Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through Cyprus Cookbooks.
I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.
About Mediterranean Food
Cypriot cuisine is heavily influenced by Greek and Turkish Culture. So if you are familiar with either of these countries’ recipes and delicacies, then some of the Cypriot dishes found in these recommended cookbooks will be somewhat familiar to you.
This makes Cypriot cooking a bit of a hybrid but offers a taste sensation unique to this beautiful country. The flavors and ingredients found in Cypriot cuisine may differ whether you are a Greek Cypriot, who traditionally uses more mint, parsley, and pork, or a Turkish Cypriot, who tends to use a lot of mint and parsley. Still, Cypriot families will opt for beef and lamb as their meat of choice. From simple salads, stews, hearty home-cooked food, and awe-inspiring recipes, we have a Cyprus Cookbook for all these occasions below.
So, what are you waiting for? Go and choose the perfect Cypriot cookbook! NOW!
The 10 Cyprus Cookbooks that you need to check!
1. Cyprus Cuisine
Why We Love It ❤️
This fantastic traditional Cypriot Cookbook focuses on the different parts of Cyprus and the prominent ingredients within each area. This easy, reliable Cyprus cookbook will ensure that everyone falls in love with Cypriot cooking. It has 68 great recipes that are easy to follow with clear images throughout the book.
About the Author ✍️
Christina Loucas is an author and food photographer. Living in Victoria. She also has her own food blog showcasing some of these her own recipes inspired by Cyprus with some awesome-looking creations.
2. Ripe Figs
Why We Love It ❤️
Now, this cookbook really is one that everyone should have to learn about traditional Cypriot cooking. It is a little bit of a hybrid, but we couldn’t list it in our recommended best 10 Cyprus cookbooks. This recipe book is all about these crucial flavors and ingredients that run through the heart of this Mediterranean diet and cuisine. The imagery and how the author captures this food journey are phenomenal. This is a terrific cookbook to start your love and understanding of Cyprus and all that Cypriot cookbooks offer.
About the Author ✍️
Yasmin Khan loves to share stories and has written a lot of books. She loves to interweave stories of culture within her love of food. She brings these places to life with the local cuisine shining through at the heart of her storytelling.
3. Big Has Home
Why We Love It ❤️
We cannot wait for this Cypriot cookbook to be released. Anyone and everyone will be able to enjoy this Cyprus cookbook full of hearty dishes. It has had a tremendous amount of validation from Jamie Oliver, and it was one that we just had to mention in our recommended Cypriot cookbooks.
The recipes are all about the food and flavors. There are no frills, just good decent food to enjoy with friends and family. The recipes are all inspired by Hasan’s time in London working for Jamie and merging his London roots with his Cypriot heritage.
About the Author ✍️
Hasan Semay is a North London-based chef and a presenter for his well-known Youtube series Sunday Sessions. Hasan’s half-Turkish Cypriot and half r North London background is very unique. You will not be able to wait to dive deep into his fusion recipes from these two prominent cultures!
4. Oklava
Why We Love It ❤️
This Cyprus cookbook has many great reviews and just in itself is a beautiful cookbook. One that you definitely wouldn’t be embarrassed by if it was left out on your coffee table. Her book is wholly inspired by her Turkish-Cypriot grandmother, and the recipes are hearty and traditional. Dishes range from courgette, feta, and mint fritters to chocolate, prune, and cardamom.
About the Author ✍️
Selin Kiazim lives and works in London but grew up surrounded by a family with a Turkish – Cypriot heritage; therefore, this is prominent in her blended cooking style.
5. Nistisima
Why We Love It ❤️
We cannot believe how tantalizing these Cypriot recipes are – Vegan food at its best. This is the cookbook for you if you want to cook something new that focuses on flavor. There are 120 vegan recipes featured; each is new and exciting. They may appear simple, but often the simpler, the better—definitely a great gift – even if you’re not vegan. So go and get this Cypriot cookbook now!
About the Author ✍️
Georgina Hayden is from North London, but her food is heavily influenced by growing up with her grandparents, who had a Greek taverna.
6. Under The Vine
Why We Love It ❤️
This Cyprus cookbook may state that it is plant-based which may be an automatic red flag for meat lovers, but my god, you will not care that there is no meat/fish/dairy or eggs in sight. This is a phenomenal book that everyone should have in their collection. It combines delicious Cypriot flavors with some unique local herbs and vegetables. It demonstrates that plant-based cooking is not boring and can be enjoyed by everyone.
About the Author ✍️
Marina Christofides is better known for her other books about Cyrpus, ‘The traitors Club’, ‘The Island Everyone Wanted’, and ‘Stories from Cyprus’. She lives in Nicosia with her husband and cat and enjoys sharing her love of food with everyone.
7. Olives and Oranges
Why We Love It ❤️
Suppose you are passionate about cooking and love delving deep into the classic flavors and delicacies from Spain, Cyprus, and Italy. In that case, this is the cookbook for you! It’s a big Cypriot cookbook with a whole lotta love inside. It includes scrumptious, wholesome Cypriot food at its heart, with a range of food and traditional dishes that we can guarantee you will love.
