Mezze

Meze

A large plate of Jordanian meze in Petra, Jordan.
Variations	Numerous

Meze or mezze (/ˈmɛzeɪ/, also spelled mazzeh or mazze; Persian: مزه‎‎; Turkish: meze; Greek: μεζές; Serbian: мезе; Bulgarian: мезе; Arabic: مقبلات‎‎; Albanian: Meze) is a selection of small dishes served to accompany alcoholic drinks in the Near East, the Balkans, and parts of Central Asia. In Levantine, Caucasian, and Balkan cuisines, meze is often served at the beginning of multi-course meals.

The word is found in all the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and comes from Persian مزه (mazze "taste, snack" < mazīdan "to taste").

In Turkey, meze often consist of beyaz peynir (literally "white cheese"), kavun (sliced ripe melon), acılı ezme (hot pepper paste often with walnuts), haydari (thick strained yogurt with herbs), patlıcan salatası (cold eggplant salad), beyin salatası (brain salad), kalamar tava (fried calamari or squid), midye dolma and midye tava (stuffed or fried mussels), enginar (artichokes), cacık (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), pilaki (foods cooked in a special sauce), dolma or sarma (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers), arnavut ciğeri (a liver dish, served cold), octopus salad, and çiğ köfte (raw meatballs with bulgur).