Cyprus

A Cypriot dish of pork pieces marinated overnight in red wine with whole coriander seeds, seared, then braised in the same marinade until the liquid reduces to a thick, fragrant, near-dry glaze coating the meat.

Commandaria is an ancient amber, sweet fortified-style dessert wine from the Troodos foothills of Cyprus, made from sun-dried indigenous grapes.

A traditional Cypriot feast sweet of thin filo pastry rolled tightly around a spiced almond filling, deep-fried until golden, and immediately soaked in rose-water sugar syrup so the pastry absorbs the fragrant syrup while remaining crisp at the outer shell.

Flaounes are traditional Cypriot Easter pastries made from a yeast‑leavened dough filled with halloumi cheese, eggs, raisins, and mastic, topped with sesame seeds and baked until golden.

A semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese from Cyprus made from sheep's and goat's milk whose pressed curds are cooked in their own whey, raising the melting point so the cheese can be grilled or fried golden without losing its shape.

Kleftiko is a Cypriot and Greek dish of bone-in lamb marinated with garlic, lemon, and oregano, then sealed inside a clay vessel or parchment parcel and slow-roasted at low heat until the meat is meltingly tender and entirely self-basted in its own juices.

A Cypriot braise of taro root cooked with pork, celery, and tomato in olive oil and finished with lemon.

Cypriot shortcrust-pastry turnovers filled with grated pumpkin, cracked wheat (pourgouri) and raisins, baked until golden.

The Cypriot version of stuffed vine leaves, wrapping minced pork, rice, tomato and herbs in grape leaves, braised until tender.

A coarse pork sausage cured with red wine and dominated by coriander seed, then grilled or pan-fried and eaten as a meze or main.

Small, deep-fried balls of leavened dough soaked in honey or syrup and dusted with cinnamon, served warm.

Boiled black-eyed peas, traditionally cooked together with chopped leafy greens, dressed warm with abundant olive oil and lemon juice.

A Cypriot baked pasta dish of thick tubular macaroni layered over a cinnamon-and-clove-spiced minced meat sauce, bound with egg and local hard cheese, and crowned with a thick béchamel that sets firm enough to slice into portions.

A leisurely, rolling succession of small shared dishes — cold dips, cheese, olives, and pickles first, then hot grills and fried items — served communally as a social feast in which the pace and the sharing are as essential as any single dish.

A Cypriot sweet made from grape must thickened with flour into a jelly (palouzes) or, with strung nuts repeatedly dipped into the thickened must, into a sausage-shaped confection (soutzoukos).

A Cypriot cracked-wheat pilaf in which coarse bulgur and thin vermicelli are toasted together in butter with onion, then absorption-cooked in stock until each grain is separate and nutty.

Sheftalia is a Cypriot grilled sausage made from seasoned minced pork (or lamb) mixed with onion and parsley, wrapped in pork caul fat and cooked over charcoal until crispy and juicy.

Souvlaki is a traditional Greek and Cypriot dish of small, marinated cubes of pork or chicken threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, served typically with lemon, herbs, and often accompanied by pita and sauces.

A Cypriot dish of lamb and onions slow-cooked with cumin and tomato in an unglazed earthenware pot until meltingly tender.

A thick rustic soup made by simmering dried, fermented cracked-wheat-and-soured-milk granules until they swell into a tangy, porridge-like broth.