About the Author ✍️
Sara Jenkins well-traveled through Spain, Cyprus, and Italy until she finally settled in a quiet place in Tuscany on a secluded farm. Here she grows her own produce and creates her own traditional recipes.
8. Taverna
Why We Love It ❤️
This book and the chef’s style are about merging traditional Cypriot food and Mediterranean allure with the modern day. This cookbook will deliver the tastiness and goodness of Greek cuisine straight to your door. It will transport you to the local taverna on the beach, bringing the whole family together again and again.
About the Author✍️
We have already mentioned a little further up about one of Georginas Hayden’s excellent plant-based Cypriot cookbooks. She is a great cook and one that you’ll enjoy cooking with, so once you’ve purchased one of her cookbooks, you’ll be bound to buy another!
9. Cypriot Barbecue Delights and Side Dishes
Why We Love It ❤️
This Cypriot cookbook prides itself on bringing something unique to your Summertime BBQ. The recipes will enhance your BBQ skills to a new level while also transporting the tasty flavors of Cyprus to your garden. If you are keen to update your BBQ dishes, this is definitely the Cyprus cookbook for you.
About the Author ✍️
Melek Cella is keen to bring Cypriot cuisine into your home. He has also written another book, ‘ The Split Personality of a Young Girl: Mel by day and Melanie by night’.
10. Meliz’s Kitchen
Why We Love It ❤️
This is a must-have Cypriot cookbook – it is currently ready to pre-order now. It will be released on February 28th, 2023, so something to look forward to pursuing and exploring in the New Year. This is a great family cookbook, with recipes that the whole family will enjoy time and time again. It is a substantial cookbook with 9 chapters sharing great breakfast recipes, sides, BBQ dishes, pastries, and much more! Unfortunately, as it is ready for preorder, there are no customer comments yet, but we hope our validation is enough!
About the Author ✍️
Meliz Berg is a self-taught cook; she loves to develop recipes and is also a food content creator. Her cooking is heavily influenced by her Turkish Cypriot heritage and living in and around London. She is keen to continue to develop her family dishes, which have been passed down through the generations.
Final Thoughts
So, with definite certainty, we can say that Cypriot cookbooks have a well-deserved place in anyone’s kitchen. Whether you enjoy meat or vegetables, you are an established cook or just a beginner, there is a Cypriot cookbook for all. There is bound to be a dish for everyone that will transport you straight to the Cypriot Taverna. Each Cyprus cookbook brings a little taste of authenticity straight to your door.
Every Cypriot cookbook we have mentioned has its classic take on these authentic dishes. Furthermore, each talented chef adds their unique heritage and influence to each recipe. We have included some Cyprus cookbooks that have just been released or are due to be released soon. This keeps you in the know and up-to-date with Cypriot cookbooks and the new talented Cypriot chefs on the horizon.
We cannot wait to indulge even more in these fabulous Cyprus cookbooks – with the chefs’ English and Cypriot backgrounds. So, why wait? Get ordering or pre-ordering, and bring your own little taste of Cyprus into your home. You’ll enjoy these Cypriot cookbooks so much; we have no doubt that you’ll be gifting them to all your friends and loved ones. Let us know how you get on!
More about Cyprus
In this article, we have carefully handpicked the ten best Cyprus cookbooks for you. In our opinion, they are all uniquely authentic and pay homage to the culinary delights of Cyprus. Whether you are looking to recreate a little taste of Cyprus from a vacation or are keen to try a new cuisine, Cypriot cookbooks are an absolute must for anyone. They are particularly enjoyable if you like exploring new cuisines and working with simple, humble, unique flavors.
Within the Cyprus cookbooks mentioned, you will find the traditional Greek Cypriot recipes and Turkish dishes alongside others that you may feel are more Mediterranean; this is due to Cyprus being heavily influenced by the countries surrounding it.
Most Cypriot dishes are closer to the traditional Greek recipes but with a slight difference in flavor or the way it is supposed to be eaten. Each talented chef in our Cypriot cookbooks uses the classic ingredients of meat, herbs, and cheeses. Traditional Cypriot food recipes found in the Cyprus cookbooks featured below include souvlaki, halloumi, stuffed vegetables (tomatoes, courgettes, and peppers), Kleftiko, and Stifado.
Cypriots enjoy eating a mixture of these dishes at once, creating a feast of various flavors. Everyone comes together to enjoy their country’s ingredients, which are more meat, cheese, and vegetables, served with tasty sides, dips with simple, fresh salads, and chips/fried potatoes. The national dish of Cyprus is a hearty bean and vegetable soup known as Fasolada. This type of food preparation and light dishes pair well with Cyrpus’ sunny beaches and the island’s Mediterranean climate.
In all of the Cyprus cookbooks, English cuisine is undoubtedly not something that has heavily influenced the country. However, English people, as well as all cultures, can enjoy what Cyprus cookbooks have to offer. Nevertheless, we have found talented Cypriot chefs who draw inspiration from English and Cypriot cuisine, mixing Greek, Turkish, and Syrian cuisine with traditional English cooking.
