Cypriot Cuisine

Cypriot cuisine has been influenced by different cultures throuhout history. Therefore there isn' t any dish, which we would call ‘ Cypriot ' only. However with little variations from their originals Cypriots have developed quite tasty dishes. Each dish has a peculiar taste and cooking and presentation reflects the character of the people of Cyprus. ‘ Molhiya ' Arab in origin, has developed completely, appealing to Cypriot tasta both in preparation, taste and presentation. Some dishes even vary from region to region in name, preparation and taste. North Cyprus is fascinating and appealing to people who eat well and enjoy eating. A great variety of vegetable dishes, grills, pastry, fish, soups, kebabs, lahmacun, pides are to name but a few. A big list of mezes, sweets, cakes, eaten either as starters or as afters can be named. In addition to local cuisine Chinese, Italian, French and Indian foods are well represented in various restaurants.

Cypriot cuisine has been influenced by different cultures throughout history. Each dish has a unique taste and is well presented reflecting the Cypriot character.

Molhiya, Arab in origin is a well developed dish appealing to Turkish Cypriot taste, preparation and presentation, since there were Arabs who passed it to Turks. A few traditional dishes: Yalanci Dolma (vine leaves stuffed with rice, onions, and tomatoes) is a Turkish Cypriot dish. In Turkish Yalanci Dolma means “stuffed liar”. Derived from common dolma that is filled with meat, Yalanci means “cheat/liar” which signifies the meat is missing. You can encounter with Dolma and Sarma in Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and other Balkan countries of a former Ottoman Empire; Sish Kebab (marinated lamb, skewered and grilled over charcoal), shis is the everyday word used by Turkish people which refers to “skewer”, similarly Doner Kebab means “spinning kebab”; Musakka (layers of mince, potatoes, and aubergines baked in the oven with cheese topping), Greek in origin. Many dishes vary from region to region making Cyprus a fascinating place to eat.

The Turkish-Cypriot cuisine owes its heritage to a mixture of Mediterranean , Southern European and Middle Eastern influences. Local dishes are delicious, particularly the meze . This is a specialty of Cyprus and consists of a large number of cold and hot hors d'oeuvres such as different salads, meats, vegetable, and fish dishes. It is taken either as an appetizer or a main course.

Among some interesting dishes that can be found in Cyprus belongs kolokas , a root vegetable which when cooked has a texture of potato, with sweet taste. What is extraordinary about this dish is that it is not of Turkish or Greek origin, but was brought to Cyprus Island by Venetians who came to Cyprus prior to Ottomans. Due to etymological meaning Colocasia esculenta means “elephant's ears”, because that is what the leaves of plants look like. Kolokas is usually served with chicken or lamb.

Yoghurt plays an important part in Turkish life. Thick and creamy, it complements meats and vegetables, is added to sauces, kebabs, salads, and cakes. Very young babies are soon weaned onto yoghurt which is as important as their mother`s milk. There is nothing more refreshing than to pause from the bustle of the market place for a cool ayran yoghurt drink on a hot day. Make your own by diluting yoghurt with a little water and ice; add a dash of salt and a sprig of parsley.

It is always a pleasant attraction to visit the market in Nicosia. Noisy, bustling crowds of shoppers and vendors browse amongst the stalls and barrows piled high with the freshest fruits and vegetables; for the most part organically grown by the villagers themselves. Dafry products, huge sacks of flour, wheat, rice (brown and white), and pastas also abound. White cheese (beyaz peynir), goats` cheese (hellim), olives, honey, and all the natural wholesome foods which make Turkish cuisine 80 delicious are brought to market from the villages on Fridays.

Hellim cheese, or Halloumi, as it is also known, is the most unique of the Cypriot delicacies. It is full fat soft cheese made of whole goat's milk, salt and a hint of mint. You can buy packaged halloumi at a local Middle Eastern grocery. Dice into small cubes for salads or serve with biscuits, cucumber or melon. It also makes a superb side dish, as well as fried or grilled topping.

