Cyprus History and Culture

Cypriot food is a feast of small plates. A full meze can run to twenty dishes: halloumi grilled until golden, taramosalata, smoky sheftalia sausages, kleftiko lamb slow-baked in a clay oven, and souvla turned over charcoal. Halloumi now carries protected designation of origin status in the European Union.

Commandaria, a sweet dessert wine from the Troodos foothills, is often called the world's oldest named wine still in production. Village tavernas, Limassol's wine festival and loukoumades drizzled with honey complete the picture. In the Troodos villages of Omodos and Lofou, family wineries open their cellars to visitors, and the old stone streets are perfect for a slow afternoon. Find more on our best restaurants page.

Village festivals called panigyria honor patron saints with food and music, Kataklysmos celebrates the sea at Pentecost, and coffee in the village square remains a daily ritual. The tradition of improvised poetry, tsiattista, is recognized by UNESCO. Easter is the high point of the Greek Cypriot year, with candlelit midnight services, flaounes cheese pastries and red-dyed eggs, while Turkish Cypriot communities mark Ramadan and Eid with family feasts and sweets. Across the island, grandmothers still make halloumi and preserves at home, and the evening volta, a stroll along the seafront, brings whole towns outdoors. Explore more on our page about intangible heritage.