Cyprus Local Custom Tips by ozalp

Gollandro

This plant turned into a problem for me. People of Cyprus use mint and gollandro so much in their cuisine. It is the fresh leaves of coriander and used in salads. I tried to ask whether they use gollandro or not at the places we ate and protect myself. I also couldn’t get used to mint in pastry. Still, they have a rich cuisine.

Mulukhiya

Mediterranean people consume wild plants as vegetable and mulukhiya is one of them. We also love to eat wild plants in my family. Mom and aunts know which plants to eat and I try to learn more of them. They are usually more delicious than the ordinary stuff we eat, like spinach (which I also like a lot).
I first tried mulukhiya in Cyprus and saw it in the market of Cunda, Ayvalik afterwards. It was so delicious but I couldn’t dare to buy and cook it. Maybe I will try it next summer.
I certainly recommend you to try it. We find it in a restaurant (Mr. Spondo) near The Great Inn of Nicosia.

Food vs booze

Since the currency is lira as in our country, we could compare the prices in two countries easily. Alcoholic beverages are insanely cheap in Cyprus. I pay 35 lira to a bottle of Yeni Raki in Istanbul and I bought the same brand for 10 lira in Kyrenia. Also you can find cheaper (7-8 lira) local brands like Sema Raki. It is not only raki, other boozes like liqueurs, whisky and vodka are also quite cheap. But when it comes to food, it is not the same. Vegetables, bread, meat, cheese are all quite expensive, as far as I remember. It is cheap to eat outside but expensive to cook at home. But luckily you can always drink and forget.