Welcome to Hotel Sempati's Northern Cyprus Page

Food and Drink in Northern Cyprus

Cypriot cuisine is a wonderful mix of the Eastern Mediterranean and has many characteristics taken from the island's numerous conquerors. It will not take long for the tourist to discover why one of the national pastimes is eating. A most memorable part of any holiday will be missed if the local cuisine not sampled. Cyprusiots are ingenious cooks, using rae materials which would not occur to anyone else. An example of this a gabbar, wild caper. The plant grows freely on the dry slopes all over Cyprus. the unopened flower buds and tender stem tops are pickled in vinegar and eaten as part of the Meze. '' Meze'' is the Turkish word for Hors-d'oeuvres. In many of the village restaurants food will start arriving on the table soon after you sit down; this means that there is a set menu and those will be the meze 'starters. Most of the appetizers will be been grown made locally

and will change seasonally. Remember that this only the beginning of a Turkish meal so ''yavas yavas''     ( Slowly slowly). Cypriots are great meat eaters, using lamb and chicken in their cooking. All the meat is locally reared. There is no import licence issued for fresh meat. As they are Muslim, pork's not issued in some place, but you can find pork in all restaurants, especially in our Restaurant in Cyprus.

Meze, a Meal in itself

Expect to receive up to fifteen small dishes of food including the delicious yoghurt, rice stuffed vegetables, black-eyed beans, hummous(puree of chicken peas and sesame paste) and nor (white cheese). As these are slowly savoured a selection of hot starters will be served such as sigara borej( cheese-filled filo pastry), Kofte (spicy meatball) and the tasty hellim cheese. Be sure to squeeze the juicy fresh lemon over the food, especially the kebabs.

Welcome to Northern Cyprus

Restaurants

Northern Cyprus has an abundance a restaurants offering a wealth of culinarychocie. Between Girne and Guzelyurt there are some 350 establishments, serving French, Chinese, Indian, European and Even Irish cuisine.

Restaurants in Bogaz iskele

Zivania Cyprus Whisky

zivania is a very strong, domestic made sprit often referred to as fire water! it is made from the left-over after wine making is finished. The kazan, a cooper pot, is filled with fermented mess of grape remains and water. A fire is made and the pot is places on top. A condenser is attached to the kazan with  tubes and in turn the  tubes lead to bottle. The water is the condenser is continually replaced to keep cool, a bucketful out and another in.

Other Drinks

The national drink Brandy Sour, makes a delicious aperitif. It consists of generous helping of local brandy with bitters, lemon squash( usually home made) and soda. Raki is the Turkish equivalent of Pernod. Known as 'lion's milk' the aniseed sprit turns cloudy when diluted with water. It makes a good accompaniments to fish meze.

Turkish Coffee

Once a delicacy of the ottoman upper classes Turkish coffee is now enjoyed by all. The secret of Turkish Coffee is to use good coffee beans and create froth on the top. It is served in a small cups in four different ways.Sade without sugar, az sekerli With a little sugar, orta medium sugar, Sekerli with  lots of sugar.

Cyprus Restaurant guide

Try The Local foods at the Sempati's Ala Carte Restaurant in Cyprus