Mezze (also mez eg) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. Used both as a course and a social dining concept, it emphasizes sharing and variety. The term refers to a collection of bite-sized foods intended to be enjoyed communally, often with bread, dips, and salads, typically eaten before the main course.
"We ordered a mezze platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, and falafel to share."
"At our dinner party, the mezze course set a relaxed, sociable tone for the evening."
"The restaurant features a vegetarian mezze selection, including stuffed grape leaves and tabbouleh."
"After the mezze, we moved on to grilled meats, keeping a lively, conversational pace."
Mezze comes from the Arabic word maḏzā, often transliterated as mezze or meze, which itself derives from the Turkish meze and Persian mazeh, all signifying ‘taste’ or ‘small bite.’ The modern culinary usage spread through the Eastern Mediterranean to the Balkans, reflecting a culture of sharing a variety of dishes. The term appears in English usage since at least the mid-20th century, gaining prominence in restaurant menus and food journalism. The Arabic maẓāʾa or mezzeh is also linked to smaller courses offered before a main meal, reinforcing communal dining traditions in the region. Over time, ‘mezze’ has also become a broadly understood category of small dishes in international dining, sometimes used as a plural collective noun in menus and talks about Mediterranean appetisers.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mezze" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Mezze"
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Pronounce it as /ˈmɛz.i/ in US and UK English, with two syllables and stress on the first: MEZ-zee. The initial consonant is a clear m, the e is like the ‘e’ in ‘bet’, and the final syllable uses a long e sound. For Australian speakers, the same /ˈmɛz.i/ pattern applies, often with a slightly more clipped final vowel. Listen for the crisp vowel in the first syllable and a lighter, unaccented second syllable. Audio reference: try hearing it on pronunciation tools or YouGlish using common English pronunciations.
Common mistakes include pronouncing it as one syllable (mez-zə) or with a long z sound in the middle. Correct approach uses two distinct syllables: /ˈmɛz.i/. Some learners also soften the second vowel as /ə/ or mix the /z/ with /s/. To fix: keep crisp /z/ in the first syllable, ensure the second syllable uses a clear /i/ or /iː/ depending on speaker, and avoid adding a schwa if your native language doesn’t reduce vowels. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘maze’ vs ‘mezzy’ to reinforce two-syllable pronunciation.
In US/UK English, /ˈmɛz.i/ is common with rhotic or non-rhotic accents not changing the vowel quality dramatically. Australian English tends to be slightly more centralized on the /e/ vowel, but still /ˈmɛz.i/. Rhoticity mainly affects consonant r-lessness, not this word. The key differences lie in vowel quality: US might have a purer /eɪ/ in similar words, while UK/AU might have a shorter /e/ sound. Overall, the two-syllable pattern remains stable across accents.
Mezze involves two consonant-vowel transitions in quick succession and a final voiced z that can blur into /z/ or /s/ depending on speaker. The challenge is maintaining a crisp /z/ in the first syllable and transitioning to a client-friendly /i/ in the second without softening it into a schwa. Additionally, the initial /m/ is straightforward, but the second syllable requires precise mouth position for a clear /i/. Practicing with slow tempo and focused tongue positioning helps.
Is there a subtle distinction between 'mezze' (dishes) and the similar-sounding 'meze' used in some languages? The English loanword is usually written mezze and pronounced /ˈmɛz.i/ with two syllables; meze (in some contexts) is also used but less common in English. If you encounter a Turkish or Greek menu, you may hear it as ‘meze’ with a similar pronunciation but sometimes a slightly longer first syllable due to local speech patterns. IPA remains /ˈmɛz.i/ in most English contexts.
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