Tzatziki – a Greek Classic

• A classic under the  Greek dishes! Who does not love this yogurt dish!

One secret of a good Tzatziki is simply the quality of the yogurt! So if you want to make a really good Tzatziki you should choose the yogurt carefully.

In Greece there are existing as many yogurts in the supermarkets as in France the cheese! Here you can either buy yogurt as “aggelados”,  a simple quite thin yogurt from cow milk, or “straggisto”, a rich, very creamy, almost curd like cow milk yogurt with 10% fat and which is perfect for Tzatziki. There are also yogurts available from cheep or goat milk.

If you do not find any Greek yogurt in your local supermarket you should look after a cream yogurt or mix a simple yogurt half with curd.

The other secret of a good Tzatziki is to press out as much liquid from the cucumber as possible!

The classic Tzatziki is made with cucumber. If you do not like cucumber (like my father does) you can replace it by zucchinis. The preparation is the same!

In the Greek supermarkets you will mostly find the local cucumbers of the type “Knossos”, which are only abut 20cm long and very tasty. For the below recipe you will need two of those or one large.

Keep in mind that chopped garlic is less intensive in taste than pressed. Do not use garlic powder! This is tastes really horrible and “disrespectful” to this classic Greek dish!

What you need:

250gr yogurt
1-2 cucumbers
1-2 cloves garlic
Some lemon juice or wine vinegar
Salt, pepper
Some cumin powder
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to prepare:

Peel the cucumber and grate it with the large holes of a grater into a bowl. Fill into a fine strainer add some salt. Let stand to drain.

Add the yogurt into a bowl and stir. Clean the garlic clove and press into the yogurt. Stir well.

Press the graded cucumber between your hands or through a clean cloth until the water has been away completely. Add to the yogurt. Add all other ingredients to taste and let stand for a few hours in the fridge or overnight.