Skordalia is a thick Greek sauce or dip made by blending garlic with olive oil and a starchy base of boiled potato, soaked stale bread, or both, sometimes with ground almonds or walnuts and lemon juice or vinegar. Its name comes from the Greek skordo, meaning garlic, and the flavor is intensely garlicky. It is most often served as a dip for bread or vegetables, or as a sauce for fried salt cod, roasted beets, or grilled fish and octopus. The base ingredient varies regionally, with potato-based versions common on the Greek mainland and bread-based versions more common on some islands, which shifts the texture from a dense paste to a lighter, airier one.