Greek-style strained yogurt
Greek-style strained yogurt is cultured whole milk drained through cloth to remove whey. This modern Utah home method makes a thick yogurt from a gallon batch.
Talatouri (Cypriot tzatziki)
Ταλαττούρι (talattouri) · Talattouri · Cypriot tzatziki
The Cypriot form of tzatziki: strained yogurt and grated cucumber with garlic, finished with mint and lemon juice where the Greek version uses dill and vinegar.
Mint and lemon in place of dill and vinegar
Talatouri is the Cypriot member of the tzatziki family. The base is the same as in Greece: strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt and olive oil. The difference is in the finish. The Cypriot version relies on mint and lemon juice, where the Greek version more often uses dill and vinegar. Nomad Paradise, a travel and recipe site whose Cypriot recipe is the one read for this page, says talatouri is native to Cyprus and usually made with mint and lemon juice, while the Greek spread uses white vinegar and dill. It adds that the pair can be swapped to suit taste.
Wikipedia records the Cypriot dish under its Greek-Cypriot name talattouri and describes it as the Greek recipe with a more characteristic flavour of mint and added acidity from lemon juice. The sources agree that mint and lemon define the Cypriot style, and they do not describe a different base.
Sources for this section
Making it
The recipe read grates the cucumber, where Wikipedia describes sliced cucumber in the Cypriot form, and then squeezes it. The palms press out the liquid, which is the step that keeps the dip from running. The yogurt, the oil, the salt, the minced garlic and the lemon juice go in one at a time, and the chopped mint goes in with them. The mixture rests for a few minutes so the flavours settle before it is served.
Greek yogurt is the usual base. The tzatziki entry on Wikipedia gives strained yogurt, traditionally of sheep or goat milk in Greece, as the base for the Greek dish; the Cypriot recipe read uses plain Greek yogurt. Dried mint, oregano or olive oil can be used as a finish in place of fresh mint, as the Wikipedia entry notes.
Sources for this section
Serving and keeping
Talatouri is eaten cold as a meze and as a dip. The recipe read serves it with village bread, pita, grilled meat, in pita wraps, with falafel, and with raw vegetables such as carrot, broccoli and radish.
The recipe source states that talatouri keeps in the refrigerator for about three days. That figure comes from a blog and has not been checked against a food-safety authority; treat it as the source's own statement, not as a tested limit.
Sources for this section
History
The Cypriot version is documented as a local variant of the yogurt and cucumber family that Wikipedia traces to tenth-century Baghdad. Its own date is not established by the sources read.
Ingredients
Greek yogurtPlain strained Greek yogurt.
350 mL
1 1/2 cupsCucumberPeeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater.
½ English cucumber
30 mL2 tbsp as recorded
2.5 mL½ tsp as recorded
Fresh mintChopped. Dried mint also used.
30 mL2 tbsp as recorded
15 mL1 tbsp as recorded
GarlicMinced.
1 clove
Method
- Peel the cucumber and grate it on the large holes of a box grater.
- Squeeze the liquid out of the grated cucumber with the palms, then put it in a bowl.
- Add the yogurt, olive oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice and chopped mint one at a time, stirring until combined.
- Rest the mixture for a few minutes before serving, cold, with bread or as a dip.
Conditions
Active time15 min
Places
Cyprus
Traditional use · Country evidenceThe sources name Cyprus as the home of talatouri; they give no locality.
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Made from
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Sources
Nomad ParadiseMethod · Ingredients
Greek-Cypriot Talatouri with Mint RecipeQuantities, method and serving: grated and squeezed English cucumber, strained Greek yogurt, olive oil, salt, fresh mint, lemon juice and garlic; rested before serving; refrigerated about three days, as the blog states
Cited in: Mint and lemon in place of dill and vinegar; Making it; Serving and keeping
WikipediaHistory · Variations
TzatzikiCypriot talatouri is similar to the Greek recipe with a stronger flavour of mint and lemon juice; made from strained yogurt, sliced cucumbers, minced garlic and lemon juice, sprinkled with dried mint, oregano or olive oil
Cited in: Mint and lemon in place of dill and vinegar; Making it