Cypriot food - 20 dishes and delicacies in Cyprus

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Cypriot cuisine offers wonderful Mediterranean flavours and a wide variety of dishes. Here you can enjoy meze, or lots of small dishes, and - of course - the pride of Cyprus, halloumi. This article provides even more tips on Cypriot food.

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What is typical of Cypriot food?

Cypriot cuisine is a typical Mediterranean cuisine. The country is divided into two parts - Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot - and there are both similarities and differences in food culture. We visited the Greek Cypriot part during a recent trip, and that is also the one we focus on here.

You could say that Cypriot food is very similar to Greek food, but it also has its own specialities and influences from the Middle East, for example. You can expect grilled dishes, stews and meze - lots of delicious snacks.

Key ingredients in Cypriot food

Cyprus has plenty of fruit and vegetables, such as apples, peaches, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Meat also plays an important role, including lamb, pork and poultry. Cheese is another key ingredient, not least the national pride halloumi. Of course, fish are also found on the coasts, such as swordfish, tuna and octopus.

Cypriot food: twenty dishes and delicacies in Cyprus

Here we have collected 20 examples of Cypriot food in the form of dishes and delicacies. Enjoy!

1. Cypriot Meze

The first thing we have to mention when talking about Cypriot food is meze, or small dishes to share. This is perhaps one of the most common and popular ways to eat in a Cypriot tavern.

Either you start the dinner with a few small starter mezes and then move on to each main course, or you do the whole meal "meze style". Always very tasty and enjoyable!

We ate meze in a wide range of restaurants and what surprised us was the seemingly endless variety of dishes. Often, you might think that you get to try a little bit of everything that is available in the restaurant.

Greek salad, bread, batters and olives are a common start. In addition, there is a huge range of meze dishes such as halloumi, air-dried ham, vegetable dishes, fried cheese, vine leaf dumplings (koupepia), courgette balls, stuffed vegetables (gemista), sausages, meatballs, grilled meat and various stews. Or why not order risotto, scrambled eggs with spinach, snails or stuffed mushroom caps?

2. Greek salad

Almost every meal we had in Cyprus started with Greek salad, or Cyprus Horiatiki Salata (Village Salad), as it may be called here. You might think that you would get tired, but we did not. Firstly, the vegetables are so fresh and tasty, and secondly, there is only a small portion per person.

Salads always contain cucumber, tomato, feta cheese and olive oil. Other ingredients may include peppers, onions, olives and capers. In addition, good bread and tasty mixes are often served at the same time ...

3. Tzatziki, hummus, tahini, taramosalata and other mixtures

Stir-fry yes! No Cypriot meze without delicious stir-fries! Some common sauces and mixtures include tzatziki (garlic sauce with cucumber), hummus (chickpea mixture), tahini (sesame paste) and taramosalata (mixture of salted and dried fish roe). We were also served many other stir-fries, for example with chilli, lentils or peas.

4. Halloumi

One of the most important ingredients in Cypriot cuisine is halloumi (i.e. Cypriot cheese, often made from sheep and/or goat milk). This cheese is the pride of Cyprus and could even be said to be its national dish.

Cheese is often served fried or grilled, just as it is. Sometimes you can get it deep-fried, or perhaps served with an unexpected side dish. At a rural restaurant we were served it in its fresh form (small picture on the left), as it is a bit softer. Very tasty!

5. Fiskmeze

If you get tired of the "regular" mezze, you can try fish meze at one of the coastal resorts. We had fish meze at Vassos restaurant in Ayia Napa, and it was a delicious experience. Here we got to enjoy lots of dishes focusing on fish, squid and seafood. Cold dishes were served first, followed by fried dishes, then grilled dishes and finally stews. 

6. Grilled fish and squid

Of course, fish does not only have to be eaten in the form of meze. In fish restaurants, you'll find squid and different types of fish, preferably grilled, on the menu. Common fish include swordfish, tuna, seabass and seabream.

7. moussaka

Moussaka is a traditional dish in Greece, but also in other Balkan and Middle Eastern countries. It is also common in Cyprus. The dish, which is baked in the oven, usually consists of minced lamb or beef, aubergine, egg custard and cheese. Classic and delicious!

8. Makaoronia Tou Fournou (baked pasta)

A typical Cypriot dish, also cooked in the oven, is Makaoronia Tou Fournou (oven-baked pasta). This dish consists of layers of pasta, minced meat, bechamel sauce and cheese. Really good comfort food!

9. Ttavas (lamb stew)

Ttavas is a flavourful Cypriot stew made from lamb or goat, accompanied by rice, onions, tomatoes and potatoes. The dish is associated with the countryside and in particular Lefkara, which is why it sometimes goes by the longer name of Lefkaritikos Ttavas.

