Cyprus cuisine

Due to the advantageous location of the island in the Mediterranean Sea , Cyprus has long been ruled by various empires that dominated Europe and the Middle East at that time. Cyprus was alternately captured by the Assyrians , Egyptians , Persians , Greeks and Romans . In 395, it became a part of Byzantium for 800 years. In the XII century, the island was occupied by the English king Richard the Lion Heart during the Third Crusade , at the end of the XV century fell under the authority of the Venetian Republic . In 1571 the island passed into the possession of the Ottoman Empire , and at the end of the XIX century it became a British colony. In 1960, the independence of Cyprus was declared. Now about 80% of the island’s population consists of Greek Cypriots and 20% of Turkish origin.

The greatest influence on the Cypriot cuisine was respectively the Greek and Turkish cuisine , whose distinguishing features are cooking on the grill or in the form of thick bowls and the use of a large amount of yogurt , parsley , garlic . Unlike typical Turkish and Arabian cuisines, food in Cyprus is less spicy, rarely used traditional Turkish cuisine seasonings of Zira and hot peppers. Ingredients such as mint , coriander , tarragon , basil , cardamom , cinnamon and arugula came from Italian cuisine . Since the times when Cyprus was a British colony, some Northern European and Asian culinary traditions have remained, for example, eating Indian curry and ginger .

Cyprus is distinguished by a rather fertile soil on which various fruit and vegetable crops are grown. On the slopes of the Troodos mountain range grow peach , pear , apple , nut trees and vineyards . In the rest of the island dominated by cypress , carob and olive trees . In the south of the island, in the vicinity of Limassol , citrus fruits are bred: oranges and grapefruits . Potatoes , eggplants , tomatoes , cucumbers , onions and other vegetables are grown on the most fertile soil in the southeast. In the northwestern part, fig and pomegranate trees bear fruit. In the south-west of Cyprus, near Paphos , there are banana plantations.

Cypriot cuisine is distinguished by a large number of meat dishes, primarily lamb , pork , poultry and rabbit , eaten more rarely by beef , due to the rather limited area of pasture for cattle breeding .

Despite the fact that Cyprus is an island, fish dishes are not very popular. Most likely this is due to the fact that the island was often attacked from the sea, which forced the population of Cyprus to move to areas more distant from the coast. Among the variety of fish in the Mediterranean, Cypriots prefer tuna , swordfish and squid , served fried or deep-fried .

One of the main products is Halloumi cheese, which is not only fried and used in sandwiches , but also used to make desserts . Also popular dishes from eggs and yogurt .

As in Arabic , Turkish and Greek cuisines, meze is a common in Cyprus - a set of snacks , which, with a large number of ingredients, can be the main course. Kanelónia are omelets with a variety of fillings, including halloumi.

The meat is usually fried on a grill or pan or stewed in a stone oven . In this case, the dish is prepared in a clay pot Tawás, also called dishes cooked in it. Such dishes are prepared with the addition of vegetables, cinnamon , cloves and other spices, most often for the holiday. The simpler Jiachní dishes are made from roasted pieces of meat and / or vegetables, then stewed on a plate in a tomato sauce .

Bread is used as a side dish (especially pita bread), rice , bulgur , pasta and legumes . Potatoes appeared only in the XIX century and replaced the tarot that was widespread before. Other products are often wrapped in bread, for example, pieces of meat and salad (see shawarma , kebab , souvlaki ), poured with dzadziki sauce.

Despite the total ban on hunting birds that has been active in Cyprus since 1974, many of the singers and other species are being exterminated for the sake of gourmetism. ^{[1] [2]} The European Union also has a directive on the protection of birds , adopted in 2009 and replacing the previous similar directive of 1979, that is, it is also violated in the Republic of Cyprus . In the 1990s, the annual damage to migratory birds in Cyprus ( southern and northern ) reached 10 million, dropping to 2 million by the beginning of the 2010s. Damage is caused to populations of more than 40 species of birds, many of which are listed in the IUCN Red List , most often exterminated: Slavs , shrikes , cuckoos , orioles , small falcons and owls . Slav -Chernogolovka , which in Cyprus is called Ambelpulia, is considered a special delicacy. Most often, small birds are caught with traditional traps - chopsticks smeared with plum syrup , which are thrown on trees and shrubs, and birds stick to them. Networks are also used.