Cyprus Cuisine - A fusion of Turkish and Greek

Cyprus is a place with many exotics food types and one could say their
food is an evolved fusion of Greek and Turkish cuisines. These two
cultures dominate the population of Cyprus, but the locals have put
their own unique twists on many well known dishes. Thanks to a
government ban on imported products Cyprus has had to rely on
themselves when it comes to fruit and vegetables. You could say that
it is thanks to the ban that their fruit and vegetables are some of
the best you will be able to experience. As Cypriot cuisines have been
influenced by different cultures throughout history, you could say
each dish has a unique taste that reflects on the Cypriot
character.The Molehiya is of Arab origin and appeals to Turkish
Cypriot taste. It is a vegetarian dish made from the Molehiya leaf.
The same applies to Yalanci Dolma which means 'stuffed liar', it is
vine leaves stuffed with rice, onions and tomatoes. The name stuffed
derived from common dolma that is filled with meat, Yalanci means
cheat/liar which signifies the meat is missing. Shish kebab is another
Turkish related dish that is prominent in Cyprus. It is a dish
consisting of meat and vegetables put onto a skewer and then grilled.
Any kind of meat can be used and the vegetables are usually cubed.
There is also a fruit variation of it that doesn't consist of
meat.Pork is a favourite meat of Cypriots and obviously isn't a
Turkish inspired dish. One of the Greek inspires dishes is lountza,
which is a wine marinated pork tenderloin that is smoked. It is
another dish that is cooked over coals but is sometimes fried with
eggs or used for sandwich filler. Chiromeri is similar but is aired
ham but the wine flavour is more prominent, in the mountain area it is
dried.There is one dish that has different variations of the same dish
and that is the Moussaka, all versions of the dish are based around
aubergines and minced meat. The Greek variation funnily enough is the
version that is known all around the world. It is layered with meat,
potatoes and aubergine, which is topped with a white sauce and then
baked, while the Turkish Moussakka is not layered but there are
aubergines, green peppers, tomatoes, onions and minced meat all
sautã©ed.Halloumi is a traditional Cypriot cheese which is very
popular in the Middle East and Greece. Usually it is made from a
mixture of Goat's and Sheep's milks but in various other places around
the world cow's milk might be used although this makes it a cheaper
and inferior cheese. It is a cheese with a high melting point so it
can be fried and grilled with no problems of it catching. The cheese
is similar to mozzarella in texture but has a more salty flavour,
usually stored in salt water, can be frozen for a year and is usually
garnished with mint leaves to add to the cheeses taste. Cypriots like
eating Halloumi with watermelon in the summer and usually with some
lountza.There are many villas in Cyprus offering great access to the
many areas of Cyprus filled with a myriad of restaurants that serve
many of these dishes and more € so be sure to explore for a top
culinary experience. Whether it's a Greek influenced or Turkish
inspired dish you are bound to find something that caters to your
taste.