Cuisine of Cyprus

Although cuisine of Cyprus is highly influenced from the culinary art of the Greeks and Turkish, yet it has a distinct character of its own that is peculiarly varied and delicious. Cypriots prefer fresh local ingredients, aromatic herbs and spices and the little use of natural olive oil to give it distinctively Mediterranean flavor.

Cypriots love vegetables in their food. Since meat was expensive in the past, meat eating was considered a luxury reserved for Sundays and festivals. Therefore, vegetable, pulse and grain preparations were eaten throughout the week and became the staple food of Cypriots. Most commonly eaten vegetables and pulses are courgettes, green peppers, okra, green beans, artichokes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and grape leaves fasoulia, broad beans, peas, black-eyed beans, chickpeas and lentils.

The food items for the main course in cuisine of Cyprus are Loukanika (smoked sausages seasoned with coriander and soaked in red wine and smoked), Dolma/Koupepia (grape leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice), Lountza (smoked pork), Halloumi (luscious soft grilled cheese made from thyme-fed sheep and sometimes spiced with peppermint), Sheftalia (grilled pork sausage), Afelia (pork marinated in wine and coriander), Stiphado (beef or rabbit stew casseroled with wine vinegar, onions and spices) and Ofto Kleftiko (lamb chunks cooked in a sealed clay oven and seasoned with bay leaves). The key to the taste of Cypriot cuisine is its freshness.

Rice is prepared as the chard pilaf locally called Seskoulorizo, which contains chard leaves, chopped onions, long grain rice, peeled and chopped tomatoes, freshly ground pepper, olive oil and parsley.It is usually served with plain yoghurt and crusty bread.

Commonly found fruits and nuts in Cyprus are pears, apples, grapes, oranges, mandarins, nectarines, mespila, black berries, cherry, strawberries, figs, watermelon, melon, avocado, citrus, lemon, pistachio, almond, chestnut, walnut and hazelnut. The most often used spices and herbs in the cuisine of Cyprus are pepper, parsley, roka, celery, mint, thyme and oregano.

Meze is another important aspect of the cuisine of Cyprus. It is an abbreviation of mezedes, which means ‘little delicacies’. Meze consist of as many as 30 small plates of food that range from spicy dips to vegetable, fish and meat dishes. More than a style of cooking, it is a social custom of sharing, where food is eaten as a starter and everyone dips into the same dishes. A Meze often includes halloumi, kaskavalli or feta, tomatoes, olives, celery, artichokes, smoked ham, houmous, fish roe (taramosalata), sesame dip (tahini), octopus, prawns, mullet (barbouni), chicken, green peppers, seftalia sausages and stuffed vine leaves (koupepia).  Meze can be eaten with bread, often dipped into the individual delicacies.

Cuisine of Cyprus is incomplete without dessert. The last course of meal consists of fresh fruits served alone or with a selection of sweet pastries or fruit preserved in syrup. The dessert menu includes Lokma or loukoumades (Cyprus doughnuts with honey syrup), Daktyla (ladyfingers with almonds, walnuts and cinnamon), Pastellaki (a sesame, peanut and honey syrup bar) and Shammali (orange semolina cakes cut into squares).

By: Shuchita Bist

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Source: en.wikipedia.org