Whilst we were on holiday in Cyprus, I vlogged some of the things we ate to show you guys things you should try when in Cyprus, Greece, on a Greek Island or even when you are eating at a Greek restaurant or food shopping at your local Greek shop.
If you watch the video below you can follow us along our trip where we try some of my favourites, taste the unexpected and try some new dishes.
You will laugh and salivate at the same time coz most of these things are TAAAASSSSSSTTTTYYYYYY!!!!!!!…….
Coz I aint eating anything without flavour,
Well apart from a few things,
That got in the way and disappointed.
I will give you a brief description of the things we ate, where the best places to get them from, the best ways to eat certain things plus a few tips below, and at the end I will leave the video so you can watch the deliciousness in more detail and activate your taste buds plus at the end of the video you can see how to make a traditional Souvla from start to finish so make sure you take a look (“,)
Souvlakia
My absolute favourite meal in the whole world, and you can’t find any better than in Cyprus is pork souvlaki.
I can’t describe how tasty it is, but when you try it you will know what I mean (“,)
Beautiful, tastiness (“,)
Succulent, bbq pork pieces, fresh crisp salad all snuggled inside a toasty pitta, the best combination ever!
My advice to you though is when you go and buy your souvlakia, make sure you go to the small restaurants that are down the back streets, away from the tourists, the places where you see loads of Cypriots going.
They small backstreet restaurants are about 1/2 the price, tastier and everything is served in the pitta. If you go to a fancy touristy restaurant they will serve your souvlakia on the plate, with your pitta and salad on the side and with a portion of chips.
Big mistake!
You want your souvlakia in the pitta with the salad so when you squeeze your lemon all over your meat and salad the lemon will soak make the flavours drip down on to the pitta and saturate it with even more flavour mmmm…..
Don’t worry if your taste buds are buzzing and you can’t get to Cyprus, coz I have a recipe right here on my blog and youtube channel on how to make Greek pork souvlaki, click here for the written recipe and here for the video
Koupes
These are also my favourite, I know I know, I just said souvlakia are my favourite, but in my defence koupes are more of a snack or lunch so these are classified as my favourite snack (“,) Even though I’ve eaten them many times for dinner too he he.
They are like a pie, but without your typical pastry, they are made from bulgur wheat.
You can find these in most bakeries and are just over a Euro. You can get them filled with meat or mushrooms if you want a vegetarian option just make sure you get yours served with lemon.
Calamari
Squid rings fried with batter mmmm…. Need I say more!
Calamari is everywhere in Cyprus and it’s mainly cooked from frozen.
We had it a few times when we were there and the batter was different every time. This didn’t change the flavour much though.
My only suggestion is order them with some chips, Greek salad and tzatziki, they are a perfect combination.
Loukoumades & Shamishi
If you love doughnuts then you got to try loukoumades.
They are a Greek style doughnut made from a wet batter that is fried and traditionally dipped in syrup or honey, but now you can also get them plain and served with melted milk, white or dark chocolate, fresh fruit, nuts or marshmallows.
We got them the traditional way, drenched in syrup and they were phenomenal!
Most places that serve loukoumades also serve shamishi so I’d suggest trying one at least.
Shamishi is a fried pie that is filled with a semolina filling and then sprinkle with icing sugar.
If you get it when it has just been fried the filling will be all creamy and velvety which is amazing but just be careful you don’t burn your your tongue.
Tiropita
If you like pies and love cheese then you are going to love a tiropita, which is a cheese pie.
You can find them from the bakeries and they come in mini and large sizes.
There are a few different cheese fillings but my favourite is the ones with feta cheese.
If you are lucky enough to get to the bakery when they are just putting them out, it is going to taste 100 times better coz the cheese is going to be melted and creamy and they pastry light and flakey. But if they are cold most bakeries have a microwave you can heat them up in, just ask.
Keo Beer
When I was a kid and I used to go to Cyprus I remember my dad and other family members always drinking ice cold Keo Beer and now my husband orders it too.
I don’t drink beer so I can’t really comment but my husband says it’s the best one he has had in Cyprus. Plus I have the recommendation from my family who have been drinking it for years, so if you like beer give Keo a try.
Frappe
If you love coffee you are going to love and probably need a frappe. Frappe is an iced coffee and served everywhere in Cyprus. In restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries anywhere where there are drinks you will find frappe.
There are 3 main types, Sketos (σκέτος) which is a plain coffee, that is bitter and strong, Metrios (μέτριος) a medium coffee, which is half sweet half bitter and Glykos (γλυκός) a sweet coffee.
When you decide what kind of coffee you’d like then you have to choose what you want it mixed with. You can have it plain with just water, mixed with milk so it is very milky or half and half, half milk half water.
If you happen to be in a bakery or kiosk that doesn’t sell freshly made frappe, you will probably find a few canned versions of frappe in the fridges, just read the sides to see if it is plain, milky, sweet and so on, so you get the one you like.
