What is the Greek “meze”?

Meze or mezze (/ˈmɛzeɪ/, also spelled mazzeh or mazze) is a selection of small dishes served to accompany alcoholic more often than not drinks. They are small dishes, hot or cold, spicy or savory. They can be seafood dishes such as grilled octopus, along with Greek salad, garlic bread, kalamata, or other types of olives, fava beans, fried vegetables, melitzanosalata (eggplant salad), taramosalata, fried crusty cheese called saganaki, and sheep, goat, or cow cheeses.

 

Meze can be a very small single dish with an Ouzo or Tsipouro before lunchtime or a selection of larger dishes that can end up to be the lunch itself. Of course, someone can have a beer, wine, or just soft drinks.

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