Taste the delights of Cyprus

 
 


Gourmets will particularly appreciate what Cyprus has to offer, as Cyprus cuisine consists of dishes very rich in taste, and unique in specialties.

You can find just about any type of ethnic food as well as American and International franchises, but we recommend while in Cyprus eat what the locals eat since it is fresh as well as tasty. You can always find the 24 hour bakeries, even the small tavernas can dish up a great meal. Fruits and vegetables are freshly picked and the bread is always baked daily. Abundant vegetables, pulses and grains are a large part of the Cypriot diet. Goat’s milk, cheese, olives, wild greens, potatoes, capers, nuts and herbs form the basis of many Cypriot delicacies.

Every corner in Cyprus from the towns to the villages have traditional souvlaki shops that serve chicken or pork kebabs in pita bread or on a platter. They also serve delicious gyros with beef. Most hotels have at least one restaurant that will offer traditional Cypriot food which is fine, but nothing beats going out to a real tavern. Most taverns are located in village centres and almost all villages have at least one and some villages have several. Every taverna offers a Meze with a variety of dishes available and many also do great vegetarian and vegan mezes upon request. The standard meze is either meat or fish for the main dishes and a plethora of small, side dishes ranging from salads, potatoes and eggs to hummus and tarmasalata. You don’t have to order the Meze as there are other choices generally, but it is well worth it and it is the most popular way to dine at a taverna. Below are some useful descriptions of traditional dishes for you to sample

Meze - Literally means "small dishes." A style of eating that has many different courses, but each course contains just a little of each item, enough for everyone to have a taste.

Afelia - A Cyprus specialty made from pork, red wine, mushrooms, potatoes and coriander seeds.

Calamari - Fried squid. Calamari in Cyprus is tender and especially tasty with fresh lemon juice.

Feta - A salty, white cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk that is cured in a brine solution.

Halloumi - A Cypriot cheese made from sheep or goat milk. It has a high melting point and is usually fried or grilled. It can also be served in sandwiches, salads or with fruit particularly watermelon and wine.

Horiatiki Salata - A Greek or country salad. It is made of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, feta cheese, olives, olive oil, and vinegar - but no lettuce.

Hummus - A dip made from chickpeas and Tahini. This is nearly always served as part of a meze however, it is originally Lebanese.

Tahini - A pureed sesame seed paste that can be used as a dip or as an ingredient for other dishes. (This is also of Lebanese origin).

Tirokafteri - A spicy, hot cheese dip.

Kalamata Olives - The deep purple olives from the Kalamata region of Greece.

Kebob/Kebab - Skewered meat which can be pork, lamb or chicken.

Moussaka - A layered dish of eggplant, lamb, and tomatoes.

Sheftalia - A grilled Cypriot sausage made of pork, lamb, onions & parsley.

Souvlaki - Literally, little skewers of meat. It is can be served either as a sandwich in a pita or on the skewers. In Cyprus, the souvlaki is usually pork, but could be also be chicken or lamb.

Stifado - A beef stew with onions, tomatoes, and herbs.

Tzatziki - A dip made from Greek yoghurt, cucumbers, and either dill or peppermint.

Yemista – all kinds of stuffed vegetables such as: peppers, tomatoes, onions, courgettes, aubergines or stuffed courgette petals.

Koupepia - The famous stuffed grape leaves.

 

Zivania - a potent Cypriot alcohol made from grapes.

Commandaria - The traditional sweet dessert wine of Cyprus.

Ouzo - An anise flavoured (liquorice) alcohol that is made in Cyprus and Greece. It is usually mixed with water (50/50) which creates a cloudy appearance.

KEO - A Cypriot beer. The company that makes KEO beer, also sells KEO water, and KEO juices.

Frappe - An iced coffee drink. It is either glykos (sweet), metrios (medium sweet) or sketos (no sugar). It is also ordered with milk (me gala) or without.

 

Souzouko - a favourite at Cyprus festivals and fairs, it is made by dipping strings of nuts in heated grape juice until it solidifies.

Glyko - preserves of almond, date, apricot, cherry, quince or grapes, always served with a glass of cold water

Kourabiedes - small almond cakes coated in icing sugar.

Melomakarona - honey cakes.

Finikia - walnut cakes.

Loukoumades - very sweet, small, Cyprus style doughnuts with honey

Kadeifi, Baklava and Galatopureko : very rich, sweet cakes made with honey.

Vasilopita - Traditional New Year’s Cake with one gold coin in it. The person that gets the slice with the coin is said to have good luck all year long.

Fresh Fruit - fruit is often served as a dessert. Local fruits are watermelon, oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, tangerines, melons, apples, pears, prickly pears, cherries, apricots, figs, pomegranates, bananas, plums, grapes and dates. These are generally served fresh, in season and possibly straight off of the restaurants owners own trees! Can't get any better!