Cypriot Souvlaki: Explained

Cypriot Souvlaki: Explained

There is rarely an object in Cyprus that can unify the entirety of the island’s inhabitants; from friends, family, members of opposing political factions, to the rich and the poor.That object is the humble Cypriot Pita of Souvlaki.

The Cypriot Pita of Souvlaki is a national icon in the same way many Germans may look to their sausages, or Italians to their pasta. This article will attempt to give you the fundamental knowledge so that you too can partake in this Cypriot pastime.

The basic construction of a Pita of Souvlaki has four base components. One; the pita bread, two; the meat, three; the salad choice, and four; the sauce.

The pita bread is freshly cooked on the grill just prior to serving. The choice of meat is where you see the first divergence between guests and where individual personalities start to reveal themselves. Traditionally pork was used for souvlaki, and although pork is still the primary choice for many and what we would recommend for a first timer, a significant portion of the population now also opt for chicken. Vegetarian? Just omit the meat for the deliciously juicy Cypriot cheese of halloumi.

The next step has the greatest divergence and this step is the choice of the salad mix. The standard and customary mix are sliced, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion and parsley. The choice here though is truly individual and many people mix and match; some don’t add any salad at all.

The Pita of Souvlaki always comes with a wedge of lemon so that it can be squeezed over the contents of the pita, additionally there are two sauce choices traditionally available. Tahini is a sauce made from sesame seeds, and tzatziki is a yogurt based sauce. Both can be poured over the meat and salad -- the choice is yours. Adding all of these components together and you get the final Pita to satisfy your appetite. Some restaurants go one step further and add chips to the pita as a modern twist. Although this can be delicious, no further mention of this heresy will be made in this article.

Now that you know the basics, it's time for you to go out and experiment, enjoy the company of friends and family, and learn the wonders of Cypriot life. You can find a place that makes Souvlaki close by to any address. The quality of many places is largely excellent, but we would recommend getting a suggestion from a local in the area as they will be able to point you to what is best. If you are lucky enough to have Cypriot friends or family, we also suggest asking them to invite you round for a barbeque so they can show off their souvlaki-making skills, something that 99% of Cypriots will likely jump to.

We wish you all the enjoyment and success in your Cypriot adventures.

Written Febuary 2020