Food for celebrations in Cyprus

1. Food for celebrations in Cyprus By Evangelia & Emily Ioannou

2. Cyprus food is mainly Greek in flavor but through the centuries, it has been influenced by Turkish, English, Italians, French and Arabs . Local celebrations are always accompanied by traditional food.

3. January – New Year’s Day On New Year’s Day, there are usually fireworks at midnight after partying. Cypriots usually eat St. Basil cake which has a coin in it. Whoever gets it, is believed to be having good luck in the new year . People also eat chestnuts and souvla which is large pieces of lamb meat cooked on a skewer over a barbecue.

4. St Basil cake - recipe Ingredients • 10 eggs, separated • 8 ounces butter ( 1 cup) • 3 cups sugar • Zest and juice of 3 oranges • Zest and juice of 1 lemon • ¼ cup brandy • 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract • 6 ½ cups self – rising flour • ½ cup sesame seeds • 1 coin , wrapped in foil Preparation In a large mixing bowl , beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl beat the butter , sugar and egg yolks. Fold creamed mixture into the egg whites .Add the lemon and orange zest and juice. Add the brandy and vanilla extract . Sift the self-raising flour and add it to the batter. Put the coin into the batter. Grease and flour a round cake pan. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds . Bake at 200˚ C for about 55-60 minutes or until firm in the middle.

5. January – Epiphany day Epiphany day is celebrated on the 6th of January. On that day, we celebrate Jesus’ baptism . Following church service the villagers go with the priest to the sea leading to a ceremonial baptism of The Holy Cross into the sea . During the ceremony the priest throws The Holy Cross into the sea and young men dive into the water to get the cross and return it to the priest . According to a legend dangerous creatures called “Kalikantzaroi (goblins)” prey upon people only during the twelve days of Christmas. On the night of 6th of January it is a tradition to throw some “Lokmades” (sweet honey balls) for them on the roof, so that they won’t trouble us through the coming year.

6. February/March – Green Monday Green Monday is the first day of Easter fasting . Cypriots celebrate Green Monday in the fields or near the beach. On Green Monday Cypriots eat sea food , bread , salads, pickles , olives , potatoes and vegetables .

7. April-Easter In Cyprus at Easter most women make “flaounes”, a kind of traditional cheesepies found exclusively in Cyprus. They are made of short crust with cheese, egg and mint filling, formed into triangular or square shapes . It is also customary to dye eggs , red, blue, yellow and green and use them to decorate the cakes and display in bowls and baskets throughout Easter . The red eggs represent the blood of Christ when he was crucified and the rest of the colours represent the rebirth of nature during spring.

8. Flaounes – recipe Ingredients • 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, halloumi and edam)  • 7 eggs  • 2 teaspoons fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder  • 2 tablespoons sultanas, optional • Preparation: Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add fat and rub in with fingertips until distributed evenly . Add egg mixed with water and mix to a firm dough. Knead lightly, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes . With a spoon mix the ingredients of the cheese filling, gradually blend in the eggs and mint, mix to a fairly stiff paste . Roll out dough thinly and cut into 10 cm circles (3-4 inches).Take a round of pastry and moisten edge with a little water. Place a good tablespoon of filling in the centre, spreading it slightly. Pull dough up at 3 points to make a triangle, or 4 points to make a square. About 2 cm of dough should overlap filling all around . Press points of triangles or squares to seal edges. Use fingers or tunes of fork. Brush dough overlaps with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds . Place them on greased baking sheets and then bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes until cheese filling is puffed and flaounes are golden.

9. September- Limassol Wine Festival Limassol wine festival lasts for about ten days usually starting around 1st September each year.  Many of the island's wineries meet to promote their products to local and international visitors. Traditional dishes are offered and shows of traditional dances and music are presented during the event. Free wine is also offered that why it attracts over 100,000 visitors every year. Click to enjoy!

10. December - Christmas Christmas is a religious holiday in Cyprus, a time to honour Jesus’ birth and also a time for family gatherings. On the morning after the Christmas mass, Cypriots eat ‘Avgolemono’ soup which is a chicken , lemon, egg and rice soup. They also eat melomakarona which are honey-coated cookies that are made without butter and eggs .

11. Avgolemono soup - Recipe Ingredients • 2  quarts chicken broth • 1/2  cup  long-grain white rice • Salt and pepper • 4  large eggs • 1/3  cup  fresh-squeezed lemon juice Preparation  In a medium pan over high heat, bring broth and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender to bite, for 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water to blend. Gradually whisk in about a cup of the hot broth mixture. Then gradually whisk egg mixture into broth and rice mixture. Stir over low heat just until hot, for 1 to 3 minutes. Don't overboil or soup may curdle. Serve into bowls.

12. Fasting Period The fasting period starts 48 days before Easter and 40 days before Christmas , when people stop eating meat and animal products with the exception of certain fish . On Good Friday olive oil is not allowed. During fasting periods Cypriots eat pulses, fruit, vegetables , rice , pasta and many more .

13. Weddings After the wedding ceremony they newly-wed couple offer a wedding dinner which includes several traditional dishes such as various kinds of salads and dips, “tava “ (lamb or sometimes pork meat cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, onions and sometimes carrots), “afelia” (pork meat cooked in red wine and coriander seeds) , souvla (grilled lamb or pork), oftokleftiko (lamb cooked in traditional oven) , pourgouri (bulgur wheat cooked with onions and tomato sauce), followed by fruits and sweets . They drink wine , beer, zivania (local alcoholic drink) and soft drinks.

14. MemorialService At the memorial service Cypriots eat ‘kollifa’ which is a mixture of wheat, pomegranate , sugar and almond nuts which is offered outside the church after the church service . Wheat, the main ingredient symbolises the resurrection of the dead, a firm belief in Christianity.

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