Tzatziki

Tzatziki is strained yogurt beaten with grated cucumber, garlic, dill and olive oil. It is Greece's cooling sauce, served alongside almost anything grilled and just as often set on the table with bread on its own.

What it really is

Thick, strained yogurt is the base — the straining matters, since an unstrained yogurt turns the whole dip watery within minutes of the cucumber going in. Cucumber is grated or finely diced and salted first to draw out its water, then squeezed dry before it joins the yogurt with crushed garlic, chopped dill and a good pour of olive oil.

Nothing here is cooked. The whole dish is assembly and rest: a few hours in the fridge lets the garlic mellow and the flavours settle, which is why a tzatziki made minutes before serving tastes sharper and less balanced than one made that morning.

How it is served

• Cold, in a small bowl, with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
• Alongside souvlaki, gyro or any other grilled meat, spooned on or served on the side.
• With warm pita or bread for scooping when it stands as its own starter.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the dairy; the strained yogurt carries it entirely.
• Note that it is made fresh and rested, not assembled to order, since the flavour depends on the rest.
• It is naturally vegetarian and, made without any dairy substitution, not vegan — worth saying plainly given how often it is asked for as one.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.