Traditional Cypriot cuisine has blended two lines of tradition. Firstly, there is the Greek branch of culture. And secondly, there is the strong influence of the Turkish part of the population with their tastes and preferences. We have collected for you a small list of national dishes of Cyprus, so that you can decide and choose what suits you. Keep in mind, here they love meat, fish and vegetables. And the dishes are quite large and hefty, so you won't leave the restaurant hungry.
Cypriot dishes that are a must-try
Meze is actually not a dish. And you'll hear that word a lot. So, a meze is an assortment of different foods. True, the products should be of the same property. As a rule, you will find meat, fish or vegetable meze. The ingredients are different everywhere. Mixing types of products is not liked.
Suvlaki steen pitta is an appetizer that consists of kebab wrapped in fresh flatbread. The kebab can be lamb, beef, or pork. Pieces of meat are roasted on coals, baked in clay, or in pots with vegetables, onions, bay leaf, pepper.
Moussaka is minced meat baked with slices of various vegetables and topped with a sauce of beaten eggs and sour cream.
Tavva is a dish of meat and rice wrapped in grape leaves with lots of spices. It somewhat resembles stuffed cabbage, although it differs in the way it is prepared.
Stifado is another testament to the Cypriot people's love of tasty meat. It is beef roasted with young onions. It's almost dietary, albeit hearty.
Cleftico is the meat of a young lamb baked in foil. It's usually baked with beans or potatoes, which appeared on the island only a couple centuries ago, replacing the classic southern club plant taro.
Halloumi cheese is revered here along with feta, fried or eaten plain, used in salads and as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.
Rizogalo is a sweet dish served third. It is rice porridge with cinnamon, an unusual combination but quite original.
Eastern traditions of Cypriot food culture can be seen in the love for sweets like halva, nuts in honey, rahat loukoum, baklava, and numerous sweet desserts. So prepare your stomachs, Cyprus loves to eat quite deliciously.
At the end of the Cyprus drinks list, the wines are a must. The excellent white, rose, and red Cypriot wines are world-famous. The sweet dessert wine "Kommandaria," "Namas wine" is a type of cahor, which is best purchased at the Kykkos Monastery in the Troodos Mountains.
