North Cyprus Cuisine

The wide range of Northern Cyprus dishes range from delicious kebabs to mouthwatering appetizers and desserts.

Peach kebab is a local type of kebab made from lamb, while halloumi is traditionally made from sheep and goat's milk and is often served as a grill. Pilavuna, a pastry, are just a few of them.

Halloumi

hellim

The favorite flavor among Cypriot dishes is of course halloumi.

Cyprus will not be without a hell. Halloumi cheese that not everybody who goes to Cyprus returns without taking it, does not pass without tasting it ...

Its salad, grill, pouring olive oil on it and eating it, in short, every aspect is good. When you grill the halloumi made with sheep and goat milk and eat it, you will find a legendary taste.

You can find halloumi in many Cypriot restaurants or you can get enough of this flavor at home by purchasing it from the markets.

Peach Kebab

seftali kebabi

If there is a legendary flavor among Cypriot dishes, it is the peach kebab. Peach kebab, one of the indispensable flavors of Cyprus, is made with goat or mutton meat.

Peach kebab, named after Chef Ali, is filled with parsley and spices. After they are turned into meatballs, they are grilled and served with garnishes.

The most important feature of the peach kebab is that the animal is wrapped in tallow called terp and cooked on coal.

Don't get me wrong, there are no peaches in it :)

Cube Kebab (Thief's Kebab)

kup keababi

Introducing another delicious Cypriot dish. Its name is cube kebab. Or the thief's kebab.

Let's start with the story of this name first. Once, in times of poverty in Cyprus, sheep stolen from the flocks of the rich were cooked. The skins of these stolen sheep were buried under the ground. Meat was also cooked in the pit opened to the ground. So that the meat is not noticed. That's why the name of the kebab is called thief or cube kebab.

Let's get to the preparation of our kebab ...

The cubed kebab made with lamb is very delicious. Boiled or grilled sweet potato is placed next to it.

Hellimli

hellimli

You can come across with halloumi at breakfast, five o'clock tea and even everywhere. Halloumi, a cake or pastry style food, contains the famous halloumi cheese and onion. It is served with sesame or black seed sprinkled on it.

As you can guess, the type prepared like halloumi and containing olives is olives.

Walnut Paste

ceviz macunu

Although it is not exactly a meal, walnut paste should definitely be included in Cyprus cuisine.

Walnut paste, a treat in Cyprus, best suits Turkish coffee.

Walnut paste, which is not easy to make, is one of the tastes to be bought from Cyprus.

Çakıstez

cakistez

Çakıstez, which is a whole with Cypriot food, is also very famous here. No matter which restaurant you go to, you will come across Çakıstez. Consumed as an appetizer, Çakıstez is made with crushed green olives and crushed walnuts. If you observe the olives in Cyprus, you will see that the color turns yellow. Because a short period of time is used to pickle green olives in Cyprus. Therefore, olives are taken out of the brine when they are in a light, semi-pickled consistency. In the meantime, let me also mention that in some places the pincers are pickled using sea water.

I list the local dishes of Cyprus for you item by item. Some of these dishes may not be found in restaurants. Generally, these meals are prepared at home. But if you come across, I suggest you definitely check their taste.

Molehiya

This dish is made with the plant named after the molehiya plant grown in Cyprus. It is cooked with lamb or chicken. It is served with pickles and rice.

Pirohu

It is exactly Cypriot ravioli. The only difference is that while meat is added to ravioli as we know it, pirohu is put with potato or nor (curd cheese is called nor here) cheese.

Paluze

If any of you love grape pudding, let it taste the paluzen in Cyprus. Paluze, made from red grapes and filled with almonds, is one of the best-known tastes of Cyprus.

Ayrelli

The name of the asparagus is different here. Ayrelli dish is also made with asparagus. Eggs are crushed and lemon is squeezed.