Cacik is an extremely popular yogurt sauce from the Ottoman Empire’s Tarator sauce family, with variations under various names throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, such as the widely known Tzatziki in Greece or Khiyar bi Laban in Lebanon.
Pronounced similar to the word Tzatziki, kind of like jajehk, cacik’s meaning, shared with neighboring languages, originally refers to edible wild plants, spicy herbs or greens—which enrich the highly consumed yogurt of the region with added nourishment and flavors.
One of the beauties about Turkish Cacik is its adaptability, as it is delicious with all kinds of foods, in different consistencies, from thick to thin.
Try out the Greek tzatziki recipe too. It’s similar to this Turkish Cacik, but uses thicker yogurt, strains the cucumbers, mixes in lemon juice and a little olive oil, and uses dill or fennel fronds (or mint) as garnish.
Çacik Ingredients
Plain natural yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dried mint are the key ingredients, plus salt and pepper, and optional fresh mint and extra virgin olive oil to garnish.
Cucumbers
You can use any kind of cucumber for cacik, however, each has its qualities. Here are some of the different cucumbers you may find to choose from at the grocery or farmer’s market.
Choosing Cucumbers
- Persian cucumbers (no need to peel) Ideal for cacik, are fairly short (about 5 to 6 inches long), with a thin skin and very few seeds. They are crisp and crunchy, and have a delicate, mildly sweet flavor.
- English cucumbers (no need to peel) These are very similar to the Persian cucumber and used interchangeably. Usually sold individually wrapped in supermarkets, they are long and thin (about 12 to 14 inches), have thin dark green skin, and are seedless. English cucumbers are crunchy and can be mildly sweet, with a little tartness.
- Garden cucumbers (need to peel) Found in most supermarkets and farmers markets in America. With its characteristic thick and bitter skin, which is often waxed for moisture retention, it requires peeling. Not a seedless variety, it’s also good to deseed them before using for cacik sauce.
How to Cut The Cucumbers
The cucumbers can be finely chopped, diced, or sliced. (You can also grate them, which will make the sauce more watery, unless pressed or squeezed out — which would not be necessary if you prefer the cacik to have a cold soup consistency.)
Chopped or diced cucumbers make cacik easier to eat as a dip, sauce or soup. Sliced larger, thick cacik becomes more like a cucumber salad.
After trying it different ways, you may notice that how you choose to cut the cucumbers actually affects the overall flavor of the cacik. Finely diced or grated, the cucumbers become integrated into the sauce, and result in more cucumber flavor. Whereas if you slice the cucumbers, the cacik tends to taste more of yogurt with intermittent tastes of cucumber.
Aromatics
- Mint – Dried mint is a common ingredient and garnish for Cacik. You can either use it as it is, or to get a finer texture, pinch to crush it with your fingers or press it through a fine mesh strainer. Fresh mint makes a nice garnish. While not as common, you can replace the dried mint altogether with twice as much fresh mint.
- Herb Variations – You can also use a bundle of finely chopped fresh dill, parsley, scallions, or mix it up.
- Touch of Spice – If you like a little hot spice, garnish the cacik with a pinch of powdered cayenne, or your favorite chili powder.
- Garlic – Garlic tends to get stronger as it gets older, so half of the amount that you use in the summertime may be more desirable in winter.
Variations and Substitutions
Cacik comes in many regional and personal variations. You can substitute purlsane, chard, green bell peppers (raw or pre-grilled), for example, for the cucumber. Or carrots, with optional additions of raisins (sound familiar?) and pomegranate.
Yogurt Variations – Yogurts of different kinds of milk can be used, like sheeps milk or goats milk in the spring. You can also use Greek yogurt in place of regular plain yogurt, and dilute it, if necessary, to the consistency that you like.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this refreshing dip cold or cool; as a condiment, sauce or dip; with room temperature, warm or hot foods. How’s that for versatile!
Here are some ideas:
- with a table of mezze dishes such as marinated olives, pickled vegetables, wedges of bazlama Turkish bread, Greek pita bread, or crackers
- as a dressing with a salad of crisp vegetables
- as a dip with zucchini fritters or other vegetable fritters; with raw vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, vegetable slices and sticks of cucumbers, radishes, zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, celery…
- with grilled, roasted, fried or stuffed vegetables, like eggplant
- accompanying rice pilafs (or pilafs of other grains like bulgar wheat)
- with grilled or roasted chicken, meats, meatloaf, pot roast, or stew
- with meatballs or falafel, whether served on a plate or in a wrap
- alongside savory börek pastries
- for breakfast, lunch or dinner
Browse More Mediterranean Recipes
Recipe
Cacik is a delicious and wholesome staple of the Mediterranean diet. Give it a try and let me know how it goes! Tip – To send yourself a list of the recipe’s ingredients, click the black email or text buttons.
Ingredients
- 1 (10oz) cucumber (1 long English variety or 2 small Persian)
- 1½ cup (12oz) plain yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp dried mint leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle on top
- fresh mint leaves (optional), to garnish
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber, either entirely or in alternating stripes. Finely chop, or thinly slice into small rounds or quarters.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt and garlic together until smooth. Stir in the cucumber, dried mint and salt. Refrigerate, or serve immediately.(For a soupier cacik, add up to ⅓ cup cold water, or to desired consistency.)
- Serve in small individual bowls garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of dried mint and a few fresh mint leaves.
Storing
- Refrigerator: Keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Stir well before serving.
- Freezer: Can keep for up to 2 months in an airtight container, however, freezing can change the texture. It’s a good idea to freeze it in labeled containers, to keep track of the date, in serving sizes only as big as you’ll need for one meal. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and stir very well before serving.
Nutrition Info: Click to Expand
More Favorites
- Turkish Bazlama Bread – a fantastic flatbread to enjoy alongside cacik
- Tzatziki – Greek yogurt sauce
- Hummus
