cyprus food stuffs > History, Traditions & Myths > Eating Habits I

CYPRIOTS: EATING & DRINKING HABITS

Mezedhes/Meze:

Mezedhes/Meze is little “hors d’oeuvres” which is very important in the Cypriot Cuisine. Mezedhes/Meze is considered to be a traditional dish and it is the most important part of a meal.

Each restaurateur can create his own recipes of mezedhes/meze. The recipes are given from mother to daughter. Mezedhes/Meze is very tasty and attracts the attention of tourists and visitors.

Cold mezedhes/mezes or appetizers are:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation
Tzatziki/Cacık	Cucumber with yogurt
Kolokouthkia/Kabak Kızartma	Fried courgettes
Vazani/Patlıcan Kızartma	Fried aubergines
Fasolia plaki/Pilaki	Boiled bean salad
Piperies ghemistes/Biber dolması	Stuffed green peppers
Karotta ke angouraki me lemoni/Limonlu havuç ve salatalık	Raw carrot & cucumber in lemon juice
Koupepia/Dolma	Vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes and onion in chilly sauce
Khoumi/Humus	Chick pea spread
Yaourti/Yoğurt	Yogurt
Elies mavres/Siyah Zeytin	Black olives
Elies tsakistes/Çakisdes	Crushed green olives
Fetta/Beyaz peynir	White cheese made from sheep’s milk
Halloumi ke ndomata/Hellim ve domates	Halloumi and tomato
Avgo ortykiou/Bıldırcın yumurtası	Hard-boiled egg of quail
Tashi/Tahın salatası	Tahini dip
Poures asprou tiriou/Beyaz peynir püresi	White cheese puree
Melintzanosalata/Patlıcan salatası	Aubergine salad
Kappari xidhato/Kappar Turşusu	Pickled capers
Lakhanika/Söğüş	Natural salad
Khoriatiki salata/Karışık salata	Mixed salad
Samarella	Samarella
Rosto/Soğuk et	Cold meat
Krio psari/Soğuk balık	Cold fish
Anari/Nor	Goat’s milk curd
Koutchia/Kuru bakla	Dry broad bean
Panjarka xidhata/Pancar turşusu	Pickled beetroot
Patatosalata/Patates salatası (zeytin yağlı)	Potatoes salad ( in olive oil)

Mezedhes/Meze are placed on the table altogether.

Hot delicacies:

When cold mezedhes/meze is consumed, it is replaced by smaller dishes of hot delicacies.

These are:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Halloumi sti skhara/Izgara hellim	Grilled halloumi
Halloumi tighanito/Hellim kızartma	Fried halloumi
Sheftalies/Şeftali kebap	Type of Cypriot kebab
Keftedhes/Köfte	Meat balls
Kalamarakia/Kalamar	Squid
Pourekkia me halloumi/Hellim böreği	Small pasties stuffed with halloumi
Pourekkia me keima/Kıyma böreği	Small pasties stuffed with minced meat
Pourekkia me spanakhi/Ispanak böreği	Small pasties stuffed with spinach
Rola me halloumi/Sigara böreği	Cheese in puff-paste rolls
Koupes/ Bulgur köftesi	Minced meat wrapped in a crust of crushed wheat
Halloumi stin pitta/Pidede ızgara hellim	Grilled halloumi in flat bread
Manitarakia sote/Mantar sote	Mushroom sauté
Pastourmas stin pitta/Pidede ızgara pastırma	Traditional spicy sausage marinated in wine, in flat bread
Kreatopitta/Mantı	Meat pie
Ravioles/Pirohu	Ravioli with cheese
Elies sta karvouna/Zeytin kebabı	Skewered black olive

Soups:

The most common soups are:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Louvana/Mercimek çorbası	Lentil soup
Trakhanas/Tarhana çorbası	Soup with crushed wheat dried in yogurt
Ntomatosouppa/Domates çorbası	Tomato soup
Yayla çorbası	Rice & yogurt soup
Spouppa me prasa/Pırasa çorbası	Leek soup
Khortosouppa/Sebze çorbası	Vegetable soup
Kotosouppa/Kremalı tavuk çorbası	Chicken soup
Avgholemono	Soup with chicken, lemon, egg and rice

Main Courses:

Kebabs are very popular among the Cypriots. There are different types of kebabs. Generally, cubes of lamb, chicken or liver are skewered with tomatoes, peppers, onions, grilled over charcoal and served with pitta/pide.

