The Culinary Institute of America Presents ProChef.com

In the countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean—from Greece, heading east to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and rounding the corner to Egypt—the meze tradition thrives. Meze is the region’s bounteous appetizer table—the collection of small plates, always varied and colorful, that often begins a meal and sometimes replaces it.

Olives, feta cheese, pickles, yogurt salads, meatballs, even crisp raw vegetables—all can be part of the meze table. Is meze just the Middle Eastern antipasto then? Not exactly.

The habit of sharing meze arose as a sensible accompaniment to drinking. When people in these Mediterranean countries gathered to relax, socialize and have a drink in a bar or café, they wisely wanted a little food to buffer the alcohol. Proprietors began offering small plates of simple nibbles, and naturally, establishments vied to outdo each other.

Today, when Greeks, Turks or Middle Easterners sit down in the early evening for a beer or glass of raki (an anise-flavored beverage) in a café, the table will quickly be covered with small plates of savory foods to share. American diners are learning to love this communal “slow food” ritual, and a successful meze menu can boost both bar and dinner tabs.
Beef adds variety and substance to the meze table, giving diners a sense of value. Here are some traditional ways to incorporate it:

Kibbe: meatballs or meat pie made with bulgur and ground meat, common in Turkey, Lebanon and throughout the Middle East; often served with yogurt sauce

Lahmaçun (lah-mah-JHOON): a Turkish “pizza” with a soft, foldable crust and a topping of ground meat, tomato and warm spices

Manti: Turkish meat-filled ravioli with a warm yogurt-garlic sauce

Sambusak: pastry turnovers with a spicy ground meat, cinnamon and pine nut filling (similar to Indian samosas)