Traditional Dishes Of Cyprus

Question 1

What is meze

Answer 1

Meze originating from the Persian word Mazzeh meaning taste refers to a selection of small dishes served as an appetizer or part of a multi course meal or form a meal on its own accompanied by a alcoholic beverages such as Arak raki wine or beer

Question 2

Where would you find meze in Cyprus?

Answer 2

Found in meyhane /taverns common varieties include Hummus, beetroot salad, potato salad, raw artichokes, tzatziki, green and black olives, dolma, sarma, grilled halloumi and traditional pickles

Question 3

What is hellim

Answer 3

Halloumi originating from Cyprus is a popular cheese known for its salty flavor and rubbery texture with a geographically indicator to protect it ensuring authenticity and made from sheep and goats milk however today cows milk is included.

Question 4

when was halloumi first made?

Answer 4

The recipe of halloumi originated in mediaeval byzantine period and was recorded by Italian visitors in the mid 16th century

Question 5

Use of halloumi

Answer 5

it is versatile eaten as a side dish or salad. It can be fried or grilled without melting and is high in protein and fat it can be stored in brine for up to a year and aged halloumi is drier and saltier.

Question 6

What is nor

Answer 6

Nor is a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus and gaining popularity after gaining a silver medal the 2005 world she’s awards in the UK

Question 7

How is nor produced

Answer 7

The whey used is usually a byproduct in the production process of hard cheeses commonly that of halloumi it is gradually heated to 65° in the large pot. Small amount of goat or sheep milk can be added to at this temperature to improve the in quality The temperature is then increased to a boiling point while mixing at 80 to 85° small crumbly curd start forming and are skimmed of the surface using a slotted spoon. They are placed in a container to allow feather drainage and then cut into cubes of roughly 10 cm.

Question 8

Uses of nor

Answer 8

Nor has a chalk white appearance with a very soft consistently similar to cottage cheese. It is consumed during breakfast. Further maturing can be done to create an extremely hard variant which is used to garnish pasta thicken sauces and for pilavuna. as it is perishable and must be consumed soon after production.

Question 9

What is talar cheese

Answer 9

Traditional cheese originating from paphos region made from sheep or goats milk or a blend of both and has a hard yellowish exterior with imprints of the talar container in which it is cooked. It is bridges from February to April when there is abundance of milk.

Question 10

Production of talar

Answer 10

The milk is heated. Rennet is added and after coagulation the curd is cut and stirred for 5 to 10 minutes then gradually heated while stirring for 30 to 45 minutes transferred into the talar and pressed manually until the case is filled and placed in hot whey for 30 minutes in order for the cheese to cook, then removed from the whey and salted before it is left dry for 4 to 5 days consumed with bread but mainly used for Pilavuna

Question 11

What is kolokasi

Answer 11

Kolokasia is a starchy bulb similar to potatoes and very important in Cypriot cuisine. It originates from Asia and has been consumed in Cyprus since Roman times.

Question 12

Preparation of kolokasia

Answer 12

It is peeled and wiped with a towel and should not be washed. The starchy texture of the plant makes it slimy and difficult to handle if it is washed and usually cooked with celery and meat in a tomato sauce called Yahni.

Question 13

What is bikla

Answer 13

A relish of chopped and pickled vegetable vegetables and spices introduced to the cypriot cuisine by British usually containing cauliflower onions, courgettes, gherkins, and seasoned with mustard and turmeric with unsweetened version containing carrots instead of onions and a Milder mustard sauce served as a condiment or meze

Question 14

What is pastırma

Answer 14

A spicy cured village sausage consumed as a meze or an accompaniment at barbecues produce using a preservation technique of stuffing lamb intenstines with the spiced ground lamb or pork dried under the sun in a wooden cupboard

Question 15

What is Tarhana

Answer 15

Is a type of sour soup made from kibbled wheat and fermented goats or sheep’s milk and then dried and kept in powder form or shaped into patties

Question 16

How is tarhana made

Answer 16

To prepare the soup dried pieces of Tarhans are cooked in water until dissolved creating a thick soup often served with fried halloumi cheese and dried mint. Its fermentation gives Tarhana a sour taste and helps preservation as its pH is lowered to 3.4 -4.2 and drying reduces the moisture content to 6-10%

Question 17

What is Samarella

Answer 17

A Cypriot charcuterie prepared by drying goats meat with plenty of salt and thyme among pine leaves in summer for winter season consumed with cognac or zivaniya

Question 18

What is carob molasses

Answer 18

Also known as pekmez is a thick syrup made from soaking mild corab pods in water and reducing them to extract the thickened liquid corab pods are mildly sweet and used in powder chip or syrup form as ingredients in cakes cookies and a substitute for cocoa in recipes

Question 19

Talk about uses of corab in Cyprus

Answer 19

Corab has been cultivated since the 1st century A.D. in Cyprus and is rich in sugar calcium protein phosphorus and vitamin A B and C It is traditionally used in dishes like tahini halva and un helvası its natural value makes it suitable as a snack and dessert offering a chocolate flavour without the fat calories or caffeine in chocolate. historically used by gold merchants for their consistent weight, gave rise to the term “carat,” representing 0.020 grams, a measure of weight rather than gold quality. Cyprus’s limestone soils enhance carob tree growth, resulting in richly flavored carobs with over 50% natural sugar content, making them highly sought after in the international market.

Question 20

What is Cakistes

Answer 20

These are crushed green olives, marinated in coriander seeds, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil popular as a meze

Question 21

What is Tahini Halva

Answer 21

A desert with Middle Eastern origins made from toasted ground sesame seed paste and sugar giving it a dense and crumbly texture flavoured with cocoa powder carob syrup and or vanilla some contain nuts like pistachio or walnut served by itself as a dip or as a major ingredient in Hummus and halva

Question 22

What is Garavolli

Answer 22

A delicacy in Cyprus particularly as a meze snails are collected after rain and undergo fasting period code purging before consumption while traditionally consumed from April to June they enjoyed year round

Question 23

Preparation techniques of Garavolli

Answer 23

Preparation techniques very due to religious factors between the north and south in the north there are cooked in vinegar water and served with garlic vinegar and olive oil while the north uses ouzo and served with a tomato sauce with onions or grilled olives. snails are rich in essential nutrients like sodium potassium iron vitamin B and low in fat and cholesterol in the.

Question 24

What is Aliç reçeli

Answer 24

Used to make a marmalade made from sweet red berries of the hawthorn tree known for its medical properties with all parts of the tree utilised in herbal medicine. These wild fruits are forage rather than cultivated to make the traditional gem.

Question 25

How is alıç reçeli made

Answer 25

The ripen hawthorn fruit is collected and cleaned. They are boiled with the seeds still intact until cooked. Then the fruit is mashed and sieved with a calendar to separate the seeds and shells. The filtered jelly is then made into a jam.

Question 26

What is Gabbar Turuşusu

Answer 26

A traditional pickled delicacy made from baby capers stems and leaves pickled in red wine vinegar 

Question 27

How is Preparation of Gabbar turşusu

Answer 27

The preparation is meticulous involving the cover removal of thorns from each stem before soaking them in water for several days with the water being changed daily after draining the stems are salted and left to sit before being covered with a equal mixture of vinegar and brine