The Turkish coffee has been introduced to the West by the Ottoman Turks in the fifteenth century. It is very popular all over the world today and is preferred as a delicacy in most fashionable circles. The secret of making Turkish coffee is that the coffee beans are ground into a fine powder and then it is cooked together with sugar producing a thick cream on top. Turkish coffee is served in small coffee cups, and in three ways, called sade , which is unsweetened, orta , which is moderately sweet, and sekerli , which is very sweet. One is always asked before the coffee is brewed which of the three one would like.

The coffee should be ground just before it is to be made, and it should be as fine as possible. Put one dessert-spoonful of the powder into a small pot with as much sugar as you like, and add one demi-tasse of boiling water. Allow the coffee to boil up and then immediately remove it from the heat. Repeat this process three times, and pour it into the coffee cup. The grains must be given time to subside in the cup before you can drink the coffee and it is helpful to stroke the froth in the cup gently as you wait. Turkish coffee is usually served with a glass of cold water, and it is the custom to take a sip of water after drinking coffee.

When the coffee is finished quite a lot of black sediment will be left in the bottom of the cup, and a favourite Turkish pastime it to tell fortunes in the grains. The ladies are especially good at this. You are asked to tip your cup upside down on the saucer, so that the grains can run down the sides of the cup forming patterns. After a suitable pause, the cup is scrutinized by the expert and your future is revealed. Some of the predictions are highly amusing, some sinister and ominous!

Cypriot cuisine includes a great variety of vegetable dishes, grills, pastry, fish, soups, lahmacun and many more.
In addition to local cuisine, Chinese, Italian, French and Indian foods are served in international restaurants.

There is a great variety of Cypriot cuisine and listed below are the categories:

Soups Mezes Main Dishes Pastas-Pastries Sweets Drinks
Lentil soup
Tarhana soup
Rice soup
Noodle soup
Vegetable soup
Humus soup
Paça soup
Chicken broth soup
Noddle lentil soup
Humus
Cacik
Tahin
Pickles
Potato salad
Samarella
Lettuce salad
Broad bean paste
Fried hellim
Çakizdez
Octopus
Calamary
Gabbar
Tongue of lamb
Brain salad
Pastirma
Seftali Kebap
Firin Kebap
Sis Kebap
Köfte
Musakka
Molehiya
Bamya
Yalanci Dolma
Et Dolmasi
Bumbar
Okra
Leeks
Baked beans
Green beans
Kolokas
Cauliflower
Spinach
Tatar Boregi
Pirohu
Hellim cheese pie
Nor cheese pie
Minced meet pie
Spinach pie
Pumpkin pie
Mushroom pie
Olive bread
Hellim bread
Bidda
Sesami bread
Tahinli
Pilavuna
Firin Katmeri
Samsi
Tel kadayifi
Ekmek kadayifi
Samisi
Lokma
Sammali
Bisi
Sucuk
Kofte
Paluze
Golifa
Simit helvasi
Eristeli sutlaç
Serbet
Lemonade
Ayran
Zivaniya
Wine
Raki
Brandy
Beer

