Skordalia

Skordalia or skordhalia/skorthalia (σκορδαλιά [skorða'ʎa] ; in Greek also called αλιάδα) is a thick puree (or sauce/dip/spread/etc.) in Greek cuisine made by combining crushed garlic with a bulky base—which may be a purée of potatoes, walnuts, almonds, or liquid-soaked stale bread—and then beating in olive oil to make a smooth emulsion. Vinegar is often added. Variants may include eggs as an emulsifier and omitting or reducing the bulk ingredient, which makes for a result similar to the Provençal aïoli, Catalan "allioli", and so on. Although mayonaise (egg and oil with acid, lemon juice/vinegar) is an ancient Greek food, the addition of garlic by the Greeks was considered a different dish altogether, unlike the Provençal aïoli, Catalan "allioli", and so on.

Skordalia is usually served with batter-fried fish (notably salt cod, μπακαλιάρος), fried vegetables (notably eggplant and zucchini), poached fish, or boiled vegetables (notably beets). It is sometimes used as a dip.

Skordalia is the modern equivalent of ancient "skorothalmi". [Oxford Companion to Food, "s.v." "Greek cuisine" and "Skordhalia".] The name, on the other hand, may be pleonastic compound of Greek σκόρδο ['skorðo] 'garlic' and Italian "agliata" [a'ʎata] 'garlicky'. [Babiniotis, Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας]

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