Cacık, also known as Turkish cacik or tzatziki, is a yoghurt-based sauce. You can have a wonderful lunch dipping warm pita bread in cacik, and even enjoy the latter as a soup, as they do in Turkey.
Being light and refreshing, this cacik sauce is commonly served with heavier meat recipes, such as lamb tikka. This side dish recipe goes hand-in-hand with any Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Preparation time is very low and it doesn't involve any cooking. However, to make this recipe a success, you'll need to make use of premium quality ingredients, with the most important element being yogurt.
history and origins of Turkish cacik
Cacik is native to Turkey but is very much enjoyed all across Middle Eastern countries, South Balkans and especially in Greece. Over there, you might know it as tzatziki.
The word 'cacik' is historically derived from the Persian word 'zhans' which means herb mixture. In the past, and in the Middle East today, it was prepared with a cheese, called labneh.
Labneh is a really thick yoghurt cheese which is strained, hence tasting slightly on the sour side.
what is the difference between cacik and tzatziki?
Cacik and tzatziki are more or less the same. It only depends on where you eat it! Generally, you associate cacik with Turkey, whereas tzatziki is Greek. Generally speaking, tzatziki has a Greek-yoghurt base and contains extremely thin slices of cucumber and lots of shredded garlic and dill.
This Greek dip recipe is finished off with dried oregano, salt, pepper and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. In Greece, it's best enjoyed with souvlaki meat, pita bread or olives.
how to make authentic Turkish cacik
Cacik slightly varies from tzatziki in the sense that it's finished off with sumac, which is an acidic spice with vinegary taste. Furthermore, the Turkish version sometimes calls for fresh mint, instead of dill.
In Turkey, it's traditional to dilute the cacik with water and serve it as a soup. The locals use it to cool down during hot and sunny Mediterranean summers.
Let's not also forget the Balkan version of cacik. Here, you might know the cacik as 'tarator'. Tarator dip usually contains pieces of nuts and thinly sliced onions and is commonly found in Balkan countries like Albania where they serve it as a side dish to grilled squid.
cacik tips and variations
Here is some food for thought. If you want to play around with different textures, you can alter the way you prepare the cucumber. You can peel the vegetable, leave the skin on for extra texture, grate it or cut it into tiny cubes.
The cubes will lend some crunchiness to the yogurt sauce. However, the traditional way to serve cacik is to grate the cucumber so that it blends into the yoghurt.
Also, when you're preparing cacik, you can easily substitute lemon juice with standard vinegar for extra sharpness. Feel free to play around with different herbs; oregano, mint and fresh thyme - have fun!
delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dip
If you love cacik, you'll also love making these Greek dips - melitzanosalata. It's another popular dip as well as a side dish that you can't ignore if you travel to Greece or the rest of the Mediterranean region.
Likewise, a hummus dip, white bean dip or htipiti can also be just what you are looking for.
What is your favourite Turkish recipe?
Print📖 Recipe
Cacık
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10
Description
Cacik is a delicious yogurt-based dip with grated cucumber and dill. Learn the difference between a Turkish cacik, Greek tzaziki or Balkan tarator. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 250g (½ lb) cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 20ml (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 40g (1 ½ oz) dill, finely chopped
- 1kg (2 lbs) Lancashire Farm Greek yogurt
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cucumber in a sieve, salt it abundantly and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- After the allotted time squeeze all the excess water out of the cucumber.
- Add the garlic and olive oil to the food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste.
- Place the cucumber, garlic paste, dill and yogurt in a big bowl along with some salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients with your hands until all the elements have dispersed evenly.
- Place the dip in a bowl, drizzle it with olive oil and enjoy.
Notes
- Serve with any barbecued meat or eat with vegetable crudités, chips or fresh bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Turkish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 227
- Sugar: 19.5 g
- Sodium: 127 mg
- Fat: 4.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.4 g
- Protein: 24.1 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
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Tammy Neal says
Lamb kofta
sharon martin says
i don't think i've ever had a turkish meal, but spiced lamb sounds tasty
A.E. ADKINS says
Lamb kofta kebabs are our Turkish favourite dish
ROBERT MCINTOSH says
Lamb kofta
Jules page says
Dalmardes
Sheri Darby says
Kofta Kebabs
Anthea Holloway says
I don't know any Turkish recipes - only Turkish Delight and I love that.
Naila Mo says
Definitely Lamb Koftas
Mandy Betts says
Lamb kofta
maria says
I love baklava!
Victoria Prince says
My favourite Turkish recipe is mercimek köfte.
(Love the Toppers game, what a fantastic idea!)
Adrian Bold says
Kofta burgers are my favourite.
janine atkin says
Kofta kebabs
clair downham says
kofta kebabs thankyou
Rachael Sexey says
Lamb Kofta ❤
Lynda Graham says
Lamb kofta burgers in pitta bread - served with salad and a mint dip.
Tee Simpson says
Kofta kebabs. Kids love them
Susan B says
Turkish Delight is an enduring favourite in our house.
Joanne Billington says
Lamb kebabs
Emma Howard says
I love kofta kebabs
Maxine G says
Turkish baked eggs - tasty, healthy and filling
Keith Hunt says
Yoğurtlu Patlıcan
Angie McDonald says
My favourite Turkish recipe is Manti (Turkish dumplings)
Kim Carberry says
Kofta kebabs with dips and salad
Deirdre M says
Sultan's Lamb on a bed of smokey aubergine mash!
Ruth Harwood says
lamb Kofta xx
cheryl hadfield says
Homemade kofta kebabs with dips and salad
Claire Woods says
Spicy Bulgur Pilaf
Sally Collingwood says
Kofta burgers for me!
Andrea Upton says
The fried aubergines with minced meat
Laura Pritchard says
Spiced lamb & feta gozleme with special tomato sauce
Sadiyya Maryam says
The Turkish street food dish Lahmacun is delicious.
Tracy Newton says
Homemade kofta kebabs with all the trimmings and a big salad
Mike Ambler says
Dont cook a lot of turkish dishes basically lamb kofta with pitta breads and mint yoghurt dip.
Chris Andrews says
What is your favourite Turkish recipe? . . . .does Turkish Delight count??
Annabel Greaves says
I love spicy falafels
iain maciver says
Kofta burgers
Tracy Nixon says
I love Turkish one-pan eggs & peppers (Menemen)!
Ash R x says
Definitely Turkish kebab 🙂 with all the trimmings x
Jane Willis says
Lamachun - I don't think that's the proper spelling, I'm sure there's a "j" in there somewhere - the street food flatbreads topped with spicy lamb
Kelly Hirst says
I love a Turkish kebab and salad
Solange says
Kofta burgers
Kim Neville says
I like Adana when we go to a restaurant
Alica says
I love Gözleme! Spicy lamb and feta served in flatbread, its delicious!