Dips, pickles and bean salads are typical meze openers, but you're not meant to fill up on them -- a great meze comprises at least 20 dishes and takes all evening to polish off.
courtesy amathus hotel
Squeaky cheese —
A meze spread without haloumi is rare. When grilled, the cheese loses its squeaky quality and becomes gooey.
courtesy anathus hotels
Spicy sausages —
Loukanika (spicy sausages simmered in red wine) are often served alongside grilled haloumi.
courtesy cto
Pork loin —
Pork plays a leading role in Greek Cypriot cooking. Lountza is a dried, smoked pork tenderloin.
courtesy cto
Casserole treatment —
Lean chunks of pork are marinated in red wine, flavored with cumin, cinnamon and coriander, then simmered in a clay casserole until meltingly tender.
courtesy cto
Wild snails —
Tiny wild snails called karaoli are gathered by the bucket-load and served simmered in tomato sauce.
courtesy terry harris
Spring snack —
Tender young vine leaves are at their best in spring, when they're used to wrap minced lamb or pork and rice to make the typical snack called koupepia.
courtesy terry harris
How to soften your octopus —
For something distinctively Cypriot, ohtapodi krasato -- tenderized octopus chunks spiced with coriander and cumin and simmered in red wine -- is a great choice.
courtesy terry harris
Fishy dishes —
Octopus is also a good choice because, although Cyprus is an island, seafood is often mediocre and overpriced.
courtesy terry harris
Venetian leftovers —
Ravioles are a culinary legacy left by the Venetians, who ruled Cyprus from 1489 to 1571. The pasta parcels are stuffed with haloumi, then simmered in chicken broth.
courtesy cto
Dessert —
The sticky toffee pasteli is made from pressed carob bean juice, locally known as mavros chrysos ("black gold").
