Going on a trip to Cyprus, be prepared for a host of new experiences and pleasures. This statement is also true for the national Cypriot cuisine. The Greeks, Romans, Moors, Caucasians, Italians, and French made their contribution to it. All nationalities living in the states of the Mediterranean region can be proud of the fact that their ancestors contributed to the formation of the national Cypriot cuisine.
The national cuisine of Cyprus is based only on fresh natural products: a variety of homemade cheeses from goat or sheep milk, dairy products, fresh meat, freshly baked bread, nuts, spices, vegetables and fruits. Cypriot cuisine traditionally uses few animal and vegetable fats and is distinguished by a wide variety of sauces and spices used.
But seafood in Cyprus is quite expensive. Fish is practically not caught off the coast of Cyprus; it has to be brought here specially from other regions of the Mediterranean - this is a feature of the local cuisine. But in special freshwater reservoirs on the island, trout is grown, which is served in local restaurants; in any cafe, tourists will be served red mullet, dorada, sea bream dishes.
Cypriots cook crabs, squid, mussels, octopuses and cuttlefish perfectly according to a wide variety of recipes. Assorted different types of meat or fish and seafood "Meze" are very popular in Cyprus. A baked or grilled dish is served on 10-15 plates, each of which has a different type of fish. All this splendor is served with a variety of salads, sauces and is intended for a large company - one person simply cannot eat so much.
One of the most common dishes of Cypriot cuisine is “Haryatiki salad”, which in Russia is usually called Greek salad: fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, lettuce, olives, spices and olive oil. Here it is sold in all restaurants, because it is as simple as possible to prepare, and the successful combination of the freshest products makes it a real masterpiece.
The main national dish on the Kleftiko island is mutton stewed in large ovens in clay pots with traditional spices. No less popular are "Dolma" - meat with rice, which is wrapped in grape leaves during cooking and cooked in an old earthenware dish. Moussaka is a popular all over the world casserole with meat and vegetables, cheese and Béchamel sauce.
Other traditional dishes: Luntza meats - pork tenderloin marinated in red Cypriot wine and then sun-dried; Hiromeri - smoked pork leg; "Tsamarella" - jerky goat meat, which is cut into thin shavings before use.
Masterfully Cypriots prepare barbecue: "Suvlaki" and "Suvla" - they differ only in the size of meat pieces. Used for cooking bacon, lamb, chicken. The choice of meat depends on personal preference, the dish is prepared on the grill. No less popular among Cypriots is "Gyros" - a dish reminiscent of shawarma.
In traditional taverns and seaside restaurants, you can taste the most popular Cypriot sauces Tzatzyki and Taramasalata, which are served with vegetable side dishes. Each of them gives the dish its own special taste: "Tzatzyki" is distinguished by a pronounced garlic taste with a flavor of mint and pickles, based on natural yogurt. "Taramasalata" - a pink sauce with a pronounced fish flavor, it is made from mashed potatoes, olive oil and pollock roe.
Cypriots are very fond of oriental sweets: baklava, lokum, shujukos, tachinopitta with sesame seeds - these desserts are prepared from dried fruits, citrus, nuts, jam and honey in home kitchens, served in all taverns on the island.
It is impossible to imagine the real Cypriot cuisine without the famous grape wine "Commandaria" - the recipe for its preparation has more than a hundred centuries, all this time winemakers carefully keep the secret and traditions of its preparation. No less popular is the national Cypriot vodka "Zivania", which is prepared in the ancient Orthodox Kykkos monastery.
It is worth coming to this amazing island to appreciate all the exoticism and splendor of the Cypriot cuisine, get a little closer to solving the national character of the Cypriots and fall in love with this amazing, unlike anything else, corner of the Earth.
