The Cyprus kitchen has a long history and combines a lot of other Mediterranean food into its own.
Listed here are some of the more famous dishes
- Halloumi – Traditional Cheese
- Kleftiko – Slow Cooked Lamb
- Trahanosoupa – Trahana Soup
Trahana or Tarhana is a dried cultural product of Bulgur wheat and sour milk or yogurt. The Cypriot usually make it at the end of summer, utilizing the warm weather to dry it out and store it for the colder months. - Hummus – Chickpea paste
- Spanakopita – Spinach Pies
- Talattouri– Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
The Cyprus way of the greek Tzatziki, but with olive oil, lemon, oregano and mint. - Tirokafteri – Spicy Feta Cheese Dip
- Taramosalata – Fish Roe Dip
- Souvla – Barbecued Meat
- Sheftalies – Cypriot Sausage
- Lountza – Cured Tenderloin
- Stifado – Stewed Beef
- Kouneli Stifado – Rabbit Stew
- Avgolemono Soup – Egg-Lemon Soup
- Flaouna – Easter Sweet Pastry
- Daktyla – Lady’s Fingers
- Bourekia – Fried Pastry
This pastry is something you only get in Cyprus. In most places, it is either filled with Anari or with some paste out of cinnamon and sugar. - Koupepia – Stuffed Vine Leaves
- Keftedes – Meatballs
- Tsamarella – Cured Goat MeatTsamarella used to be just a method to retain goat meat but has become a staple in Cypriot lunch recipes nowadays. It originates in the agricultural regions of Cyprus, including Marathasa Valley, Pitsilia, and Pafos, and you can still easily find it here nowadays.
Traditionally, the locals first remove the goat’s bones and let the whole goat dry out in the sun for a few days. Then, they’ll boil the goat in seasoned water and fill it with condiments and herbs. The goat was then placed out in the sunlight for one more day.
The result of Tsamarella is tender and somehow juicier than most cured meat. Besides the use of lunch meat, you can also enjoy it as a drinking bait. In addition, you can also find the lamb version of this delicacy.
- Pastourma – Spicy Cured Beef SausageThere are numerous ways to spell the name of this dish, as well as many etymologicon theories. Still, Pastourma is likely an invention of Ottoman cuisine.
The making process of Pastourma may take up to a month. It requires double pressing, first the cold press, then the hot press, interleaved with drying time. The cooks then cover the beef in a traditional paste made of garlic, red chilli pepper, and fenugreek seeds – called Cemen.
They will then set Pastourma to dry out once again. It’s also well known as a cultural Cypriot breakfast recipe served along with fried egg and Halloumi cheese. Otherwise, you can also use it as drinking bait.
- Afelia – Braised Pork
- Athoi Gemistoi – Stuffed zucchini blossom flowersAthoi are vegan Cypriot zucchini (courgette) flowers which are stuffed with rice, herbs and spices and cooked until the rice is soft.
- Louvi – Black eyed Peas
- Koucha – Broad Beans
Places to find recipes for traditional Cyprus food include:
