The Turkish word for appetizers is meze, which means “a pleasant taste.” An assortment of meze may be served before the main meal as a way to jump-start the taste buds, preparing them for the delicious food to come. Many adults in Turkey have a glass of wine or raki, an anise-flavored liquor, with meze such as smoked eggplant with yogurt, bulgur patties, stuffed grape leaves, or zucchini fritters. In Turkish homes, families might start a meal with a meze.