Moussaka at room temperature. In the Arab countries it is usually eaten cold or hot depending on the country. The English name for moussaka has Arabic origin "musaqqa‘a" (), literally 'that which is fed liquid'. It was reborrowed from Greek "" () and from other Balkan languages, all of which borrowed the word from Ottoman. The word is first attested in English in 1862, written "mùzàkkà". Most versions are based primarily on sautéed aubergine (eggplant) and tomato, usually with minced meat, mostly lamb. However, the Greek version includes layers of meat and eggplant topped with a Béchamel ("white") sauce, and baked.
Moussaka in tomato sauce and then baked. A layer of seasoned cooked ground beef is usually added between the eggplant before baking. The dish can be served hot but is usually chilled for a day or so to improve the taste. Turkish ' is not layered. Instead, thinly sliced eggplant is fried and served in tomato-based meat sauce seasoned with green peppers, garlic and onions. It is generally eaten with ' and . There are also variants with zucchini ('), carrots (') and potatoes (""). In Albania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia, and Romania, potatoes are used instead of eggplant, pork or