Cyprus Specialities
Eating out in Cyprus offers unlimited choices from international fast food chains to a variety of gourmet restaurants. While French, Italian, oriental and other menus are bound to tempt you our recommendation is, when in Rome, do as the Romans do’. For a bite on the go or a basic evening filler, don’t resist the roadside stalls offering a juicy ‘gyros’ or ‘souvlakia’ in a piping hot pita bread. And at least once during your stay, you owe it to your self to indulge in a full ‘meze’ served in the traditional setting of a popular Greek tavern. ‘Meze’ is a gastronomic experience that appears in some form other throughout the Mediterranean region. Share a meze in Cyprus and you have tasted the true flavours of the island.
Depending on the tavern, a meze could include up to 30 miniature dishes! Since they are not served all at once, don’t be tempted to finish every dish that arrives on the table, or you may not be able to enjoy the final offerings, which are often the best. Once your meze is ordered what can you expect to eat? First come the olives, together with various dips, a basket of fresh village bread and a bowl of village salad.
These are followed by octopus in red wine, snails in tomato sauce, brawn, and pickled capers and cauliflower. Bunches of greens some tossed in oil and bound with egg cede fish bites of some kind, sardines, tiny red mullet, or kalamari. Next come the grilled halloumi cheese and slices of smoked Cyprus ham, followed by meatballs, grilled pork rissoles and smoked Cyprus sausages. There are followed by the hot specialities including meat dishes such as afelia,moussaka and stifado which lead to the popular ‘souvlakia’ pork kebab.
Dessert Delights
Cyprus desserts are as varied as our island’s heritage. The most traditional sweets are the endless preserves, best accompanied with a Cypriot coffee and a glass of cold water. These so called ‘spoon sweets’ are the pride of every good Cypriot housewife , and could include anything from walnuts to quince , and bitter orange to miniature aubergines. Served in portions no larger than a spoon hence the name they offer you that small, sugary bite that rounds off a perfect meal. For those with a sweet tooth , we recommend more filling desserts such as ‘daktyla’ (fingers) the delicious almond filled and fried pastry available in every confectionary .
For more detailed information concerning places to eat out in Cyprus, click on this link www.cypruseatout.com