Cyprus International Food Festival

5th and 6th November 2016

Greeks have numerous traditional dishes what with their tomato or their egg-and-lemon sauces, their slow-cooked meals such as those cooked in a Cyprus Tavas, their abundant use of vegetables and salads. But they are also host (both in Greece and Cyprus) to a large tourist clientele that is used to being able to eat at restaurants from around the world.

International Cuisine has caught on fast to the point where the vocabulary has been changing. You will hear young chefs on Cyprus TV cooking contests talk of making a “sauce” rather than the usual Greek “saltsa”, of putting things in a “blender”, of food being “sotarismeno” (sautéed).  In both English and Greek we talk of pasta being “al dente”. It is normal for a language to evolve with borrowings from other languages, but here it is also indicative of the rise of international cuisine.

Walk down any tourist hotspot in Cyprus and you will see, as well as traditional Greek food and local Cyprus specialities: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, French, Italian, and Russian restaurants. 



Now Cyprus is hosting its first “International Food Festival” on the 5th and 6th November at the STOA Event Centre, Old Dimarchiou Square, Nicosia.  11am to 7pm. Tickets cost €25 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, €8 for an adult and €5 for a child. You can buy tickets on line . This ticket page also has a map showing how to find the STOA Event Centre.

The ticket price includes food tastings from the array of international chefs, as well as tastings from many of the exhibitors. It includes wine tastings and beer tastings.

For children, free workshops are running every half hour.   

If you’re a foodie and can get yourself to Nicosia on one of those two days, this event is pretty much a must!

Photos and video courtesy Cyprus International Food Festival for which our thanks.