We realise we’ve been remiss, having been in Cyprus for over a month and saying nothing about the various pies we’ve been enjoying. (Mostly this is because our mouths have been full…) You may remember that we really enjoyed meat pies in the UK; here in the Greek-inspired world, things are different. But still delicious. Greek pies are usually savoury, and made with filo. Our hands-down favourite is the spinakopita (spinach pie), which usually includes feta. If you are unfamiliar with them, think lasagna but with pastry instead of pasta, and without tomato sauce. Other classics are: cheese (feta, plus parmesan or other hard cheeses; sometimes with cottage cheese), leeks, or zucchini. At their best, they are flaky and buttery and crispy and soft all at the same time. And at their worst – served at room temperature, maybe a day or two old – they are still pretty darn good.
The Cypriots, as often in our experience, have taken a Good Greek Thing and (maybe) made it even better. (No offense to traditionalists, or Greeks.) They make a mean filo-based pie, but they have also embraced the world of the dough pie.
These are hand-held, and they come in a variety of flavours. We’re partial to most of the veggie varieties: mushroom, mixed veggie, etc. We like the pumpkin very much, and also the halloumi (halloumi is the unofficial cheese of Cyprus, and it’s excellent!). We are also exceedingly fond of one with olives and orange. It is not sweet; the orange gives it a kind of aftertaste that is hard to describe but difficult to get out of your head. Our suspicion is that it’s got zest as well as juice.
We have also heard wondrous tales of a tahini pie (tahini is beloved of Cypriots, even more than Greeks – whereas in Greece it usually takes second place to chickpeas in humus, here it features there and also on its own). Tahini pie seems to be mostly a Lenten dish, so we haven’t tracked it down. But online recipes suggest cinnamon, brown sugar, orange zest, and honey (or, interestingly, carob syrup, which there is also a lot of here). We may try to make our own, during Lent.
Much of the food we’ve eaten in Cyprus is sophisticated, showcasing the island’s status as an international crossroads. These we love for their simplicity and rusticity. Also, their dough.