Kebabs are always accompanied with salad. In the restaurants, kebabs are served on a bed of rice, too.

Some sorts of kebabs and other main courses are:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Souvlakia/Kuzu şiş	Lamb shish
Kotopoulo souvlaki/Piliç şiş	Chicken shish
Şişte çiğer kebabı	Liver shish
Afelia/Kuzu tava	Fried lamb dish
Mousakkas/Musakka	A dish of aubergine, potatoes, courgettes and minced meat, covered with béchamel sauce
Ravioles/Pirohu	Traditional ravioli, made ofpasta halloumi and mint
Psisto/Küp kebabı	Chunks of lamb, which are usually wrapped in foil paper, with potatoes, tomatoes and onions, baked in a brick oven for about three hours. In the old days they used to bake küp kebab underground, where they had a clay oven. On our feast days Turkish Cypriots like to have küp kebab.
Sheftalies/Şeftali kebabı	Type of Cypriot kebab
Paidakia/Kuzu pirzola	Chopsticks
Keftedes/Köfte	Meat balls
Mix/Karışık kebab	Mixed kebab
Psito/Fırında etli patates	Meat-potato in oven
Rosto/Kuzu rosto	Roast lamb
Bumbar	Lamb intestine stuffed with minced meat, rice, onion, parsley
Imam baildi/İmam bayıldı	Imambayildi
Koupepia/Etli dolma	Vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomato, onion, minced meat, parsley
Kounelli stifado/Tavşan bastı	Rabbit stew with onions

Fish:

Some varieties of fish which are preferred by the Cypriots are:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Rofos/Lahos or lagos	Grouper
Mbarpouni/Barbun	Red mullet
Sorkos/Sorgo	White bream
Fangri/Fagri	Sea bream
Mineri/Mineri	Amberjack
Lavraki/Levrek	Sea bass
Tonos/Palamut	Tuna
Kefalos/Kefal	Grey mullet
Tsipoura/Çipura	Porgy

All kinds of fish are accompanied with French fries and salad.

Fruits and Sweets:

Cypriots are very fond of sweets. Here are some of them:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Lokmadhes/Lokma	Lokma
Halouvas/Helva (irmik helvası)	Halva
Rizoghalo/Sütlaç	Rice pudding
Kateifi/Tel Kadayif	Kadayif
Paklavas/Baklava	Baklava
Paghoto/Dondurma	Ice cream
	Seasonal fresh fruits
Loukoumi/Lokum	Turkish delights

-/Samsı	Cypriot Baklava
Kattimeri/Sini katmeri	Sweet made of flour, oil, butter, almond, cinnamon
-/Gullurikya	Pastries boiled and served with grape syrup
Shamali(Kalon prama)/Şammali	Traditional sweet made of crush wheat, syrup and nuts
Varkoulla/Kayık pasta	Small cake, filled with almond paste
Loukoumi tou ghamou/İçi dolu (lokum)	A sweet filled with nuts
Ekmek kateif/Ekmek kadayifi	Cake filled with cream and covered in syrup
Tremithopitta/Çitlemitli bitta	Terebinth berry pie
Ravani/Revani	Semolina sweet
Gliko siko/İncir hoşaf	Fig compote or stewed fig

Preserved fruits (Gliko tou koutaliou/Macunlar):

