', is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, sa ...

'' (yogurt with

cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.pilaki'' (foods cooked in a special sauce), '' dolma'' or '' sarma'' (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

s), '' Arnavut ciğeri'' (a liver dish, served cold), octopus salad, and '' çiğ köfte'' (raw meatballs with

bulgur Bulgur (; ; ; ), or Borghol (), is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Egyptian cuisine, South Asian cuisine and West Asian cuisine. Characteristics Bulgur is distinct from cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that, unlike bulgur, has ...

). A selection of mezes can be served as appetizers in a multi-course dinner, or as snacks accompanying drinks such as

rakı Rakı, Türk Rakısı or Turkish Raki (, Turkish pronunciation: ) is an alcoholic beverage made of twice-distilled grape pomace and flavored with aniseed. It is a national drink of Turkey, although fewer than 17% of Turks drink alcohol. Among ...

. In

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, ''mezé'', ''mezés'' or ''mezédhes'' (plural) are small dishes, hot or cold, spicy or savory.

Seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

dishes such as grilled

octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

may be included, along with salads, sliced hard-boiled eggs, garlic bread, kalamata olives,

fava ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Vari ...

spread, fried vegetables, '' melitzanosalata'' (eggplant salad), '' taramosalata'', fried or grilled cheeses called '' saganaki'', and sheep, goat, or cow cheeses. Popular ''meze'' dishes include the following: Other ''meze'' dishes include cheeses (such as '' halloumi'', '' labneh'', ''

tulum Tulum (, ) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea. T ...

'', or '' shanklish'') or meat dishes (like '' afelia'', '' lountza'', or ''

pastirma Pastirma or Pasterma, also called pastarma, pastırma, pastrma, pastourma,, basdirma, basterma, basturma, or aboukh is a highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef that is found in the cuisines of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

''), fish (like fried

whitebait Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine-mes ...

, calamari). In

, meze is commonly served as a plate of snacks to accompany drinks such as

and tsipouro. In

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, ''meze'' is often a meal in its own right. There are vegetarian, meat or fish ''mezes''. Groups of dishes arrive at the table about four or five at a time (usually between five and ten groups). There is a set pattern to the dishes: typically olives, tahini, salad, and yogurt will be followed by dishes with vegetables and eggs, then small meat or fish dishes alongside special accompaniments, and finally more substantial dishes such as whole fish or meat stews and grills. Establishments will offer their own specialties, but the pattern remains the same. Naturally the dishes served will reflect the seasons. For example, in late autumn,

snails A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gas ...

will be prominent. As so much food is offered, it is not expected that every dish be finished, but rather shared at will and served at ease. Arak and Beer are often drank with mezze, especially if meats are ordered. In

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

, ''meze'' is very similar to an

antipasto in that cured cold-cuts, cheese and salads are dominant and cooked foods are not included. In

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, and

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

it includes hard or creamy cheeses, ''

kajmak Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta ( ; or ; ) is a creamy dairy product, dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in Central Asian cuisine, Central Asia, some Balkan cuisine, Balkan countr ...

'' (clotted cream) or '' smetana'' cream,

salami Salami ( ; : ''salame'') is a ''salume'' consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature fo ...

ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...

and other forms of ''suho/suvo meso'' (cured pork or beef), '' kulen'' (

paprika Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, traditionally ''capsicum annuum''. It can have varying levels of Pungency, heat, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce ...

flavoured, cured sausage), cured bacon, '' ajvar'', and various savory pastries. For Muslims, ''meze'' replaces pork products with '' sudžuk'' (dry, spicy sausage) and the ''

''-like cured beef '' suho meso''. In southern Croatia,

Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia (reg ...

, and Montenegro, cured meat such as '' pršut'' and '' panceta'' and regional products like

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

s are common. Albanian-style ''meze'' platters typically include ''

prosciutto Prosciutto ( ; ), also known as ''prosciutto crudo'', is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. It is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo'', each with degrees of protected ...

'' ham, salami, and brined cheese, accompanied with roasted bell peppers (''capsicum'') or green olives marinated in olive oil with garlic. In

, popular ''mezes'' are '' lukanka'' (a spicy sausage), '' soujouk'' (a dry and spicy sausage) and '' sirene'' (a white brine cheese). The Bulgarian-made ''shopska'' salad is also a very popular ''meze''. It is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers, and ''sirene''. '' Ajvar'' and '' pindjur'' are popular ''mezes'' in North Macedonia. In

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, ''mezelic'' means a quick appetizer and includes '' zacuscă'', cheeses, and salamis, often accompanied by '' tuică''.

References

Bibliography

External links

{{Navboxes, list1= {{Cuisine of the Levant {{Cuisine of Greece {{Cuisine of Bulgaria {{Cuisine of Macedonia {{Cuisine of Serbia {{Cuisine of Turkey, meze Appetizers Balkan cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine Serving and dining Snack foods Lebanese snack foods Drinking culture

Common dishes

See also

References

Bibliography

External links