Chef Dimitra
Aegean Taramosalata (Ταραμοσαλάτα)
Pale Aegean taramosalata is cured roe, soaked bread, lemon, and olive oil worked slowly until it turns thick and clean, made for lagana on Clean Monday.
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Thessaloniki Tirokafteri / Htipiti (Τυροκαυτερή / Χτυπητή)
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Thessaloniki's tirokafteri is feta beaten with roasted Florina pepper, chilli, yogurt, and olive oil until thick, salty, and hot enough to wake the whole table.
Appetizers & Snacks
Greek
Dinner Party
BBQ
Game Day
20 min
Active Time
10 min cook•30 min total
Yield6 servings as a meze
Thessaloniki tirokafteri, also called htipiti in the north, is the fiery whipped feta of Macedonia: salty cheese, roasted sweet Florina pepper, hot chilli, and good olive oil beaten into a thick meze. The region is the dish's surname. Here the heat is not decoration. It belongs to the cheese.
The method that decides it is simple: roast the pepper, peel it, and dry it well before it meets the feta. Florina pepper gives sweetness and red color, but its water can ruin the texture. You want a spoonable spread that holds ridges, not a loose pink dip running across the plate.
I keep the yogurt modest, just enough to soften the feta without dulling it. Serve it with grilled bread at a table that also has olives, tomatoes in season, and something from the coals. Λίγα και καλά, a few things, and good ones.
Tirokafteri means hot cheese, while htipiti means beaten, a name that points to the older hand-worked texture before electric blenders made it smooth. The northern version is strongly tied to Macedonia and Thessaloniki, where roasted Florina peppers from western Macedonia are often beaten into feta with chilli. Florina peppers received Greek protected designation status in 1994, and their sweet red flesh is one reason the northern dip tastes different from the sharper island versions made with only cheese, oil, vinegar, and hot pepper.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Greek feta
Quantity
300g
drained and crumbled
roasted Florina peppers
Quantity
120g
peeled, seeded, and patted dry
strained Greek yogurt
Quantity
60g
hot red chilli
Quantity
1 small
seeded for milder heat and finely chopped
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
45ml
plus more for serving
red wine vinegar
Quantity
10ml
lemon juice
Quantity
1 teaspoon
hot boukovo or chilli flakes (optional)
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
dried Greek oregano
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Greek fetadrained and crumbled | 300g |
| roasted Florina pepperspeeled, seeded, and patted dry | 120g |
| strained Greek yogurt | 60g |
| hot red chilliseeded for milder heat and finely chopped | 1 small |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oilplus more for serving | 45ml |
| red wine vinegar | 10ml |
| lemon juice | 1 teaspoon |
| hot boukovo or chilli flakes (optional) | 1/4 teaspoon |
| dried Greek oregano | 1/4 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •small food processor or mortar and pestle
- •grill pan, gas flame, or oven grill for roasting peppers
- •shallow serving bowl, about 18cm
Instructions
- 1
Roast the pepper
If your Florina peppers are not already roasted, blister them over a gas flame or under a hot grill until the skins blacken in patches. Cover for 10 minutes, then peel, seed, and pat them dry. Water is the enemy here. A wet pepper loosens the feta and gives you a pink sauce instead of a spread that holds the spoon.
- 2
Beat the feta
Put the crumbled feta, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until rough and creamy, scraping once. It should still taste like feta, salty and direct, not like a dairy cream.
- 3
Add heat
Add the roasted Florina pepper and chopped chilli. Pulse in short bursts until the dip turns pale coral and thick, with small red flecks still visible. Don't run the machine until it becomes completely smooth. Htipiti means beaten, not punished.
- 4
Work in oil
With the machine running in short pulses, add the olive oil a little at a time. Taste before adding boukovo. Some chillies are polite and some arrive with relatives.
- 5
Chill and serve
Spoon the tirokafteri into a shallow bowl, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes so the salt, pepper, and heat settle together. Serve cool, not icy, with a small pool of olive oil on top and warm pita, grilled bread, or raw vegetables.
Chef Tips
- •Use real Greek feta, sheep's milk or sheep with a little goat. Cow's milk white cheese will blend, yes, but it doesn't give the same briny backbone.
- •If you use jarred roasted peppers, drain them hard and blot them with paper. The jar liquid is useful for nothing here.
- •Tirokafteri keeps well for 3 days in the refrigerator. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving, then stir once and add the finishing oil.
- •For a fasting table, don't pretend this dish is nistisimo. Put skordalia, melitzanosalata, or a roasted red pepper dip beside the bread instead. The fasting calendar already solved that problem.
Advance Preparation
- •Roast and peel the Florina peppers up to 2 days ahead; keep them covered in the refrigerator and pat dry before using.
- •Make the dip up to 1 day ahead. The heat rounds out overnight, so taste again before adding more chilli.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 95g)
Calories
230 calories
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
11 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
560 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
8 g
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