THINGS TO TRY IN CYPRUS
Souvlakia – Sheftalia (Pitta Bread with Mixed Grill and Salad) When you go to order a kebab or “souvlaki” in Cyprus, chances are you will be asked, “Mix? (The “ed” gets dropped off in translation). You are being asked if you would like your kebab to be a mix of pork and “seftalia”. It will sound like “sheftalia”. “Seftalia” (Seftalies in the plural) is a delicious Cyprus speciality resembling a meat ball. It consists of minced meat, usually pork and beef (but lamb can be found too) packed with herbs including parsley and very finely chopped onion and wrapped in caul fat. Seftalies are like sausages that have no skins but are held together with the caul. If you are having a barbecue in Cyprus, Seftalies are a “Must-include-on-the-Menu”. You can have them in pitta bread with salad (particularly good when mixed with souvlaki) or on their own or with a “Tzatziki” dip. Koupes (A very local and Middle eastern food). Koupes is a street food we find in Cyprus and are served as a snack, finger party food or as part of a mezes dish. Its crust is made of bulgur wheat, flour, oil, salt and egg (optional) and stuffed with ground meat, lots of onions, parsley and spices. On the road towards nearby Dherinia there is a very Good “Koupes” place called PSILLOS (meaning FLEA) A little gem of Cyprus original snacks! Zivania (can you handle it?) Zivania is a traditional alcoholic beverage, which has been produced for centuries in Cyprus by distillation, and has played an important role in the everyday life of Cypriots. Zivania is a strong drink, high in alcoholic content which according to tradition it is a distillate produced only from grapes. Zivania is a product unique to Cyprus. Zivania is characterized by its typical taste and aroma. It is colorless and it has a pleasant alcoholic content with light aroma of raisins. The typical alcohol content is 45% by volume. It is a pure drink that contains no sugars and has no acidity. Halloumi (Cheese) Halloumi is a Cypriot firm, brined, slightly springy white cheese, traditionally made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, although these days cow’s milk is also used. Its texture is similar to that of mozzarella or thick feta, except that it has a strong, salty flavour imbibed from the brine preserve. Cooking the Halloumi removes all its saltiness and empowers it with a creamy texture. Since the cheese has a high melting point, it can be easily fried or grilled. Its unusualness lies in the preparation of the cheese where no acid or acid-producing bacterium is required. Halloumi is generally served during the warmer months with watermelon, due to its refreshing qualities. It is an essential part of a Cyprus Meze and many a times it is offered as an accompaniment with cold beer. The cheese also tastes lovely when grilled, pan-fried or thinly sliced on a salad. KEO (Beer) We are very proud of our Beer. A Cypriot beer. It is a light straw-colored lager with a thick head, and is sometimes compared to a pilsner in taste. The beer is brewed in Limassol, in Cyprus. The beer won the 1987 brewing industry world bottled lager competition Gold Medal. WATERMELON (Karpouzi in Greek) Have a slice with some Halloumi cheese! I say no more!!! Chiromeri CYPRUS SMOKED HAM Chiromeri is one of the best Cyprus “mezedes” and very popular among Cypriots because of its excellent taste. The preparation requires about sixty days and it is usually done during the winter. The secret for preserving “chiromeri” is salt and you must pierce the meat with a long spit to allow wine and salt to be absorbed in the meat. It is served cold, cut in oblong pieces and in restaurants and bars it is served as an appetizer. It can also be served hot, cut in small pieces and fried with eggs. LOUKANIKA (CYPRUS SMOKE SAUSAGES) One more delicious “meze”. Its preparation is almost the same as that of “chiromeri”. The fat and the meat of the pork are used. Chop the meat into small square pieces and put into red dry wine for about 10 days. When the 10 days are over, take the meat out of the wine and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and crushed coriander. The intestines are filled with this meat and they are hung over the fireplace or a warm area to be smoked and drained. They must either be kept hanging in a cool place or slightly fried and then put in clay jars covered with melted pork fat. They are always served hot, cooked on charcoals or fried with eggs. “ELIES TSAKKISTES” CRUSHED GREEN OLIVES Eat with sausages and Zivania. Perfect! LOUKOUMADES Lokma in Greece and Cyprus, called loukoumades, are commonly spiced with cinnamon in a honey syrup and can be sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar. Lokma in the form of a dessert is made with flour, sugar, yeast and salt, fried in oil and later bathed in syrup or honey. You can find Panikos Loukoumades at Leoforos Protara - Kavo Gkreko 298, Protaras 5296, Cyprus +357 99 684815 POUREKKIA If you eat at a local Taverna (TTAPPIS, MOUSIKOS) leave some room for the end. A Traditional sweet , Small pastries stuffed with halloumi or anari cheese and glazed in honey will be just what you need! GLYKO KARYDAKI – Fresh Walnuts Preserved in Syrup Karydaki, which means small (or young) walnut, is one of the best Greek traditional spoon sweets. The spoon sweet is made with baby green walnuts in Spring, when the outer shell has not become hard. |