Gettin' Freaky with Tzatziki

This works GREAT as a dip, or a sandwich spread, or on lamb burgers if you're "going Greek."  First, a simple recipe, then the story (and pronunciation) of tzatziki.

For a generous portion to put on four lamb burgers-
3/4 c. plain green yogurt
1/2 c. seedless cucumbers, shredded and drained of excess lidquid
1 clove fresh garlic
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

(To make a dip for parties, double that recipe and serve with toasted pita chips)

This is so great, especially in summer, when you want something "light".  The cucumbers make it smell AWESOME. The Greek yogurt has tons of protein in it, and NO fat.

And, now, a history lesson courtesy of Wikipedia:

Tzatziki

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Tzatziki

Origin
Place of origin	Greece Turkey
Details
Course	Appetizer
Type	Dip
Main ingredient(s)	Strained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, salt and sometimes lemon juice, dill or mint or parsley

Tzatziki (Anglicised: pron.: /zɑːdˈziːki/; Greek: τζατζίκι [dzaˈdzici] or [dʒaˈdʒici]; Turkish: cacık [dʒaˈdʒɯk]; Albanian: xaxiq^{[citation needed]} ; Persian: ماست و خیار‎) is a Greek appetizer, also used as a sauce for gyros. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, and sometimes lemon juice, and dill or mint or parsley.^[1] Tzatziki is always served cold. While in Greece and Turkey the dish is usually served as an accompaniment, in other places tzatziki is often served with bread (loaf or pita) as part of the first course of a meal.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Variations 3 Preparation 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Etymology

The name comes from the Turkish dish cacık, which contains many of the same ingredients but is considerably more liquid.

Variations

Tzatziki

Turkish cacık, the more diluted cousin of tzatziki, is usually served as an accompaniment to meat, though it is suggested as a soup or a salad also.^[2] Usual ingredients are yogurt (from goat's milk), cucumber, salt, garlic, and dried and crushed wild mint.^[3] When served as a meze (appetizer), it is of a thicker consistency, indistinguishable from tzatziki.
In Cyprus, the dish is known as talattouri^[4] (cf. tarator), and recipes often include less garlic and includes the herb mint, unlike the Greek counterpart.
In Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia and Serbia, the same dish is known as "dry tarator" (Bulgarian: сух таратор, Macedonian: сув таратур, Serbian: сув таратор) "Snezhanka" salad (салата "Снежанка"), which means "snow white salad", and is served as an appetizer. During preparation, the yogurt (Bulgarian: кисело мляко, Macedonian: кисело млеко, Serbian: кисело млеко) is hung for several hours in a kerchief and loses about half of its water (drained yogurt, Bulgarian: цедено кисело мляко, Serbian: цеђено кисело млеко, Macedonian: цедено кисело млеко). The cucumbers, garlic, minced walnuts, salt and vegetable oil are then added.
Similar dishes in Iraq are known as jajeek, normally served as meze alongside alcoholic drinks, especially Arak, an Ouzo-like drink made from dates.
A variation in the Caucasus mountains, called ovdukh, uses kefir instead of the yogurt, thus creating a refreshing summer drink. This can be poured over a mixture of vegetables, eggs and ham to create a variation of okroshka, sometimes referred to as a 'Caucasus okroshka'.
A similar dish is made in Iran, called mast-o-khiar literally meaning yogurt with cucumber. It is made using a thicker yogurt, which is mixed with sliced cucumber, garlic, and dill (sometimes chopped nuts are also added as a garnish). Iranians take the dish a step further, substituting shallots, called mast-o-moussir.
Cacık may also be compared with raita and pachadi in India, all are served as a refreshing appetizer along with other dishes.

Preparation

The cucumbers used for tzatziki are usually salted, squeezed, and drained to eliminate excess water.^[5]