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Cacık

The perfect cooling accompaniment to grilled foods and meatballs, cacik (pronounced like "ja-jick") is even better than the Greek tzatziki.

What is Cacık?

Cacik is a yoghurt and cucumber based meze or side dish. It’s usually flavoured with garlic and dried mint or, less often, dill. You can think of it as a Turkish yoghurt sauce with cucumber.

The dish likely originated from the tarator dishes that became popular across the Ottoman empire, from the Balkans to the Middle East. Originally a simple meze of yoghurt, walnut and vinegar, several variations developed over time.

Cacik, which can also be thought of as a cucumber tarator, is thought to be Turkish in origin. It’s been documented to be in existence as early as the 16th century! At the time, it was likely herbier than most modern versions.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed to a paste with a little salt
• 500 g (18 oz) Greek or Turkish yoghurt
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 300 g (10 oz) cucumbers, partly peeled and finely chopped
• c. 200 ml (c. ⅘ cup) ice cold water (optional)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve
• fresh mint, to serve
• salt

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, yoghurt and mint. Gently add the cucumbers and season well with salt.
2. If serving as a dip, add to your serving bowl and top with extra virgin olive oil and some fresh mint. Serve immediately, or as soon as possible.
3. If serving as a soup, add water until you reach the desired consistency. Transfer to 4 small bowls, topping with a little extra virgin olive oil and fresh mint and serve immediately.

Source: https://vidarbergum.com/recipe/cacik-turkish-tzatziki/

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