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Food and Drink in Paphos, Cyprus
Food
The
flavours of Cyprus are intensely Mediterranean in character: the
tang of citrus and olives, and the aniseed of ouzo. Fish tavernas dot
the coast, and local wines accompany meals.
Because it has long been a destination for visitors, there's no shortage
of English breakfasts or fish-and-chip dinners, particularly in the tourist
areas of the island. But since Cyprus offers fine versions of Mediterranean
cuisine, it would be a shame to miss the local specialities.
Specialities
An ideal introduction to Cypriot cuisine, meze literally means 'little
delicacies': up to 30 recipes comprise a mini-marathon of a meal, usually shared
between several diners. While the dishes can vary, the first to arrive are the
olives and dips: tahini (sesame seed), taramosalata (cod's roe) and talattouri
(yoghurt and cucumber), with fresh village bread. Salads feature cucumber and
tomato on beds of shredded lettuce, flavoured of course with olive oil.
Fish dishes might include barbouni (small red mullet), while grilled halloumi
is a staple: this mild local cheese is made from the milk of goats and sheep (you'll
know why it's called 'squeaky' cheese on your first bite!). Meat dishes
include lountza (smoked pork), keftedes (meat balls) and sheftalia (grilled pork
mince sausages).
Other Cyprus specialties include moussaka, souvlakia (kebabs), ofto kleftiko
(meat baked in a sealed clay oven) and stifado (wine-flavoured beef stew).
For
dessert, expect fresh fruit, bourekia (pastry filled with fresh curd cheese
and honey) or rosewater-flavoured fruit preserves.
Fresh produce in Cyprus tends to depend more on the season than
on supermarkets, and the fruit and vegetable markets held in towns weekly provide
a colourful window on the island's harvest. January launches strawberry season,
while March and April are the best times for citrus, with plentiful oranges, grapefruit
and lemons. July and August are excellent for watermelons, while July to November
offer grapes. August and September also feature figs.
Other local market products include honey, olives and cheeses.
For sweet tooths, the island specializes in loukoumi, or Cyprus Delight.
These squares of jelly covered with powdered sugar are lightly flavoured with
fruits, rose and almond. The village of Geriskopou, just east of Paphos, is one
place to see loukoumi being made.
Drink
It wouldn't be Cyprus without Cyprus coffee: this strong Mediterranean
brew is served in small cups, usually accompanied by a glass of water. You can
ask for it plain, medium sweet or very sweet. If you're looking for good old regular
coffee, Nescafé is widely available, percolated coffee less so.
Cyprus and wine share a history some 4,000 years old. The Greek
poet Euripides described wine pilgrimages to Cyprus as early as the 5th
century BC, and the god of wine graces one of the main mosaics in the
Roman villas of Paphos, lending his name to the once-grand residence:
the House of Dionysus. A couple of thousand years later and the island's
wines remain well worth exploring. Commercial and boutique wineries in
the Paphos and Limassol areas produce some excellent wines, with many
wineries open to visitors. Villages and even monasteries also produce
some good wines.
Perhaps the best-known Cypriot wine is Commandaria, a sweet dessert wine
that is said to have impressed everyone from revellers at Aphrodite's spring festivals
to Richard the Lionheart. Named for the Grand Commanderie (castle) at Kolossi,
Commandaria is created from late harvested, sun dried grapes and remains a unique
island tradition.
Cyprus's key flavour for white wine comes from the Xynisteri grape - best
served young and chilled. However, other grapes, including Chardonnay, Riesling
and Sauvignon Blanc are grown on the island, along with red grape varieties such
as the low-acid Cyprus Mavro.
The local beer is Keo, a Pilsner lager that tastes light and pleasant while
carrying a fairly robust 4.5 per cent alcohol by volume. Other alcoholic specialties
include zivania (a fiery by-product of the grape harvest) and strong brandies.
Note that driving under the influence is just as disastrous as it is at
home - possibly more so. The legal alcohol limit is 39 micrograms of alcohol per
100 millilitres of breath.
