French, Italian, and international menus from all over the world can be found in the tavernas, restaurants and hotels in Cyprus. However, the Cypriots take particular pride in preparing their own traditional foods and specialities. Cypriot cuisine includes a mouth watering array of dishes which have been influenced from countries all over the world, in particular Greece and the Middle East. The Cypriot diet is a very healthy one in general. They use very little oil and everything is cooked fresh, daily and to a high standard
Mezes
A Meze is a collection of up to twenty rich appetizers and savouries, all served one after the other. These dishes can include cheeses (such as halloumi and feta), olives, tomatoes, local dips (such as houmous and taramosalata), artichokes, smoked ham, calamari, squid, fresh fish, chicken, home made sausages, and koupepia (stuffed vine leaves). Local bread, made from home-grown ingredients is also served along with the traditional village salad, consisting of olives, feta, olive oil and fresh coriander.
Main Courses
There are a number of nutritious and satisfying main courses to choose from should the Meze seem daunting. Moussaka is made from either minced lamb or beef, covered with layers of potato, eggplant and zucchini. Tavas is a veal dish mixed with onions, herbs and spices. Souflakia (kebab) is very popular, and consists of pieces of skewered lamb or pork, roasted slowly, then combined with onions, salt, pepper and placed in the traditional pitta bread. Kleftiko is lamb roasted in a traditional oven, and served with potatoes. These are just a few of the many dishes available to sample, whilst wining and dining during either hot Cyprus days or romantic Cyprus evenings.
Desserts
Cypriots are very fond of their sweets. Some examples are Souzoukka, a string of nuts dipped into heated grape juice until it solidifies, and baklava, which is a rich honey cake.
Wines
Although only a small island, Cyprus is renowned for its quality wines. The cultivation of grape vines is believed to date back as far as 2000 BC. At the House of Dionysus, in Paphos, the mosaics verify the extensive history of the Cyprus Vine. Over 100 different varieties of grapes are cultivated on the island, more than half of which are grown in the Paphos District. The majority of the vineyards are small and the wineries operated by small enterprises assisted by the government. These wineries have the ability to produce between 50,000 and 300,000 bottles a year.
Commandaria, a sweet, full-bodied dessert wine, is one of the oldest known wines in the world, and produced in Cyprus. It is believed that Marc Anthony gave the island to his legendary lover Cleopatra as the taste of this sweet wine reminded him of her kiss. A wide range of other red, white, dry and sweet wines, vermouth, ports and Sherries are also produced in Cyprus. Some of the most important to note are Ouzo, a strong distillation of grape juice watered down; Zivania, another strong distillation, also used for cleaning due to its strength; and Cyprus brandy, which is used for the famous brandy sour.
Coffee is very popular in Cyprus. It is usually made from fresh coffee beans, finely ground and known for being very strong and usually served with a glass of water.
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