MAIN COURSE
Souvla, large pieces of pork, lamb or chicken cooked on a long skewer over a charcoal barbecue, garnished with oregano, lemon and salt.
Souvlaki is Souvla with smaller pieces of meat, grilled bread as an option, more garnishes and sauces as well as fried potatoes. For tourists, souvlaki may be made with meat such as lamb, beef, chicken and sometimes fish( especially swordfish) and typically stuffed into a pitta.
Gyros is grilled meat slices instead of chunks, using different salads or dressings.
Sheftalia is a traditional Cypriot crépinette, a sausage without skin, using caul fat, or omentum, the membrane that surrounds the stomach of pig or lamb, to wrap the ingredients rather than sausage casing and grilled like a kebab.
Kleftiko
Kleftiko is a traditional lamb dish that’ s prepared baked in a kiln and cooked for a minimum of 24 hours in the clay oven while it marinates in a mixture of lemon juice, and cinnamon.
Stifado is a traditional and fragrant stew is made with rabbit( and sometimes beef) that’ s simmered in wine, vinegar, onions, and popular Greek spices, like garlic and oregano.
Loukoum
Commandaria wine
Moussaka is a widely enjoyed casserole, baked in layers of eggplant and lamb, covered in béchamel sauce, a white sauce white sauce made with butter and flour cooked in milk.
Loukanika, a meal of pork sausages soaked in red wine, seasoned with coriander and pepper.
DESSERTS ALCOHOL
SOUPS
The go-to Cypriot dessert is soutzoukos, a chewy delight made from grape juice; Palouzes, a jelly made out of grape juice; Glyko, preserves of almond, date, apricot, cherry, quince or grapes; Loukoumades, very sweet, small, Cyprus style doughnuts with honey, Kadeifi, Baklava and Galaktoboureko, very rich, sweet cakes made with honey and a plate of mixed fresh fruit.
SEAFOOD
The most traditional fish is çipura, baked in outdoor beehive ovens with special lemon souse. Popular seafood dishes include calamari, cuttlefish, red mullet( parpouni / barbun), sea bass( lavraki / levrek), and Octopus is also favoured, but as grill or stifado( stew) with red wine, carrots, tomatoes, and onions.
• 2018 EDITION
Traditional Brandy and Zivania are most popular on the island, followed by beer Ouzo and Raki are also imbibed frequently. A real treat, however, will be to try out Cyprus’ finest, the legendary Commandaria wine, a sweet dessert wine that is the pride of Cyprus.
COFFEE
Coffee in Cyprus is an intricate part of the island’ s culture, and this makes it a unique experience when compared to other parts of Europe. Made from freshly ground Brazillian coffee beans grown on the island, the brew is strong and heady, boiled to form a frothy cream known as“ kaimaki” on the top. Most locals drink it in tiny demitasse cups with dissolved sugar(“ glikis”) or medium sweet(“ metrios”); a brave few drink it unsweetened(“ sketos”).
Trachanas soup is a staple and part of Cypriot tradition, an all year round soup. Trachanas are crumbly solid cakes prepared by processing soured goat ' s milk boiled with crushed wheat and salt, added to appropriate stock and heated to get a creamy porridge-like consistency. A handful of small cubes of halloumi cheese are added in the final stages, along with seasoning.
If you are a fan of chicken, then be sure to try out Avgolemono, a classic soup with tender chicken, orzo( rice) pasta and a delicious bright lemon flavour. The chicken version of Avgolemono soup is preferred over beef and fish-base versions.
Happen to be in Cyprus around Easter? Then you should stick around for our Easter special, the Magiritsa, a mouth-watering soup that is made from lamb offal and tripe. It is traditional to the Greek Orthodox churches as the meal that breaks the 40-day fasting period before Easter.
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