What's not to love about flaming cheese? It's exciting, it's delectable, it's everything you could want in an appetizer. While saganaki is a Greek dish, the idea of setting it aflame came from Chicago.
The word saganaki comes from the Greek word for a small pan with two handles: sagani. In Greece, cheese (usually kasseri, feta, or halloumi) is fried in a sagani and served with bread. The Chicago version of flaming saganaki that is served as an appetizer at Greek restaurants is a little more dramatic: The cheese is first coated with flour and fried in olive oil. The oil is drained off and the cheese is splashed with brandy. The cheese is then lit on fire, usually by a server who shouts "Opa!" and puts out the flame with a squeeze of lemon. As for the choice of alcohol, brandy is used because it adds a touch of flavor and evaporates quickly; ouzo is a traditional Greek liquor that is often used in the dish, but any type of brandy will do. Kasseri cheese lends itself well to flaming saganaki because it melts well, but some restaurants are known to use kefalotyri cheese. And if this all sounds like a fire hazard to you, pouring the oil out of the pan before lighting the cheese prevents the flame from spreading. The end result is cheese that is warm, chewy, and purely scrumptious.
The flaming saganaki tradition came out of Chicago's Greektown neighborhood. Two different Greektown restaurant owners have claimed to be the first to light the saganaki aflame: Chris Liakouras of The Parthenon and Petros Kogeones of Dianna's Opaa!.
In a 1979 interview, Liakouras told the Chicago Tribune that he invented flaming saganaki in 1968. As the story goes, he was exchanging ideas with some friends at his restaurant when one of them suggested setting the saganaki aflame. In a 1991 interview, Kogeones told the Tribune that he and his brother Peter were setting saganaki aflame since the early 1960s. The two would set up tables in front of the family grocery store, douse cheese with brandy, light it up, and cry "Opa!," which Petros described as a Greek exclamation of approval. The business eventually grew into Dianna's Opaa! restaurant. And while both The Parthenon and Dianna's Opaa! have since closed, this practice of setting cheese aflame has spread across the country and even to some restaurants in Greece.
As for the "Opa!" cry, it has several different meanings. In addition to a shout of approval, it can be a celebratory cheer. It can also mean "Let's dance!" or "Get up!." In the context of flaming saganaki, it means "Let the flame rise up!"
While the exact origins of flaming saganaki are unknown, one thing is certain: Chicago knows how to bring the fun to a meal.
I was nervous about making flaming saganaki at home for the first time, so I enlisted my husband to help with the lighting and extinguishing of the flame. It all worked out. He was surprised at how easily the cheese lit aflame and how easily it was extinguished with the lemon juice. I was also surprised at how the saganaki ended up tasting exactly like it does when I've ordered it at Greek restaurants. This would be the perfect dish to make if you want to impress guests. And between you and me, you could also skip the flame part and just have some delicious fried cheese with lemon.
Flaming Saganaki
* Based on a recipe from Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites
*Serves 2 as an appetizer
4 oz. slice kasseri cheese (I was able to find some at Pete's Fresh Market)
1/4 c. water
1/4-1/2 c. white flour
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. brandy (If you really want to be authentic, use ouzo.)
1 lemon, cut into halves and then one half cut into wedges
1. Have your kitchen fire extinguisher ready, just to be safe.
2. Place the brandy in a shot glass or small bowl.
3. Brush the cheese with water.
4. Place the flour in a bowl. Place the cheese in the bowl to cover both sides with flour.
5. Add the olive oil to a small pan and preheat over medium heat.
6. As soon as the olive oil starts smoking, place the cheese in the pan to quickly brown.
7. After a few minutes, check to see if the underside of the cheese is brown. Once it's brown, flip the cheese over.
8. Cook the other side of the cheese for at least a few minutes, checking to see if it's brown.
9. When the second side is brown, pour the oil out of the pan and into the garbage.
9. Pour the brandy over the cheese and carefully light.
10. Shout "Opa!" and squirt half of the lemon over the cheese to extinguish the flames.
11. Serve with lemon wedges and bread of your choice.
Sources:
Monica Eng and David Hammond, Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, 3 Fields Books, 2023.
Janet Rausa Fuller, "Opa! In Praise of Flaming Saganaki," Chicago magazine (September 8, 2016).
David Hammond, "Chicago Fire: Flaming Saganaki Sparks Interest Worldwide Decades After It's Greektown Origin," Chicago Tribune (June 9, 2025).
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