What Turkish term means a selection of small appetizer dishes? Meze is the answer.
Meze refers to a collection of small dishes served as appetizers or shared snacks. In Turkey, a meze spread may include white cheese, melon, eggplant salad, stuffed mussels, artichokes, stuffed vine leaves, cacık, liver, octopus salad, and spicy pepper-based preparations. Dishes can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature.
Meze is especially associated with meyhane dining and is often enjoyed alongside rakı, Turkey’s anise-flavored spirit. Depending on the setting, meze may begin a larger multi-course meal or provide enough variety to function as the meal itself.
The concept is broader than any one national cuisine. Greek, Levantine, Balkan, and Eastern Mediterranean traditions also use forms of the word, while Spanish tapas and Italian stuzzichini are similar small-plate customs. Banchan is Korean, antipasti is Italian, and tapas is Spanish, so none is the Turkish term.