What are the 9 memorable flavors of Cypriot cuisine?

For you, food may be just a combination of several ingredients that together can turn hunger into satiety; Some may be to your liking and some may not be. But according to many people, food has an amazing culture and the effect it has on the body goes far beyond satiety and delivering vitamins and nutrients. It’s like every food has a special energy that by eating it, this energy spreads in the body and causes a new mood. Perhaps this view can describe the wide range of foods that are popular and unpopular in different parts of the world.

Generally, our most popular foods are the ones that we have eaten since childhood and that gave us a good feeling. But traveling to different parts of the world can introduce us to new flavors and tastes; A taste that may or may not be to our liking. But this experience is definitely not without grace and one should be enthusiastic and bold for new experiences.

The history of each land plays a key role in the formation of its food combinations, and Cyprus, which has experienced a turbulent history, is as rich and surprising in its traditional foods as in its history. If you have traveled to Turkey and you liked the taste of their seasonings and foods, you can probably find your favorite foods here as well, which, of course, are not without Greek taste. (We have also introduced Greek seafood in another article)>

The most delicious dishes of Cyprus

This list is a collection of popular Cyprus dishes that you must try when traveling to this island:

1-Souvlakia

Solaki can be considered a free take on a very popular Greek dish! If you are a fan of kebabs, know and be aware that sulaki consists of grilled meat with aromatic spices, served alongside a fresh salad inside a pita bread. The Greek version has a thicker pita bread and is prepared as a roll, but in Cyprus, grilled meat and vegetables are served inside a thinner pocket pita bread.

Sulaki meat may be chicken, lamb or pork. Of course, this dish can be prepared with halloumi and mushrooms for vegetarians.

2- Halloumi

Halloumi can be considered the most popular and special dish of Cyprus, which has even reached European and Middle Eastern restaurants and has many fans. The salty taste and soft and elastic texture is really tempting when it is placed next to lamb meat or a plate of vegetables.

Halloumi is basically a cheese made from a combination of goat and sheep milk and is served both grilled or fried with lots of aromatic vegetables and cold with watermelon as a hearty summer dinner.

3- Koupepia Koupepia

A combination of meat, onions, tomatoes, rice and all kinds of aromatic vegetables that are cooked and then reheated inside fresh hair leaves or bell peppers until the cooking is complete and the taste of bell peppers and hair leaves are added to the ingredients. Does this combination sound familiar to you? Yes, the same as our own! Dolame is one of the traditional and popular dishes in Greece and Turkey, which are included in the list of special dishes for celebrations and parties as well as in the list of weekly dishes in Cyprus.

4-Sola Souvla

Sola is very similar to Solaki, but it has a different cooking method; To prepare it, neck and shoulder meat of lamb or chicken is used, which should be cooked slowly on a charcoal grill. Soula is one of the royal dishes in the group of Cypriot grilled foods, which perhaps the culture of socializing and conversation that has formed around it has helped to make it more popular. This means that during the cooking time of this dish, which is relatively long and may take one to two hours, friends and acquaintances spend drinking and socializing.

5- Pastitsio

The appearance of this dish is very similar to lasagna and its taste is not similar to it. A combination of large tube pasta with halloumi cheese, béchamel sauce, meat, tomatoes and dried mint are the main ingredients that are layered on top of each other.

A small amount of grated cheese is added on the last layer so that it turns golden during baking and gives the food a more attractive appearance. Pistatsu plate is usually served with salad.

6- Louvi

A very simple dish that can be prepared in any kitchen in Cyprus, and its main ingredient is kidney beans. Very low in calories but rich in protein and carbohydrates, prepared with lemon and onion. Cucumber, tuna and fresh tomatoes are usually served with levi.

It is still a custom in many Cypriot homes to cook levi on Mondays and Tuesdays.

7- Koupes

A very exciting dish that is sure to suit your taste if you are a fan of croquettes. Balls with a combination of minced meat, parsley, onion and special spices, and the shell is ground wheat with water, which is fried in plenty of oil and turns into a crispy fold.

This dish is one of the cheap dishes of Cyprus that you can easily find on the coast of Cyprus. Read more about Cyprus in the Cyprus travel guide article.

8- Kleftiko

This dish has a very interesting history. The name of this dish comes from the word Stolen which means “stolen”. The reason for this name is that in the past, when thieves stole meat, they buried it in holes in the ground to cook it over several hours with the heat of the soil. In this way, they didn’t need a fire to reveal their place!

In today’s method, they still spend a lot of time to cook it completely along with thyme and aromatic vegetables. Kleftiko is served in a delicious tomato and onion sauce with baked potatoes. They usually eat this food with fresh yogurt.

9- Sheftalia

This food is for fast food eaters! A very delicious sausage made from pork or lamb and grilled with various aromatic vegetables and tomatoes. If you are craving fast food during your trip to Cyprus, be sure to try this delicious sausage.

Of course, it goes without saying that Cyprus is a tourist island, and you can find international food in most hotels and restaurants, and if you are not too adventurous and try new flavors, there is nothing to worry about. But our suggestion is that depending on your taste, whether you are a barbecue person or a pasta family, or even if you are a vegetarian, you must give one of the options on this list a chance to prove its deliciousness to you and make its place on your favorite list. Read more about Cyprus in these articles: