On the recipe of ancient robbers
Cyprus always loved delicious food Kitchen Cyprus very similar to Greek. Nevertheless, you can enjoy such dishes here, which are no longer found anywhere.
Cypriot has an expression "Copiest", which can be translated as "Sit, eat and drink with us". Copysta – the basis of Cypriot evenings for tourists traditionally held in all resort restaurants and taverns of the island. The main dish at similar evenings with national music and dancing – Mez. This is an assorted twenty-thirty meat or fish eats served by small portions, with various exquisite sauces. At the same time B "Right" Mesa never combine fish and meat – they are served separately. There is such a meat or fish meza about $ 20 per person.
Experts, however, claim that the best meza is Greek, served in ordinary rural taverns, where there are few tourists where there is no bustle and gama, characteristic of most spa seats. The owner comes first in a wicker basket. National bread, soaked in tomato and spices and a jar of cool dry wine capable of quenching any thirst. After the guest is slightly quenched, the present begins "Holiday Stomach": lamb and pork – to choose from: baked or stew, boiled or grilled to crust, various cold snacks. All this is solemnly taken out from somewhere from the back room in small plates, and the table gradually begins literally to break away from. In parallel, the Greek salad is brought: cucumbers, olives, tomatoes with olive oil. In such taverns, you can try Traganas – Milk Soup, which is not served everywhere, although it can be called one of the favorite Eat Cypriots. Fuchanas prepare from millet and sour milk, sometimes it is done thick, solid and dried in the sun, and then as needed discharge in broth. Most often, Fuchanas serve as a side dish to boiled chicken.
Distributed on the island and suvla – kebab from lamb big slices. Meat here, unlike the Caucasus, do not marinate and prepare not on skewers, but on a spit, which is rotating continuously two or two and a half hours. Cypriot kebabs are served with a bow, but with a basil.
Curious the history of the origin of another national dish – Ophto Kleftico, which is translated as "Food Robber": lamb, which is baking almost six hours in the clay oven. They love to pamper themselves and their subordinates Dimitris Dimitriu, the head of the Moscow office of the Cyprus organization on tourism (cat). One of his preparation recipes "Food robber" (cm. below the recipe) Mr. Dimitra shared with readers "TURINFO". This dish is truly owned by the ancient Cypriot robber, which for conspiracy conspirants could not prepare food on open fire, so the meat was baked in the died in the ground and underlined clay stoves. Moreover, the meat of robbery was laid in the oven before they were "On the case", And it languishes before their return – hence the same six hours that go to cooking today. At this time, however, some innovations appeared: lamb baked on the grill, and even with yogurt.
In Cyprus taverns, you can also enjoy pastic – a pasta dish of type Lazagany, or the famous Musaka – starch casserole, eggplant, tomato, potatoes under Beshamel sauce.
In the Mediterranean, which is washes the island from all sides, enough shrimp, octopus, mussels. However, fish because of the cold current passing here, it is expensive, and therefore it is preferred to be taken out of neighboring Greece. In taverns are served by the cipher, something resembling trout, and a sword-cooked sword. Fish is often prepared on mangals with charcoal or in large clay dome-shaped furnaces. Only in Cyprus can be enjoyed with hallaumi – solid white sheep cheese in raw form, or fried dolmatoes – wrapped in grape leaves. It is also interesting to try Hummaus – porridge from chickpeas (large peas) and sesame with olive oil and lemon juice. This dish is well known to all who at least once visited Israel.
From the delicacies to tourists always offer to try the colocation (sweet potatoes) or Pahlav – puff pastry, richly reinforced with almonds and cooked syrup. Often to tea is served Glyco – jam from exotic fruits, or oriental sweets. But, as a rule, Cypriots themselves are preferred by coffee, and only black, without milk. In any local tavern, the owner or waiter will immediately ask what you want: Skeo (strong black coffee without sugar), metrics (semi-sweet, used with one sugar spoon) or Glykis (very sweet coffee with two sugar spoons). However, regardless of the name all these "coffee" prepare in bricks – Turk, and drove to cold water.
Traditionally, the meal in Cyprus passes accompanied by a local beer or one of the exquisite wines produced immediately on the island. The high qualities of Cypriot wines were also known to Mark Anthony. The presence of Cyprus Cleopatre Island as a wedding gift, he told her: "Your love, my beauty, so sweet as Cyprus Wine". Sherry and brandy are popular, as well as dessert wine brand Commandary – one of the oldest brands of wine in the world. And in Cyprus to popular national drinks include a cocktail "Brandy Sur", which is prepared from the squeezed lemon, brandy, soda water and ice, adding sometimes natural food dye. Such a drink of Cypriots usually use after eating.
Tourists drink "Brandy Sur" Usually before eating as an aperitif in front of the abundant Cypriot feast, to see and evaluate the scope of which it is possible not only in the tourist trip, but also during various culinary festivals, which recesses the summer-autumn calendar of the resort island. For example, from 9 to 11 November in Cyprus a grand festival of local cuisine will be held. As for the famous Cypriot wine, the best local varieties can be enjoyed and buying in Limassol, where the traditional wine festival is also held in September.
