Living in Paphos, Cyprus, for the last eight years, we have sampled many local eateries, and dishes, this is a rough guide to some traditional foods in Cyprus.
For further information on eating out in Paphos please read my other posts.
Traditional foods in Cyprus ;
are meat, fish, and salad, the locals eat a lot of Cypriot lamb especially on bank and public holidays, the meat has a different taste to other lamb more like a goat type meat.
There is an abundance of fruit trees, predominantly lemon, and olive, also the famous Cypriot potatoes, which are used in much of the local cuisine,
Some of the main dishes being;
Kleftiko ; A dish of Cypriot lamb, with herbs and potatoes, slow cooked in a clay oven, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Tradition has it, that the name derived from the mountain regions, where the locals, (Klephts) would steal the lamb or goats, which would then be cooked in an oven, concealed in the ground so as not to be caught.
Stifado : Typically beef cubes, with tomatoes, onions and potatoes, traditionally cooked in a ceramic pot in a clay oven.
Lountza : Cured pork fillet, usually marinated in red wine and herbs and dried, then cooked in a smoke chimney.
Souvla/souvlaki : from the grill, pork chunks on skewers
souvla being large pieces,
souvlaki smaller cubes,
usually served with salad and pita breads.
Gyros : Chicken or pork, layered onto a rotating vertical skewer, rotisseried, again served with salad and pita
Moussaka : A lamb dish, with layers of minced meat, potatoes and aubergine, very similar to lasagne.
Sheftalia ; A traditional sausage made of equal mixes of lamb and pork.
Keftedis : Pork meatballs, with herbs and spices.
Meze : A firm favorite with the Cypriots, lots of dishes of local origin, each restaurant/taverna having their own spin on this, but dishes include,
- olives,
- souvlaki,
- sheftalia
- lountza
- chicken
- beetroot
- beans
- breads, salad, liver,
- Cypriot sausage,
- dips, (taramasalata, tzatziki, humus, tahini)
Taramasalata : A dip made of fish roe with olive oil, lemon, garlic, bread or potatoes.
Tzatziki : A dip consisting of yogurt, cucumber, and garlic.
Humus : ground chick peas blended with olive oil, lemon and garlic
Tahini : ground sesame seeds
With plenty of local fresh fruit and veg on offer its a great way to eat healthily and heartily.
Desserts
The dessert dishes tend to be pastry based, a very fine shredded wheat like texture, usually with nuts and honey.
Typical traditional desserts include
Baklava ; consists of layered sheets of filo dough and chopped nuts; the assembled pastry is drenched with syrup or honey
Kateifi ; similar to Baklava filo pastry very much like shredded wheat, with chopped nuts, cinnamon and cloves again drenched in a sweet syrup.
Obviously there are many more dishes to be sampled but this is a gfreat start to learning about Cypriot cuisine and favourites on the island.
