Cyprus Traditional Food: 7 delicious, starters main dishes and deserts

Cyprus traditional food involves starters, main dishes, desserts, and drinks with a variety of styles and flavours. Probably you will be confused to make such a tricky decision about tasting food! To help you, below I am presenting information on some delicious and popular traditional foods in Cyprus.

Souvla

You can feel an unbelievable taste! Souvlaki is a famous Greek fast food containing small pieces of meat and Souvla is the Cypriot version with a small twist. Enjoy it with grilled bread or in a pita wrap with a large amount of fresh salad and sauces. The meat used is usually pork, lamb, chicken, and beef, but for the tourists, they serve lamb, chicken, beef and especially swordfish. You can also choose vegetarian options such as halloumi and mushroom to enjoy this delicious Cyprus traditional food dish.

Kleftico

This amazing dish is made with juicy lamb or goat and is baked in a clay oven with vegetables for a minimum of twenty-four hours. Before baking, it is marinated with cinnamon and lemon juice. The boned pieces of lamb are baked with cheese and vegetables wrapped in phyllo. I am sure you will love it!

Moussakas

A very popular minced meat dish which is based on Aubergine (eggplant), tomato, and the minced meat of lamb. The yummy dish is also covered with white sauce which is made with butter and flour cooked in milk.

Starters and Deserts

In Cyprus the say “Appetite comes by eating”. And there’s a reason for this. Cyprus has a wide variety of delicious starters. Moreover when you are done with your meal you have to end that glorious meal properly. So let’s have a look at the most tasty deserts and starters that supplement Cypriot dishes.

Meze

Meze are small dishes which can be hot or cold, spicy or savoury. A Meze platter could be made with Cyprus traditional food items such as grilled octopus, sliced hard boiled eggs and salads served with garlic bread. Meze can also have Tahini (made with, Fava beans, fried vegetables, a paste of crushed sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon, and garlic), Saganaki (fried or grilled cheese) and also separate dishes of goat, sheep, or cow cheeses.

Loukoumades

Deep fried dough balls, soaked in honey and coated generously in crushed nuts, cinnamon, and sesame seeds, makes these delicious deserts. An amazingly tasty sweet dessert you can get it in coffee shops throughout the country.

Halloumi

A superb, tasty dessert in Cyprus, Halloumi is produced by combining a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk and sometimes cow’s milk as well. Halloumi is set with rennet and has a high melting point so that it is easy to fry or grill.

Ekmek Kadayifi

Ekmek Kadayifi is one of the very popular sweet desserts in Cyprus and looks like a syrup-soaked sponge. You can enjoy superb sweet cakes which is made with honey and nuts.

If this just made you hungry, check out our list of places to eat in Cyprus!