Cyprus

Country - Cyprus

Cuisine Description - Cyprus is situated in the South-Western part of Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea. The relief of Cyprus includes both mountains and fields and the agriculture is mainly focused on rice, potatoes, grape vines and citrus fruits, which are intensively used in the local cuisine. The Cypriot cuisine is very representative for the exotic Mediterranean cuisine (various herbs and spices, olive oil, smoked and marinated meats, light garnishes and exotic dips), due to the strategic position of the country, at the intersection of Europe and Middle East. Also, Cyprus is located between Greece and Turkey, which are both countries with very strong and personalized cuisines. These 2 cuisines interacted with the Cypriot cuisine through time and now, there are many Cypriot dishes that come from the Greek meals (Greek salads, spicy dips and minced meats or smoked fishes) and Turkish foods (the Turkish dessert delights, like lokum jelly or highly sweet baklava and various kebabs).

There are 2 main regional cuisines when discussing the Cypriot culinary culture. In the Northern part of the country, the most significant cuisine is the Turkish one and in the Republic, the Greek cuisine is more accentuate. In the Northern part of Cyprus, there are many sweet pastries and jellies and Turkish coffee is the favorite drink and it includes a variety of styles, like sade or orta. The Greek dishes have their own Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern influences, which include fish and lamb dishes, olive oil and various Mediterranean herbs. Some of the dishes that are generally specific to Cyprus are kleftiko (lamb meal) and mezedes (delicacies and appetizers). In the capital of Nicosia, the variety of dishes is very wide, as it includes the most important cuisines: Greek and Turkish, but also Lebanese cuisine, French food (a variety of cheese and wine), Indian, Italian and Chinese cuisines with all their special dishes. Copyright Recipes Wiki