Cyprus is the 13th stop on the
Culinary Journey through Europe (L'Abbecedario Culinario della Comunità Europea) and I'm very pleased to announce that I will be hosting.
The history of Cyprus can be traced back to the Neolithic Period (around 10000BC) at the World Heritage Site of
Khirokitia. By 1400BC Greek traders were well established, bringing their cultural influence to the island. It's said that the Goddess Aphrodite emerged from the waters off Cyprus between the towns of Limassol and Paphos.
Due to its favourable location, Cyprus has seen its share of invaders - from Alexander the Great, Cleopatra to Richard the 1st. In 1459 it was handed over to Venice and from 1571 it came under Ottoman rule. From 1878 it was placed under British administration until independence in 1960. Finally in 1974 after the Turkish invasion, the island was virtually split into two and remains divided to this day.
It is no surprise that with such a colourful history the cuisine of Cyprus shows its Greek, Syrian, Lebanese, Italian, French, Catalan and Turkish influences - so you are sure to find a dish to suit your tastes.
As part of this alphabetical culinary journey we have arrived at the letter M and the dish selected to represent Cyprus is Moussaka.
Moussaka is a layered dish of eggplant, potato and meat topped with a béchamel sauce. I always thought that Moussaka used lamb but apparently it is more traditional to use a mix of beef and pork. Since I'm a novice when it comes to Cypriot cuisine I've sought out expert advice and found the answer in the pages of Tessa Kiros'
Falling Cloudberries - this recipe is the one used by Tessa's Aunt.