10. Stifado, kleftiko and other casseroles

Cyprus is the land of stews, and during our trip we were offered some form of stew at almost every meal. Stifado is a spicy stew made with beef, and adhesive tape is a lamb stew with potatoes and vegetables. There are also many other types of stews!

11. Souvlaki, kebabs and gyros

The Greek dish souvlaki is also a popular Cypriot food. The dish usually includes small pieces of charcoal-grilled meat on skewers, such as pork or chicken, along with a large amount of vegetables and pita bread. Other popular fast food dishes include kebabs and gyros (bread filled with sliced meat and various condiments).

12. Sheftalia (Cypriot sausage)

Sheftalia is a succulent Cypriot sausage made from minced pork and/or lamb together with onions, parsley and other spices. The minced meat is wrapped in a thin layer of fat and grilled.

13. East Anari

Anari is a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus. The cheese is often eaten for breakfast, perhaps with honey, or as a filling in the pastry bourekia (see below). We found it on one of the hotel's breakfast buffets.

14. Greek-style yoghurt

The yoghurt in Cyprus, as in Greece, is thick, creamy and rich in protein. Very good, and a completely different experience than eating yoghurt at home in Sweden. We enjoyed yoghurt in the mornings, with fruit or granola.

15. kattimeri (sweet pastry)

Kattimeri is a sweet Cypriot pastry made from flour, sugar and olive oil, possibly flavoured with a little cinnamon. The pastry can be eaten on its own or with honey. During our trip, we found it in one of the hotel breakfast buffets.

16 Bourekia

Bourekia is a dessert made from dough filled with cheese, such as Anari cheese, and then deep-fried. We took part in a workshop where the treat was made and then tasted it. So good!

17. baklava

Baklava is a sweet pastry that is common in the Middle East and the Balkan Peninsula, and is often eaten as a dessert. So, far from being unique to Cyprus, this sweet is very common here. The sweet and savoury pastry is made from filo dough and contains nuts and honey.

18. Glyco (tinned fruit)

Glyko is a kind of preserved fruit, which can be served as a sweet dessert in Cyprus as well as in Greece.

19. Loukoumi (Cypriotic delights)

Loukoumi is a kind of marmalade confection similar to Turkish delights, but since we're talking about Cyprus, we'll call them 'Cypriotic delights' instead. The treats can be found on buffets, and are also sold in shops, often in fancy gift boxes.

20. Shoushoukos (grape juice sweets)

Shoushoukos are made from grape juice mixed with flour. Nuts are then threaded onto strings and the strings are dropped several times into the batter. The result is a sweet snack with chewing resistance. Perfect for a small energising snack when energy levels are low!

Cypriot food in restaurants in Cyprus (and Stockholm)

Want to try Cypriot food in a cosy taverna in Cyprus? Here are some tips on nice restaurants around the island - and one in Stockholm! We have eaten at all the restaurants below very good food.

• Ayia Napa: Vassos Fish Tavern, Ayia Napa harbour
• Limassol: Kipriakon, Old Harbour
• Kathikas: Yannis Taverna, George Kleanthous 11
• Omodos: Stou-Kir Yianni, Linou 15
• Pafos: Uzeri, Coastal Broadwalk
• Sotira: Mousikos, Sotira 6
• Tochni: Tochni Tavern, Mersinies 3, Cyprus Villages
• Stockholm: Restaurant Cyprus, Valhallavägen 50

Combining Cypriot food with beer, wine and spirits

So what to drink with the food? In fact, there are quite a few local drinks to discover. Perhaps the most common Cypriot beer is the one called KEO, a light lager brewed in Cairo. Limassol and also sold at Systembolaget. This beer has an excellent flavour and we chose it several times, as an excellent combination with Cypriot food.

There is also a lot of local wine on the island, both red and white. The country is also known for its Commandaria fortified wine.

The wine is made partly from domestic grape varieties such as Xynisteri, but also from international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay. We visited the nice vineyard Vasilikon, and in addition to this there are many other vineyards, and also grapevine for those with a keen interest in wine.

If you like hard liquor, you can try the Greek liquor variety Ouzo, which is flavoured with aniseed, or Zivania, which is made by mixing distillate from pressed grapes with dry wine. Another Greek spirit is mastic, which we tried as a flavouring for ice cream.

More to see and do in Cyprus

When visiting Cyprus, it's great to enjoy Cypriot food, but there's also plenty of other things to see and do. We can highly recommend experiences at The Cyprus countryside, to visit the historic Unesco city. Pafos and to experience Underwater Museum of Ayia Napa.

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