Tzatziki Thessalonikis (Τζατζίκι Θεσσαλονίκης)

Tzatziki in Thessaloniki is a cold yogurt meze, thick enough to hold the mark of a spoon, with cucumber, garlic, vinegar, dill, and olive oil. It is not a sauce poured thinly over everything. It belongs on the table in a small bowl, beside grilled lamb, fried courgettes, warm pita, and the first glass poured before dinner.

The cucumber is the whole truth. Salt it, let it give up its water, then wring it harder than feels polite. If you skip this, the yogurt loosens and a pale puddle forms around the edge. Do it properly and the tzatziki stays cool, set, and clean-tasting, with the garlic carrying through instead of shouting.

Use real strained yogurt if you can, sheep-milk or a goat-and-sheep blend. Cow's milk yogurt works when it is thick and sour enough, but don't start with anything runny and hope patience will save it. Λίγα και καλά: a few things, and good ones.

This is the kind of bowl that disappears first at a summer table in Macedonia. I write it down because people think simple dishes don't need a recipe, and then they wonder why theirs tastes watery. Your grandmother cooked by eye because she'd made it a thousand times. Here are the numbers until you have.