Beef Gyros
If you like doner kebab then you are going to love gyro.
Gyros is cooked the same as a doner on a vertical rotisserie but seasoned differently and made with beef.
The beef tastes 100 times better than the normal lamb or chicken doner you get at your local kebab shop.
It’s dryer and more flavourful plus you get it in a pita served with chips, salad and tzatkiki.
You’ve got to give the beef gyros a try, it will give the doner kebab a new meaning!
Cypriot Meze
You’ve probably heard of meze before,
Loads of small dishes,
Which will leave you full, and probably not able to finish it all (“,)
When you go to a restaurant for meze you have to order a minimum of 2 mezes and range in price from 16 to 28 Euros per person. It’s quite expensive but you do get a lot for your money.
We ordered 3 mezes for 3 adults and 3 kids and we all still couldn’t finish it all.
Here’s a summery of what we got in our meze,
Dips, halloumi, lounztza, sheftalias, olives, pita, koubebia, egg fried courgettes, cheese balls, spareribs, chops, pork souvlaki, chicken souvlaki, afelia, stifado, chips, salad and a bit more I can’t think of at the moment, but as you can see we had a lot. Check the video below to see just how much.
Kritsinia
If you are looking for an easy portable snack then kritsinia are perfect!
They are a breadstick covered in sesame seeds that are savoury, but you can also get a sweet variety too.
You can find them in all bakeries and supermarkets and they are quite cheap and not messy.
Well, crumbly messy, but not ice cream messy where you need to wash your hands after.
Papoutsosiko-Prickly Pear
I’ve mentioned this beautiful fruit before in a previous post which you can read here. But what I will say is, if you haven’t had this delicious fruit make sure you try it.
It’s fruity, tropically and refreshing, just make sure how you handle them coz the are covered in prickles.
Syga-Figs
If you are a fig lover then the ones in Cyprus straight off of the tree are going to taste amazing.
They are like no other.
They are tasty for breakfast, on the beach or as a sweet treat. We took them everywhere with us in our cool bag with freezer blocks, where they stayed icy cold and were perfect for long car rides (“,)
Kok
If you go to the bakery you have to try a kok.
It looks like a Boston cream pie but a little different.
Its 2 layers of airy sponge with a velvety cream in the middle and a silky ganache on top to balance out the sweetness, It is an amazing dessert.
Fish Platter
We ordered a fish platter rather than a fish meze because they are quite expensive starting from 25 Euros per person and then having to order a minimum of 2. So we went for the fish platter which was perfect for all of us and nothing got wasted (“,)
Bbq Corn On The Cob
If you are looking for a healthy tasty snack in the evening then bbq corn on the cob is the one.
The charring from the bbq brings out the corns sweetness and add a morishish umami flavour that will satisfy everyone.
You can find loads of stalls selling them in the touristy areas.
Resi
If you happen to be in Cyprus at the end of August beginning of September and you are near Limassol the you may want to go to the Wine Festival.
From what we saw it was more about the food than the wine but the food was tasty.
Well….
Kind of!
My cousins got us some resi to try.
Resi is a traditional dish eaten at weddings.
The one we had was made with goat but you can also have it made with lamb.
Resi is made with meat, wheat, water and salt.
I didn’t particularly like it, it tasted of boiled meat, whereas my husband thought it tasted like cheesy meat lol
But if you do go to the wine festival and you want to try traditional village cooking then give it a go an let me know in the comments below what you thought about it.
Moussaka
I’ve grown up with moussaka so I have never actually ordered it from a restaurant because I’ve always had it at home.
But I thought why not lets give it a try!
Ha ha ha ha…..
It was an experience!
The meat had cumin in it!
Huh!
Yes I said cumin!
I don’t know why, but it did.
You know what though?
The rest of it was delicious!
The cream was silky, the aubergine, courgette and potato were cooked perfectly and the topping was crisp and cheesy.
My only suggestion I can give you if you want to order a moussaka is to ask them what herbs or spices they add to their meat before you order it.
Kleftiko
Whilst we were at the restaurant where I had the moussaka with cumin in it, my husband ordered kleftiko.
Kleftiko is his favourite.
He has it cooked in a clay pot by my Mum or has it from the clay oven cooked by my uncle, so he knows his kleftiko.
Well this one wasn’t like the ones he was used to.
He said it was nice but not like it should be.
The thing is, if it is not cooked in a clay oven or in a clay pot in the oven on a low heat for hours it is not going to taste the same. So I’d suggest if you want to try an authentic kleftiko the go to a restaurant that says its been slow roasted in a clay oven.
If you watch the video below you will see everything I have mentioned in this post but much more in-depth and also at the end you can see my Uncle making a traditional Cypriot Souvla with lots of great tips if you want to give it a go (“,)
Cyprus Food Review Video
I hope that you won’t stop writing such interesting articles. I’m waiting for more of your content. I’m going to follow you!