Meze, Traditional Cypriot Appetizers

Meze, what means 'little delicacies', can consist out of up to 30 different small plates with dips, vegetables and a wide range of fish or meat. It is served in groups of 4 or 5 plates at a time and usually 5 to 10 different groups arrive at the table.
Although in different tavernas, different dishes are served, there is a kind of pattern in it. Olives, taramosalata, hummus and yoghurt are followed by vegetables like eggplants or zucchini. Afterwards small meat or fish dishes are served before whole fish or grills arrive at the table.
As the pattern remains the same, the dishes served depend on the speciality of the taverna as well as the season.

Taramosalata, is well known especially in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Usually it is one of a lot of dishes in a Cyprus meze and eaten as a dip with bread or vegetables.


Tzatziki is a yoghurt dip which is included in every Cyprus Meze. But it also accompanies souvlaki as a kind of sauce.
In Cyprus tzatziki is known as ttalattouri and it includes less garlic but mint. Tzatziki is always served cold.


Hummus, a tahini dip, crushed sesame seeds with olive oil, garlic and lemon.


Halloumi, a traditional white cheese from Cyprus

Traditionally it is made out of goat's and sheep's milk, nowadays it might also contain some cows' milk. The industrial produced cheese nowadays contains more cows' milk than from sheep and goat.


Eggplants are also known as aubergine or brinjal. Dipped into flour, seasoned with salt and pepper and pan fried in small amount of olive oil they are a part of a typical Cyprus Meze.


Sheftalia, a kind of sausage without skin, caul fat is used instead of sausage casing to wrap the ingredients.

As the dishes included in a Cyprus meze are different, there are some typical dishes you will find in almost any meze in almost any taverna:

• Crushed Olives
  Crushed olives usually with coriander,garlic and fresh lemon


• Pickled Green Olives
  Marinated green olives in olive oil and vinegar


• Loukanika
  Pork sausages soaked in red wine and seasoned with coriander and red pepper


• Koupepia
  Grape leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice


• Lountza
  Smoked pork soaked in red wine


• Afelia
  Pork cubes marinated in red wine and coriander


• Stiphado
  Beef or rabbit stew with wine, vinegar and onions


• Ofto kleftiko
  Chunks of lamb cooked in a sealed clay oven


• Fried Zucchini
  As the name says, but mixed with scrambled eggs and fresh parsley.


• Village Salad
  Made of cabbage, lettuce, rugola, coriander, celery, spring onions, cucumbers, capers, olives, green peppers and feta cheese. For dressing usually olive oil and lemon juice are used