A holiday to Cyprus wouldn’t be complete without trying some of the traditional Cypriot dishes and delicacies. If traditional Cypriot food is what you are looking for (and you should be) we have used our love of food to come up with a lot of useful tips and a list of definitions to help you navigate Cyprus cuisine. (If you live in Cyprus and are already familar with Cypriot food, check out our top 10 restuarants in Paphos and restaurant reviews on www.iheartcyprus.com)
In Cyprus, you can find just about any type of ethnic food and the usual American fast food establishments, but we recommend while in Cyprus eat what the locals eat since it is fresh and tasty. From the numerous bakeries to the small taverns the fruits and vegetables are generally freshly picked and the bread is always baked daily. Abundant vegetables, pulses and grains are a large part of the Cypriot diet. Goats' milk, cheeses, 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 centers 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. 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. Here are some useful descriptions:
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 is usually fried or grilled and is very tasty.
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.
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 spits 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.
Tahini - A pureed sesame seed paste that can be used as a dip or as an ingredient for other dishes.
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.
Drinks of Cyprus
Zivania, a potent Cypriot alcohol made from grapes.
Commandaria - A sweet dessert wine of Cyprus.
Ouzo - An anise flavored (licorice) alcohol that is made on 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 ordered like coffee in its ingredients. It is either glykos (sweet), metrios (medium sweet) or sketos (no sugar). It is also ordered with milk (me gala) or without.
Desserts and Breads of Cyprus
Souzouko - a favorite 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
Loucoumi - or Turkish delight
Loukoumades - very sweet, small, Cyprus style doughnuts with honey
Kadeifi, Baklava and Galatopureko: very rich, sweet cakes made with honey
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, plumbs, grapes and dates.
For more interesting and useful information about Cyprus check out our list of the Top 101 things to experience in Cyprus from food, drinks, places to see and things to do. |