Due to its unique geography, Cypriot cuisine blends flavors from various countries. Over 3000 years of foreign rule and merchants arriving from all over the world have brought different culinary techniques. After absorbing flavors from Greece, Turkey, Albania, Lebanon, Syria, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and other regions, Cyprus has created its own unique food culture. Below, our editor will introduce traditional desserts to friends who are immigrating to Cyprus.
Souzouko
"Souzouko" is a type of traditional Cypriot dessert, primarily made from almonds, walnuts, and grape juice. Almonds and walnuts are threaded together to form the core, which is then repeatedly dipped into a mixture of flour, grape juice, rose water, cinnamon powder, and mastic gum. After cooling, it forms a strip. It has a chewy texture, the sweetness of grape juice, and the nutty aroma. More importantly, the taste of Souzouko varies slightly depending on the grapes from different regions. It is usually sliced and eaten after meals. Personally, I find this to be one of the more palatable options among the many sweet desserts in Cyprus.
Loukoumi
"Loukoumi", commonly known as Turkish Delight, is one of the oldest candies in the world. It originated in Ottoman Turkey and the West in the 19th century. The history of making Loukoumi in Cyprus dates back to the late 19th century. A Cypriot who returned from Turkey brought the technique for making this soft candy to a small village near Paphos and established a workshop for mass production in 1895, which has now been in operation for over 100 years. This candy is sold in souvenir shops (in both South and North Cyprus) and airports across all cities in Cyprus. The candy is very soft with a delicate fruity fragrance, somewhat similar to the sorghum jelly candies we ate as children. It is usually packaged in hexagonal paper boxes, often decorated with images of various Cypriot attractions. It is not very expensive and makes for an affordable and high-quality tourist souvenir.
Loukoumades
"Loukoumades" is a traditional Cypriot dessert. Dough balls are deep-fried, drizzled with honey syrup, sprinkled with rose water, and dusted with cinnamon powder. They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with the added aroma of rose and cinnamon, making them very delicious. At markets, church gatherings, and festivals, you will often see people setting up large pots on the street to fry these desserts.
Glyko
"Glyko" is a traditional Cypriot preserve, usually made from citrus fruits (bitter orange), grapes, mulberries, bergamot, apricots, cherries, lemons, strawberries, apples, figs, plums, and other fruits. After washing the fruit, it is soaked in lemon juice for an hour and then rinsed with cold water. Sugar is melted in a pot, and the fruit and water are added and boiled for an hour and a half. Once the syrup thickens, the heat is turned off (add lemon juice 5 minutes before turning off the heat), and it is packed into jars and refrigerated. Usually, after you finish a meal at a local restaurant, the owner will serve you a piece of this preserve accompanied by a glass of water (likely because it is too sweet) as a dessert. Most are homemade and contain absolutely no preservatives. My personal assessment is that it is simply too sweet to finish in one go.
Mahalepi
"Mahalepi" is a simple and easy-to-make Cypriot dessert. Starch and water are boiled in a pot, poured into a container, and left to cool. A large amount of water is poured into the container (covering the pudding), and it is then refrigerated. When serving, it is placed in a bowl and drizzled with rose water and concentrated rose syrup.
Rizogalo
"Rizogalo" is a homemade Cypriot rice pudding dessert (originally from Greece). Milk and salt are added to a pot, and a small amount of rice is poured in and boiled for about 25 minutes (stirring constantly to prevent sticking to the bottom). A small amount of sugar is then added, stirred, and the mixture is poured out of the pot to cool. Once cooled, it is sprinkled with cinnamon powder and is ready to eat.
"Pourekia" is a Cypriot dessert filled with halloumi cheese. Water, flour, oil, and salt are kneaded into a dough, and the mixed filling (cheese, egg, minced mint) is wrapped inside, then deep-fried in hot oil. After frying, it is sprinkled with powdered sugar. I personally like this dessert; the aroma of the cheese combined with the slightly sweet powdered sugar makes it delicious even when eaten cold.
Baclava
"Baclava" is a traditional Cypriot dessert that originated in Ottoman Turkey. Preheat the oven (175c), grease the baking tray with butter, and lay the pre-kneaded phyllo pastry sheets one by one onto the tray. Prepare a mixture of crushed nuts, cinnamon powder, clove powder, and breadcrumbs, stir well, and sprinkle over the pastry, then layer on a few more sheets of pastry. Use a knife to cut the surface into diamond shapes and bake in the oven for 1 hour. After baking, remove the dessert and evenly pour over the pre-boiled syrup (sugar, water, cinnamon, lemon juice). It is ready after the syrup has soaked in for 5 or 6 hours. Personally, I feel that it is very crispy on top, and the nut filling in the middle is very fragrant, but the syrup is just too sweet.
Haluva
"Haluva" is a traditional Cypriot dessert. Mix oil and sugar (1:1), add eggs, baking powder, baking soda, yogurt, and flour. After mixing well, bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Once baked, let it cool and pour syrup over it. It tastes a bit like sticky rice cake. Sprinkling pistachio powder and cinnamon powder on top makes it taste even better. It is not as sweet as other desserts and is quite easy to eat.
Galatopoureko
"Galatopoureko" is a traditional Cypriot dessert originating from Greece. Milk, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and butter are stirred in a pot over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Once the mixture is as thick as pudding, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir eggs and sugar together and pour into the pot (it is better to add the juice of one orange). Grease the bottom of the tray with butter, layer the prepared phyllo pastry sheets, pour in the mixed cream, then layer on a few more sheets of pastry. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, take it out, let it cool, and pour syrup over it, letting it sit for 1 hour. The cream is soft, the pastry is very crispy, but it is just too sweet.