The fried cheese dish often flambéed at Greek restaurants is Saganaki. The name refers to the small, two-handled frying pan called a sagani in which the cheese is cooked and served.
Restaurant-style saganaki is commonly made with firm Greek cheeses such as kefalotyri, graviera, or kasseri. The cheese is often coated lightly with flour, fried until golden on the outside and soft inside, then brought to the table with lemon. In the well-known theatrical preparation, a spirit is added and ignited tableside, followed by the familiar cry “Opa!”
A frequent mix-up is treating Saganaki as the name of one specific cheese. It is better understood as a dish or preparation method. The same term can also appear in seafood dishes, such as shrimp saganaki, where shrimp are cooked in a small pan with tomato and feta. Flambé recipes vary by restaurant; brandy is common, while ouzo may be used in some Greek-inspired versions.