Cypriot cuisine is a fantastic mix of Eastern Mediterranean and has many characteristics taken from the island's numerous conquerors. It will not take long for tourists, students and others to realize why one of the favourite local pastimes is eating. Most meals start with mezes(appetizers).Most of these appetizers will have been grown or manufactured locally and will change seasonally. Keep in mind that this is only the beginning of a Turkish meal so “yavash, yavash” (slowly slowly). reared lamb and chicken in their cooking. Main courses normally include shish kebab (chunks of lamb or chicken on the skewer), lamb chops, grilled chicken, sheftali kebab or fish.
On weekends, individual families from toddler to grandmother get together and eat at their favorite restaurant or have a barbeque at one of the family homes. In the summer, due to the heat of the day Cypriots tend to eat late. Kebab is usually accompanied by an alcoholic beverage called Raki( clear alcohol that is made from aniseed and diluted with water) or beer.
On weekends, individual families from toddler to grandmother get together and eat at their favorite restaurant or have a barbeque at one of the family homes. In the summer, due to the heat of the day Cypriots tend to eat late. Kebab is usually accompanied by an alcoholic beverage called Raki( clear alcohol that is made from aniseed and diluted with water) or beer.
For non-alcoholic drinks make sure to try fresh orange juice, homemade lemonade (lemonata), and the yoghurt diluted with water and mixed with salt and mint on top, Ayran. It cools down the body temperature,helps settle upset stomach and helps to raise low blood pressure.
Turkish coffee
Once inherited from the Ottoman upper classes, Turkish coffee is now enjoyed by all. The hidden idea behind Turkish coffee is to use good coffee beans and to create foam on top. It is served in small cups in four different ways:
Sade : without sugar
Az shekerli : with a little sugar
Orta : medium sugar
Shekerli : with lots of sugar
Sade : without sugar
Az shekerli : with a little sugar
Orta : medium sugar
Shekerli : with lots of sugar
Once you have finished your coffee, you may turn your cup over, wait till it has drained and the cup has cooled down and ask a local to read your fortune from the cup.
Drinking water
It is not safe to drink from the taps in North Cyprus or to use this water for cooking purposes.Water from the taps is used for washing, cleaning and other domestic chores. Cypriots usually buy drinking water in 20 liter containers from local water stations that also deliver to the home. This method is much cheaper than buying various sizes of bottled water from the supermarket or bakkal. 20 liters of water delivered to your home costs $ 2.30.
Gas for Cookers
Most rented accommodation will have gas cookers and Butane gas cylinders. All you need to do is take the cylinder to the nearest bakkal when it is empty and exchange it for a new one. Gas cylinders are green in color and have the writing "gaz tup" on it. A full cylinder costs approximately $ 20. These gas cylinders are also used for heating. Gas can also be delivered to your home.
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