3 Cypriot foods you absolutely must try
Cypriot cuisine combines influences from Greece and Turkey, but it can also be compared to the hearty fare of France and Italy. Grilled meats are popular, with pork, chicken and lamb being most common, as well as plenty of fresh vegetables and cheeses. Although there’s a huge variety of local dishes to try when you visit Cyprus, be sure to put these sought-after snacks at the top of your must-try list.
1. Koupes
Koupes are bite-sized snacks that consist of bulgur wheat shells filled with ground meat and flavoured with onion, salt, spices and parsley. They’re the Cypriot version of kibbeh – a family of dishes based on spiced meat and grains. Several countries within the Levant, including Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Armenia, have their own version of this dish.
Koupes are a street food and you can pick them up from stalls and bakeries across Cyprus. Original Travel recommends exploring local markets while travelling to have a more authentic foodie experience – enjoying koupes from a market stall is an excellent way to get a taste for how locals shop and eat.
You’ll also typically find koupes on a meze menu, alongside an assortment of small dishes served either as appetisers, snacks or a meal meant to be shared amongst a group. Koupes are usually served with lemon wedges because the tangy acidity of citrus helps to cut through the richness of the deep-fried snack.
2. Glyko tou koutaliou
Glyko tou koutaliou translates to “spoon sweets” since they’re around the size of a teaspoon. Various different fruits, nuts and vegetables are boiled and sugared to preserve them. This process creates a sweet treat typically served at the end of lunch with a coffee and a glass of ice water.
This dish is common across the Balkans and the Middle East, but in Cyprus the most popular varieties are fig, cherry and watermelon. Just like jams or pickles, spoon sweets can last for months or years which makes them an excellent way to preserve excess fresh produce.
3. Souvlaki
Souvlaki pairs charcoal-grilled chunks of meat with plenty of fresh, crisp salad in a large pitta bread. You’ll also find this dish in Greece, but the Cypriot version uses a larger, thinner version of the pitta, which serves as a pocket for the filling rather than as a wrap.
Pork and chicken are common souvlaki fillings, but sheftalia is also often used, which is a spiced parcel of sausage meat made with minced pork or lamb. Halloumi is sometimes used to replace the meat in vegetarian versions of the dish, because the salty, firm-textured cheese has a high melting point that allows it to be grilled – it’s simply delicious.
Fresh flavours and hearty meals
The best way to sample Cypriot cuisine is by enjoying a meze meal, so that you can try a wide variety of dishes at once and find your favourite flavours.
Cyprus is renowned for its fresh, quality ingredients and hearty dishes, so be sure to try plenty of authentic restaurants on your visit to get a true taste of the island. The delicious food paired with stunning Mediterranean views is bound to leave you satisfied. Be sure to eat your way through Cyprus for a trip you’ll never forget.
Catherine Xu is the founder and author of Nomadicated, an adventure travel blog that helps travelers cross off their bucket list. Since discovering traveling in 2015, she has lived and journeyed to 65 countries across 5 continents and vanlifed the west coast USA for 2+ years. These days, she splits her time in Southeast Asia and California while sharing her travel stories and resources based on first-hand experiences. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
Marianne Jones
Marianne is a travel enthusiast and self-proclaimed foodie. She enjoys recreating dishes discovered on her travels and sharing her top tips with like-minded explorers.