North Cyprus List of Restaurants

Name Location Telephone
Abbey Bell Tower Restaurant
Acmenya Restaurant & Bar
Anibal
The Address
Allah Kerim Restaurant
Altinkaya 1
Ambiance
Andy's Chicken Bar
Ani Restaurant & Bar
Aphrodite Restaurant
Arc Café & Bar
Ayna Restaurant Bar
Biyer
Blue Eagle Restaurant
Blue Rose Bistro
Boaters Restaurant & Bar
Both World's
Brasserie Restaurant & Bar The,
Busters Restaurant & Bar
Café Akpinar
Café Dukkan
Californian
The Café Harbour
Café Soul
Café Temblos
Camara Restaurant
Camlica Restaurant
Canlibalik Restaurant
Carob Restaurant
Carpenter's
Castle Pub
Cheers Bar & Restaurant
Chicken House
The Chinese House
The Corner Restaurant & Bistro
The Courtyard Inn
Cousin's Brasserie
The Crows's Nest
Dedem Restaurant
The Eagles Nest
East Meets West Restaurant
Efendi Restaurant Bar
Ezic Chicken Restaurant
Farm House Rest. & Bar
Fireman's Fez Restaurant & Bar
Fisherman's Inn
Five Finger Restaurant & Bar
Kyrenia Pastanesi
Golden Age Restaurant
The Grapevine Restaurant
Green Valley Bar Restaurant
Guler's Fish Restaurant
Halikarnas Restaurant & Bar
Happy Garden Restaurant & Bar
Happy Valley Restaurant & Bar
Harbour Club Restaurant
Hensons Restaurant
Hoots Restaurant & Bar
Huzuragac Restaurant & Bar
Iskender Restaurant
The Jade Garden
Jashan's Indian Restaurant
Kate O'Reilley's Bar & Restaurant
Kervan Terrace Café Bar
Kose Basi Restaurant
Kukri Bar & Restaurant
The Kybele Restaurant & Bar
Lardy Dars Tea Rooms
Laughing Buddha Chinese Restaurant
Le Jardin
The Legend
Lemon Tree Restaurant & Bar
Levant Restaurant & Bar
Luciano's Italian Restaurant
The Marabou Restaurant
The Marine Club
The Marlborough Pub
Mediterranean Breeze
Mirabelle Restaurant
Niyazi's Restaurant
O'Sullivan's Bar & Restaurant
The Old Mill
The Old Tunnel
Padisah Restaurant
Palmera Rouge Restaurant
Paradise Restaurant
Passport Restaurant
Pegasos Resaturant
Perge Restaurant
Pizza Pronto
Pine Bay Bar
Polar Restaurant & Bar
The Prince Inn
R.Marina Restaurant
Rafters
Ristorante Italiano
Road House Bar Restaurant
Roxannes Bar & Grill
Saint Tropez
Sam's Place Pub
Sele Restaurant
Serenada Court
Set Restaurant
Sevkets Restaurant
Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
Shenhai Indian Restaurant
Shirley Valantines Bar & Restaurant
Sirinyali Restaurant
St. Kathleen's Restaurant & Bar
Stone Grill Restaurant
Sultan Restaurant
Sultanhan Restaurant
Taner's Restaurant & Bar
Tepebasi Restaurant
Temroz Village Restaurant
Treasure Restaurant
Tree Of Idleness Restaurant
The Veranda
Villa Swallow
Virage Restaurant
Bellapais
Alsancak
Nicosia
Karaoglanoglu
Alsancak
Alsancak
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Catallkoy
Lapta
Kyrenia
Bellapais
Nicosia
Lapta
Kyrenia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia 9
Catalkoy
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Nicosia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Lapta Road, Kyrenia
Zeytinlik, Kyrenia
Karaoglanoglu
Kyrenia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
The, Karaoglanoglu
Karaoglanoglu
Lapta
Kyrenia
Lapta Road, Kyrenia
Alsancak
Karakum, Kyrenia
Alsancak
Karmi
Kyrenia
Kartal
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Lapta Road, Kyrenia
Als.
Catalkoy
behind Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Ozankoy
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Als.
Karaoglanoglu
Alsancak
Ozankoy
Catalkoy
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Alsancak
Ilgaz
Bellapais
Kyrenia
Karakum
Karaoglanoglu
Alsancak

Kyrenia
Karaoglanoglu
Bellapais
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Catalkoy
Kyrenia
Catalkoy
Karmi
Kyrenia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Old Harbour, Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Karaoglanoglu
Karakum
Central Kyrenia
Alsancak
Ozankoy
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Ozankoy
Kyrenia
Karaoglanoglu
Kyrenia
Nicosia
Karaoglanoglu
Karakum
Karaoglanoglu
Kyrenia
Ozankoy
Kyrenia
Alsancak
Kyrenia
Alsancak
Alsancak
Kyrenia
Lapta
Kyrenia
Lapta
Alsancak
Alsancak
Lapta
Karsiyaka
Alagadi
Karaoglanoglu
Kyrenia
Catalkoy
Karakum
Kyrenia
Zeytinlik
Karmi
Bellapais
Karaoglanoglu
Kyrenia
Kyrenia

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