Cypriot cuisine is influenced by Greek and Turkish cuisine and offers good and fresh dishes with a lot of flavors. Many of the local dishes in Cyprus are similar to traditional Greek and Turkish dishes, but with a combination of local ingredients and prepared in the Cypriot way.

Cyprus may not be one of the countries in Europe known for its food, but it still has a lot to offer its visitors. Below you can read more about Cypriot cuisine and its traditional dishes.

Macaronia Tu Fournau

This dish is inspired by the Greek Pastitsio dish. Pastitsio became incredibly popular in Cyprus, so Cyprus decided to create its own version of the dish.

Macaronia to Fournau is made from halloumi with mint, pasta, béchamel sauce, tomatoes and minced meat. The only thing that really sets the dish apart is the cheese.

The Cypriot dish is prepared in a large oven and preferably served with a small salad.

Kypros Souvlaki

One of my all-time favorite dishes from Cyprus is Cypriot souvlaki. Souvlaki actually come from Greece, but in Cyprus they have created their own version of the dish.

Cypriot souvlaki consists of grilled meat on a skewer, which is placed in Cypriot pita bread with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley and cabbage. You can also have sheftalia in pita bread, which is a small sausage made of minced meat seasoned with various spices.

Cyprus has one of the most popular dishes in Cyprus, so be sure to try it on your next visit.

couple

Kupepia dish is a Cypriot version of dolma made of minced meat, onions, spices, rice and tomatoes wrapped in vine leaves.

This is a nice and delicious dish from Cyprus.

halloumi

Halloumi is a cheese known worldwide for its rubbery texture and salty taste. The thing that many people don’t know when they buy halloumi at the grocery store is that it comes from Cyprus.

The cheese is trademarked and traditionally made in Cyprus – it is only called halloumi if it is made in the country.

In Cyprus, halloumi is eaten grilled as an appetizer, as a side dish or in various salads. it’s really good.

very nice

It is a stew made of mutton, rice, cumin and potatoes. The dish comes from the village of Lefkara in Cyprus, and is traditionally prepared in a clay pot.

stifado

Stifado is one of my personal favorites when it comes to Cypriot food. It is a stew made of beef, tomato sauce, garlic, onion and many different spices.

The stew is boiled for at least 2-3 hours and served with rice, potatoes and various vegetables.

residential

It is a Cypriot dish commonly served at weddings, especially in the mountainous areas of Limassol and Paphos.

The preparation and cooking of this dish is part of the traditional wedding ceremony. Resi is made from wheat and cooked in meat broth.

Cyprus Printing table

When you are in Cyprus, you must go to a restaurant to eat meze. A table is a meal consisting of several different small dishes.

To begin with, you usually get starters, such as bread, tzatziki, olives, salad and tahini. Then come the main courses, which usually include halloumi, stifado, cleftico and many other local dishes.

It is very good and also very filling because the portions are usually very large. I think you can clearly divide the Meze between two out of three people.

cleftico

Cleftiko is a meat stew that is cooked for several hours in a clay oven. The stew consists of lamb, red wine, oregano and bay leaves and is served with potatoes.

The food is cooked for several hours until the meat is really cooked. It is one of the most popular dishes in Cyprus, so be sure to try Kleftiko on your next trip.

souvla

Souvla is very similar to souvlaki, but has a slightly different flavor because it is grilled over charcoal. Slightly larger pieces of meat are put on skewers and cooked for a long time in a charcoal grill called fokou.

Commonly used meat comes from the shoulder or neck of chicken, pig or sheep.

Cotopoulo ja colocacic

It is a dish made from taro, a tropical plant that tastes like a potato. It is an ingredient that has been used in Cypriot cuisine for centuries.

Kotopoulo me Kolokassi is a chicken stew made from chicken, taro, tomato sauce, celery, onion and various spices. Really good and worth tasting.

Kypros Gyros

It is one of the best things you can eat in Cyprus. It is a type of street food that comes from Greece but is at least as popular in Cyprus.

In Cyprus, you can also eat traditional Greek gyros and the Cypriot version of street food. The Cypriot version is similar to the Greek version, but served in Cypriot pita bread.

Pita bread is usually filled with meat, potatoes, tzatziki, salad and tomatoes. But you can choose what you want from your gyroscope.

Learn more about Cypriot cuisine

As I said, Cypriot cuisine is inspired by Greek and Turkish cuisine, but also Italian, Catalan, Ottoman and many different Middle Eastern cuisines.

Common ingredients in Cypriot cuisine include meat, potatoes, peppers, okra, tomatoes, zucchini and various spices such as cumin, mint, coriander, parsley and oregano.

What does traditional food look like in Cyprus?

A Cypriot dinner starts with appetizers and salad. As a main course, food is usually eaten with meat.

After a meal, Cyprus likes to eat something sweet and drink a cup of Cypriot coffee.

Do you have more questions about Cypriot cuisine? Please leave a comment!