Tzatziki

The story

Tzatziki is an everyday Greek sauce, made all year and served in Greek restaurants and homes alike, but it has a fixed job at Easter. In a Neos Kosmos guide to roasting a whole lamb on the spit, Penni Pappas lists what traditionally goes with the meat when it comes off the fire: tzatziki, roasted potatoes and garden salads, with cheeses and olives set out as snacks while the lamb turns. The Greek producer Biologiko Xorio also names it among the side dishes of the Easter Sunday table, next to cheeses and Russian salad. The sauce itself is simple: thick strained yogurt, grated cucumber squeezed dry, garlic, olive oil, a splash of vinegar and salt. The version on Visit Greece, the country's official tourism site, has the cook mash the garlic with salt by hand and work it into a spoonful or two of yogurt first so it spreads evenly, then finish the bowl with dill and keep it cold. Diane Kochilas, the Greek-American cookbook author, adds a few minced pickles and warns that after a day or two the garlic turns bitter. For an Easter lamb, make it on the morning of the meal so the garlic has a few hours to mellow.