Meze

''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Arabic and West Asian cuisines: Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Armenia. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian 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, raki, oghi, ouzo,'' or ''grappa'' at meyhane and ouzeri or at regular restaurants.

Etymology

The word ''meze'' is found , It may borrowed from Turkish or a direct loan word from Persian ''maze'' or ''maza'' () meaning 'taste' or 'relish'.

Common dishes

In Turkey, ''meze'' often consist of ''beyaz peynir'' 'white cheese', ''kavun'' (sliced ripe melon), ''acılı ezme'' (hot pepper paste often with walnuts), ''haydari'' (thick strained yogurt with herbs), ''patlıcan salatası'' (cold eggplant salad), ''beyin salatası'' (brain salad), ''kalamar tava'' (fried calamari), midye dolma and ''midye tava'' (stuffed or fried mussels), enginar (artichokes), ''cacık'' (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), ''pilaki'' (foods cooked in a special sauce), ''dolma'' or '' sarma'' (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers), '' Arnavut ciğeri'' (a liver dish, served cold), octopus salad, and ''çiğ köfte'' (raw meatballs with bulgur). A selection of mezes can be served as appetizers in a multi-course dinner, or as snacks accompanying drinks such as rakı.

In Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and the rest of the Balkans, ''mezé'', ''mezés'' or ''mezédhes'' (plural) are small dishes, hot or cold, spicy or savory. Seafood dishes such as grilled octopus may be included, along with salads, sliced hard-boiled eggs, garlic bread, kalamata olives, fava 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'', or ''shanklish'') or meat dishes (like ''afelia'', ''lountza'', or ''pastirma''), fish (like fried whitebait, calamari).

In Greece, meze is commonly served as a plate of snacks to accompany drinks such as ouzo and tsipouro.

In Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Israel, ''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 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.

In the Balkans, ''meze'' is very similar to an Italian antipasto in that cured cold-cuts, cheese and salads are dominant and cooked foods are not included. In Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro it includes hard or creamy cheeses, ''kajmak'' (clotted cream) or '' smetana'' cream, salami, ham and other forms of ''suho/suvo meso'' (cured pork or beef), ''kulen'' (paprika flavoured, cured sausage), cured bacon, ''ajvar'', and various savory pastries. For Muslims, ''meze'' replaces pork products with '' sudžuk'' (dry, spicy sausage) and the ''pastirma''-like cured beef '' suho meso''. In southern Croatia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro, cured meat such as '' pršut'' and ''panceta'' and regional products like olives are common. Albanian-style ''meze'' platters typically include ''prosciutto'' ham, salami, and brined cheese, accompanied with roasted bell peppers (''capsicum'') or green olives marinated in olive oil with garlic. In Bulgaria, 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, ''mezelic'' means a quick appetizer and includes ''zacuscă'', cheeses, and salamis, often accompanied by '' tuică''.

See also

* ''Aahaan kap klaem''
* '' Anju''
* Antipasti
* ''Banchan''
* Dim sum
* List of hors d'oeuvre
* ''Sakana''
* Smörgåsbord
* Tapas
* ''Thali''
* ''Zakuski''

References

Bibliography

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External links

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{{Cuisine of the Levant
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{{Cuisine of Bulgaria
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{{Cuisine of Turkey, meze

Appetizers
Balkan cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine
Serving and dining
Snack foods
Lebanese snack foods
Drinking culture