Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinking
Don't miss out on the fabulous
juice bars
. Mango, papaya, strawberry, guava: endless
combinations are whizzed up on the spot and packed full of all those five-a-day fresh-fruit
essentials, at a very reasonable price.
If you are after something stronger, locals drink at bars and generally accompany their
meal with locally produced wine. Cyprus produces a wide range of red, white and rosé
wines
, as well as a famous sweet dessert wine,
Commandaria
. Spirits are also popular, par-
ticularly the famous anise-laced
ouzo
and the stronger grape-based
zivania
.
The most popular cocktail here is Cypriot
brandy sour
, often cited as being the national
drink and with a somewhat bizarre history. Apparently the young (and Muslim) King
Farouk of Egypt, who frequented the Forest Park Hotel in Platres, used to drink this as it
resembled iced tea; the mix is slightly different to the brandy sour norm.
Beer
drinkers normally go for the inexpensive local brew Keo, although imported beers are also available, as well as the
Yorkshire-style bitters produced by the island's craft brewery,
Aphrodite's Rock Brewery
.
Tap
water
is safe to drink and can be requested at any restaurant without raising an eye-
brow. Locals, however, prefer the bottled variety as the water is very hard, which some
people believe can lead to kidney stones if drunk to excess. It is advisable to drink bottled
water in northern Nicosia.
SWEET DELIGHTS
Cypriot desserts reflect the rich flavours of Turkey and the Middle East. But despite these sweet delights, fruit is
the most common Cypriot dessert on both parts of the island.
A
baklava filo pastry layered with honey and nuts.
A
galatopoureko sweet, sticky pastry filled with custard.
A
irmik kurabiyesi nut-stuffed semolina pastries.
A
kandaifi (in Greek;
kadaif
in Turkish) strands of sugary pastry wound into a roll.
A
katméri a kind of crêpe filled with bananas, honey and cream.
A
lokma doughnuts in syrup.
A
mahalepi (in Greek;
muhallebi
in Turkish): an aromatic Middle Eastern rice pudding sprinkled with rosewater
and pistachios.
A
shammali yoghurt and semolina cake.
A
tahinli tahina buns
.
