{"id":2451,"date":"2025-09-24T04:42:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T02:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restaurantsolis.com\/?p=2451"},"modified":"2025-12-31T04:09:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:09:12","slug":"mezzes-tradition-mediterraneenne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restaurantsolis.com\/en\/mezzes-tradition-mediterraneenne\/","title":{"rendered":"Mezze: a Mediterranean tradition reinvented at Solis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who invented mezzes?<\/p>\n

This is a question that could cause a stir around a table: everyone is claiming them!<\/p>\n

From Lebanon to Greece, from Turkey to the Maghreb, everyone claims to have the authenticity of this culinary ritual.<\/p>\n

At our place, at Solis, Mediterranean restaurant in Paris 17<\/a><\/strong>, we prefer to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar: mezzes are above all a story of encounters, travel and exchanges.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where does the word \u201cmezz\u00e9\u201d come from? Etymology<\/h2>\n

The term "mezz\u00e9" comes from the Persian<\/strong> mazzeh, which means " taste "<\/strong> Or "flavor"<\/strong>. Nothing but that!<\/p>\n

The use spread to 15th century<\/strong> across the Ottoman Empire and then throughout the Mediterranean basin. Originally, they were small bites served with wine or arak (aniseed-flavored alcohol)<\/a> to prolong the conversation and stimulate the appetite.<\/p>\n

The ancestors of mezze can be traced back to Antiquity: the Greeks and Romans already opened their banquets with olives, cheese and dried fruits.<\/p>\n

But it is through trade, conquests and migrations that mezzes took their current form, varying from one country to another, while remaining faithful to their primary vocation: to bring people together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The key ingredients<\/h2>\n

\"hummus\"<\/p>\n

While there are a thousand and one versions of mezzes, certain ingredients are essential:<\/p>\n