The word "meze" comes from the Persian word "maza", which means "taste". In the Middle East, meze is a meal served around a table with friends and family.

The appetizer is one of the most important dishes in Turkish cuisine. It is a cold appetizer, usually shared at the table, consisting of a variety of vegetables, beans, pastes, yoghurt, and cheese.

In the Middle East, almost every table will have some kind of appetizer on it. At dinner, Turks like to enjoy a few small bites of the dish at a leisurely pace, which may last for several hours. Each type of appetizer has its own unique flavour, ranging from strong and spicy to delicious, and is usually accompanied by a basket of fresh bread.

Hors d'oeuvres are certainly not meant to satisfy hunger. Rather, they are geared toward those who want to satisfy their eyes and taste buds and enjoy the process. The food that will fill you up will, by tradition, start with the appetizer.

This is often followed by a meat product, such as a kebab or fish. This means that it is perfectly acceptable to eat only one plate of appetizers or individually tailored small dishes. This is called "Meze Taba".

Restaurants often have refrigerated display cases. They can hold a selection of appetizers for several days. And some will have plates with samples on the table for customers to choose from. But no one eats them; this is just to allow diners to choose from the samples offered.

For appetizers, the most difficult task is deciding which dish to try. Let's see what appetizers are available!

Let's start with the classics

Acl Ezme

Similar to Mexican salsa. The "Acl Ezme" is a mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and lemon juice. The difference is the addition of olive oil, red pepper paste, paprika, pomegranate molasses, and a little mint. Some are spicier than others. Note the word "Acl", which means spicy.

Haydari

This refreshingly spicy appetizer is the perfect table decoration. Because it is centred on spices such as yoghurt, garlic, dill, and mint, it looks appetizing.

About the eggplant appetizer

Fortunately, many appetizers in the Middle East revolve around delicious eggplant. However, for the layman, unfortunately, the names of the dishes and the preparation of the dishes can get a little mixed up and thus slightly confusing.

Akuka

In Turkish and Greater Middle Eastern cooking, the most common eggplant appetizer would be "Akuka". Sometimes it is also called "Baba Ghanoush". In this method of cooking, the eggplant is roasted with green peppers and tomatoes and then topped with cilantro, olive oil, and tomato sauce.

Kpolu

When the same mixture of vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, is added to a flavorful yoghurt sauce, the dish is called "Kpolu".

Patlcan Salatas

The word for eggplant in Turkish is "Patlcan". Therefore, this appetizer "Patlcan Salatas" means eggplant salad in Turkish. However, do not expect a mixture of lettuce and vegetables.

Because in this case, this salad is made of a very simple mixture of smoked eggplant and roasted red peppers mixed together with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

To get you thinking, some places offer eggplant salad, which is simply smoked eggplant and garlic mixed with yoghurt. In this case, it is called "Yourtlu Patlcan Salatas".

A rare find

Girit Ezmesi

"Girit Ezmesi" is also called "Cretan mashed potatoes". It indicates the place of origin of this delicious dip. Although preparation procedures may vary, the constants in this appetizer are crushed feta cheese, walnuts, and garlic, mixed with fresh herbs.

These herbs can range from dill weed to basil and even roasted peppers.

Mütebbel

This Lebanese appetizer is occasionally found in the Middle East. If you see it, it's like winning the lottery. The delicious "mütebbel" is a mixture of smoked eggplant, garlic yoghurt, and a special addition of Tahini.

Topik

Another rare appetizer, but well worth trying. The Armenian appetizer is called "Topik". It is a paste-like mixture of chickpeas and potatoes. It is accompanied by caramelized onions, pine nuts, herbs, such as five-spice powder, and cumin and sesame paste.

There are all kinds of meze, waiting for you to dig in!