“We ate bread and salt together.”
(Representing friendship)
The story of mezedes is the story of one of the most convivial aspects of the Greek table. The meze tradition is one of grazing and socializing; the savory, varied, small dishes that make up a meze table are meant to be shared and sipped with alcohol. The quaffs of choice are typically wine, ouzo, tsipouro, or raki. The latter two, grape distillates akin to grappa, are a long-standing tradition in this grape-growing, wine-making culture.
Mezedes are enjoyed all over Greece. The lively atmosphere that generally permeates the meze table makes for one of the most essential dining experiences in the country. Indeed, the tradition traces its roots to the symposia of the distant, ancient past. Symposium, in Greek, actually means “to drink together.”
For the most part, it’s the drink of choice that determines the selection of small plates served up on a meze table. That means making a distinction between distillates, such as ouzo and tsipouro or raki, and wine. The basic (flexible) rule of thumb is that whatever swims goes well with ouzo, tsipouro, and raki, and whatever grazes on land is better with wine.
Regardless of the quaff, however, variety is a key element. Almost anything can be served as a meze, from a simple plate of olives to savory dips (here–here) to a whole array of seafood, aromatic meat dishes, vegetable fritters, and more.
I’ve separated dips from the meze chapter because there are many of them, and I like to think of them as dual purpose: they’re great as mezedes, but most of them are also great as sandwich spreads or even accompaniments for more substantial proteins. “Painting” a swath of, for example, tzatziki or whipped feta onto a serving platter as a bed or base for, say, Greek meatballs or even a lamb chop or two is a little trick from my work in restaurant kitchens that I often carry over to my table at home.
In this section, the meze selection is composed of an array of small plates, from spiced aromatic feta wrapped in phyllo to fritters, savory seafood dishes, and a few meat-based mezedes. Enjoy them with a glass of Greek wine or a sip of a Greek distillate, clinking glasses with good company and savoring lively conversation.