MAIN INGREDIENTS
This Cypriot-style barbecue dish is made with seasoned and marinated meat, typically lamb, pork, or chicken, which is placed on a long skewer and slow-roasted over an open fire. The marinating process makes the meat incredibly tender and succulent, and the meat is basted as it roasts, improving the texture and flavor even further.
There is also a number of local varieties of the dish, and the best-known variety is known as Lysiotiki souvla from the village of Lysi. The dish is typically prepared for Christmas and Easter, but is also served on other festive occasions.
MOST ICONIC Souvla
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This traditional Cypriot sausage is made from a mixture of minced pork and lamb, chopped red onion, and parsley wrapped in caul fat, a thin fatty membrane that lines the stomach of cows, sheep, and pigs. There are two theories as to how the dish got its name – either from the Turkish word şeftali, which means peach, most likely as a reference to its texture, or from the name of the street vendor who is credited with having invented it.
The meat mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper, and cinnamon, and then formed into small sausages which are skewered and grilled. As the meat cooks, the caul fat renders, giving the sausages a crispy, caramelized exterior while keeping the meat on the inside tender and juicy.
MOST ICONIC Sheftalia
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This pork-based dish regularly appears on Cypriot and Greek tables. Its name stems from ovelia, the ancient Greek word for cooked meat. Afelia is traditionally prepared in a traditional earthenware vessel called tava, which is typically placed into clay ovens in order to slowly cook until done.
The dish consists of just a few ingredients: cubed pork meat (shoulder or short rib), dry red wine (used to tenderize the meat), and crushed coriander seeds. In fact, coriander is a cornerstone spice in Cyprus, and it is rare to find a true traditional Cypriot dish without it.