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Ghliko karidhaki/Ceviz macunu	Green walnut
Ghliko kitromilaki/Turunç macunu	Seville / bitter orange
Ghliko kaisi/Kayısı macunu	Apricot
Ghliko amighdhalou/Badem macunu	Almond
Ghliko siko/İncir macunu	Fig
Ghliko vazanaki/Patlıcan macunu	Eggplant
Ghliko karpouzi/Karpuz macunu	Watermelon
Ghliko kidhoni/Ayva macunu	Quince
Ghliko finiki/Hurma macunu	Date
Ghliko kolokithaki/Kabak macunu	Marrow

Cyprus Coffee:

Most Cypriots have Cyprus coffee several times during the day. After meals, a Cyprus Coffee is considered a must. . That is the reason why coffee shops are a part of life and they are visited today only by old men who meet other men to talk, play cards and tavli/tavla ( backgammon).

Cyprus coffee is a strong coffee and when someone orders it, he or she will be definitely asked if he or she likes it:

- varis ghlikos/şekerli (sweet)

- ghlikos/orta şekerli ( medium sweet)

- metrios/orta (medium)

- skettos/sade (without sugar)

Cyprus coffee is always accompanied with a glass of water.

Çay (Tea):

Cypriots have tea in cups, served with or without milk. Turkish Cypriots sometimes have tea served without milk in small glasses.

Drinks:

Soft drinks:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Airani/Ayran	Yogurt drink
Soumadha/Sumada	Almond drink

Alcoholic drinks:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Ouzo/Rakı (local drinks)	Raki ( it is a traditional drink, made of aniseed
Brandy sour	Brandy sour most preferred aperitif
Local wines

On the occasion of celebrations Cypriots prepare traditional pies:

Greek Cypriot Name/Turkish Cypriot Name	English Explanation

Flaouna/Plavuna	Flaunes(easter cheese cake)
Kolokoti/Kabak böreği	Small pasties stuffed with pumpkins
Halloumoti/Hellimli	Oven baked cheese paste
Elioti/Zeytinli	Oven baked olive paste
Boğaça	Oven baked white cheese and halloumi paste
Lakhmadjun/Lahmacun (Fındık lahmacun)	Mini lahmacun
Pide (hellimli / pastırmalı / etli veya kıymalı / peynirli)	Halloumi / Pasturma / Meat or Minced meat / Cheese on a bed of flat bread baked in oven
Koupa/Bulgur köftesi	Koupes

Traditional Wedding Meal

(Resi/Herse - Ressi):

In the Paphos area, Cypriots used to celebrate their wedding feasts eating herse.

It is such a traditional dish in the area, that people used to say: Without herse, no one could feel the charm of the wedding. A Wedding feast without herse is like a winter without rain”.

Hellim (Halloumi):

Hellim is the most famous and delicious cheese and it is consumed at all times.

It can be served with cucumber, tomato or melon and it can be grilled or fried.

It is unimaginable to have tarhana soup or macaroni with chicken, cooked in the broth, without hellim.

Molohiya:

Molihiya is a green leafy vegetable which grows in Cyprus and on the banks of the Nile. It is cooked with chicken or lamb.

Kolokas:

Kolokas is a root vegetable and has the texture of potato, but its taste is sweeter. It is cooked with chicken or lamb.

Lemon:

Lemon is a very commonly used flavoring. A molohiya dish needs a lot of lemon juice. A lentil soup necessarily contains lemon juice.

Cypriot restaurateurs serve usually a fixed menu which is:

- meze

- kebabs (lamb or chicken) or mixed kebab or fish

- to be followed by fruit or sweet or both and coffee in the end.

Coffee is usually on the house:

Cypriot restaurateurs and their staff are hospitable, friendly and always willing to serve the customers.

During the whole Summer period, eating and drinking takes place outdoors.

cyprus food stuffs > History, Traditions & Myths > Eating Habits I

Karotta ke angouraki me lemoni/Limonlu havuç ve salatalık