Cypriot taverna meals on platter

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Lying at the intersection of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, Cyprus is an island nation that has seen numerous empires, invasions, foreign settlers and traders, who have influenced its culture, lifestyle and cuisine. Flavours from Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Italy, France and Britain combine to give a unique identity to the food cooked by Cypriots. Blooms, the all-day dining restaurant at Eros Hilton has organised a ‘gastronomic journey to Cyprus’.
Julian Ayers, general manager at Hilton says “Cyprus has rich history and unique location. Cypriot food has played a key role in increasing olive exports across the globe and is also the birth place of wine. We decided to bring it to Indian shores.” To this, excutive chef Suprabhath Roy, adds, “Food from the Mediterranean island is flavourful and suits Indian palate and it’s a good combination of Greek and Arabic influence.”
The island nation is known for its rich variety of vegetables and fruits, owing to its perfect weather conditions. “Our island produces luscious tomatoes, bell peppers, aubergines, avocado, okra, black eyed beans as well as oranges, grapes and lemons. All these are used to create light delicacies cooked in olive oil. Most of them are very healthy,” says executive chef George Katastrofas, Hilton, Nicosia, who has specially flown in from the island nation.
Dishes like potato Antinaktes (browned potatoes cooked with white wine), grilled tomato and Halloumi with mint, Bamies (okra with onions and tomato) and Tourlo - Tourlo (mediterranean vegetables tossed with tomatoes) feel fresh and mild.
In Cyprus, meat is consumed fresh, hardly hung at all. Chicken, pork, lamb, beef and fish are all equally popular. “For a celebration or large family meal, souvla is very popular. Large chunks of lamb, pork or chicken flavoured with fresh herbs, are threaded onto a spit and grilled over charcoal,” adds Katastrofas. Lamb Kleftiko (slow cooked lamb with potato), Kotopoulo Me Mpizelia (chicken cooked with green peas and tomatoes) and Pork Afelia (pork braised in red wine with crushed coriander seeds) are a part of the buffet.
Talking about the intricacies of the flavours, chef Katastrofas reveals, “We use a lot of fresh herbs but very mild spices like cumin and dry coriander powder. Black pepper is used for marinating. The use of olive oil ensures that none of the dishes are heavy in stomach.”
Desserts from the island nation are rich in fruits, nuts, cheese and sugar syrup. “One of our signature sweet dish is the Soutzoukos, made of grapes and almond dipped in sugar syrup for days together. Another interesting one is the Mahalepi, a typical Cypriot pudding in rose syrup,” says chef Katastrofas.