mezze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...
in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
.Diane Kochilas, ''The Glorious Foods of Greece'', 2001, , p. 20 excerpt /ref> ''Lakerda'' made from one-year-old bonito migrating through the Bosphorus is especially prized.
Name
''Lakerda'' (λακέρδα) comes from Byzantine Greek ''lakerta'' (λακέρτα) ' mackerel', which in turn comes from Latin ''lacerta'' 'mackerel' or '
horse mackerel
Horse mackerel is a vague vernacular term for a range of species of fish throughout the English-speaking world. It is commonly applied to pelagic fishes, especially of the Carangidae (jack mackerels and scads) family, most commonly those of the gen ...
'. The Turkish word ''lakerda'', attested before 1566, is a loan from the Greek.
Preparation
Steaks of bonito are boned, soaked in brine, then salted and weighted for about a week. They are then ready to eat, or may be stored in olive oil.
Sometimes large mackerel or small
tuna
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max len ...
are used instead of bonito.
Serving
In
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
, lakerda is usually served as a
mezze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...
, with sliced onion. Lemon juice and olive oil are common but criticized accompaniments. In
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
it is usually served as mezze, with sliced red onion, olive oil and black pepper. It is generally accompanied with rakı.
History
''Lakerda'' is very similar to a prized
ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
dish, ''tarikhos horaion'' 'ripe salted fish' or simply ''horaion''. Other ancient salt bonito preparations were called ''omotarikhos'' and ''kybion''.Andrew Dalby, ''Food in the ancient world from A to Z'', 2003, , p. 33 snippet /ref>
See also
*
Ceviche
Ceviche () is a Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime or lemon. It is also spiced with '' ají'', chili peppers or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are ...
*
Boquerones en vinagre
Boquerones en vinagre are a type of appetizer or tapa found in Spain. The central ingredient of the dish is the ''boquerones'', fresh anchovies. The fillets are marinated in vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and olive oil, and seasoned with garli ...