A Culinary Guide to Famagusta Region: 20 Traditional Dishes you have to try

A gastronomic journey through the local cuisine of the Famagusta Region via twenty traditional dishes made with local ingredients and time-honored techniques that have been preserved through the years. From the region’s fresh potatoes to the Sotira taro (kolokassi) and zucchini, this culinary adventure will be unforgettable.

As famous as the Famagusta Region is for its beaches, it is equally known for its delicious cuisine and traditional recipes — dishes passed down from generation to generation, made with local ingredients and traditional methods.

Where to Try Them

Visit traditional Cypriot tavernas in Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni, Sotira, Deryneia, Liopetri, Avgorou, Frenaros, Vrysoulles/Acheritou, and Dasaki Achnas to immerse yourself in authentic Cypriot cuisine. For a complete experience, order Cypriot meze, which includes a variety of small dishes (appetizers, main courses, and desserts) filled with rich flavors.

Beyond the famous Cypriot souvlaki, sheftalia, grilled halloumi, and Cypriot souvla, you’ll also find homemade recipes unique to the region. These include stews, legumes, and dishes featuring the area’s signature agricultural products such as fresh potatoes, kolokassi, and Sotira “poulles” (a variety of taro). You’ll also find dishes tied to local customs and celebrations — like oven baked pasta (makaronia tou fournou-pastitsio), koupepia (Cypriot dolmades), and the traditional Sunday oven roast (meat and potatoes slow-roasted for hours in a conventional or wood-fired oven).

Of course as an island destination, Cyprus and specifically the Famagusta Region is really famous for the variety of delicious fresh fish and seafood. Seafood is among the traditional dishes in Famagusta Region that you can try in all the fish taverns in the region, from Kapparis, Protaras, Ayia Napa, Sotira Ayia Thekla to Liopetri river.

The 20 Best Dishes from the Famagusta District

1. Potatoes in Various Flavors (fried, baked, sautéed, stewed, etc.)

   Famagusta potatoes are considered the most flavorful in Europe, thanks to the region’s fertile red soil. They are cooked in many ways — classic fries, diced and fried with eggs and onions, or with artichokes. Baked potatoes with herbs, slow-cooked with chicken, pork, or lamb, are equally delicious. Antinachtes (pan-fried baby potatoes with wine and coriander) and yachni (vegetarian stewed potatoes with onion, tomato, celery, and olive oil) are also popular.

2. Kolokassi and Poulles of Sotira (PDO)

   Taro and poulles (a local variant) are grown in Sotira since the early 20th century and received EU PDO status in 2016. Traditional dishes in Famagusta Region include stewed kolokassi, kolokassi with pork and celery, kapamas-style (with wine), and lemon-baked with chicken. You’ll also find it fried, as chips, mashed, or in creative restaurant dishes. Poulles are often fried or made into chips.

3. Zucchini with Eggs or Tomatoes with Eggs

   A simple, tasty dish made in a pan with olive oil, fresh zucchini or tomatoes, and herbs.

4. Agrelia with Eggs

   Wild asparagus picked from fields, cooked with olive oil and eggs.

5. Koupepia

   The Cypriot version of dolmades — vine leaves stuffed with minced meat, rice, and herbs.

6. Oven Baked Pasta Macaroni (Makaronia tou Fournou – Pastitsio)

   Made with layers of macaroni and minced pork, topped with creamy béchamel sauce with halloumi, baked until golden.

7. Ofto Kleftiko

   Slow-roasted lamb cooked for hours with bay leaves and oregano, served with oven potatoes or Cypriot bulgur wheat (pourgouri).

8. Halloumi

   The world-renowned Cypriot cheese (PDO) — served fresh or aged in brine, grilled, fried, or warm. It pairs well with pasta or in trahanas soup.

9. Black-Eyed Beans with Zucchini (Fresh or Dried)

   A healthy dish of boiled black-eyed beans, served with boiled zucchini, olive oil, salt, and lemon.

10. Boiled Broad Beans

    A local favorite legume. Dried broad beans are served boiled with olive oil and vinegar, while fresh ones are cooked with spinach or cabbage.

11. Afelia

    Pork marinated in red wine and dry coriander seeds, then slowly cooked.

12. Rabbit Stifado

    Rabbit cooked with lots of onions, spices, and vinegar.

13. Snails

    Served boiled with olive oil and lemon sauce, or braised with tomato, herbs, and sometimes rice.

14. Cypriot Ravioles

    Local ravioli filled with halloumi and egg, seasoned with chopped mint, and topped with grated halloumi or dry anari cheese.

15. Trachanas Soup

    Made from fermented wheat and goat’s milk, this traditional soup is flavored and hearty, often with halloumi chunks.

16. Avgolemono Soup

    A classic egg-lemon soup made with chicken broth and rice — comforting and rich.

17. Pourgouri

    Cooked with tomato puree, onions, and olive oil, often served as a side dish or with traditional Cypriot yogurt.

18. Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista)

    Tomatoes, peppers, and onions filled with rice, minced meat, and herbs, baked until tender.

19. Lemon Rabbit with Potatoes

    Rabbit fried with potatoes and finished with a generous amount of lemon juice.

20. Stewed Peas with Artichokes

    Peas and artichokes braised in tomato and onion sauce, a simple and flavorful weekly staple in Cypriot households.

Traditional Sweets of the Famagusta District

The area is also known for its traditional desserts, such as:

• “Pishies” (Cypriot pies with honey)
• “Dachtilla” (almond-filled sweets)
• “Pourekia” with anari (soft cheese pastries)
• Anaropita (sweet cheese pie)
• Loukoumades with honey (honey balls)
• Siamishi (a semolina custard dessert)
• Mahalepi, especially popular in summer, served with rosewater syrup or rose ice cream