mezze

Meze (also spelled mezze or mezé) (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A meze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. Meze are often served with spirits such as arak, rakia, raki, oghi, ouzo, or grappa at meyhane and ouzeri or at regular restaurants.

The word meze, used in all the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, borrowed from Turkish meze meaning 'appetizer', which in turn had borrowed it from the Persian maze or maza (مَزه) meaning 'taste' or 'relish'.

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