North Cyprus food
Twenty-plate meze, charcoal-grilled hellim, mountain herbs and citrus from the west.
Hellim (halloumi)
Goat and sheep’s milk cheese that does not melt on the grill; protected in the EU as Halloumi/Hellim since 2021.
Meze
Dozens of small plates in turn — come hungry.
Şeftali kebab
Cypriot mince sausages wrapped in caul fat, grilled over charcoal.
Molehiya
A stew with jute mallow leaves.
Pilavuna
Pastries with hellim, mint and raisins.
Grilled hellim with watermelon
- 250 g hellim
- Watermelon
- Mint
- Olive oil
- Slice the hellim 1 cm thick.
- Fry in a hot dry pan 1–2 minutes per side.
- Serve with cold watermelon and mint.
What to drink
Cypriot coffee
Strong coffee brewed in a small pot; order the sweetness up front — none, medium or sweet.
Güzelyurt orange juice
The west is citrus country — fresh juice at roadside stalls.
Ayran
A salty yoghurt drink — perfect with kebab in the heat.
Carob syrup
Harnup pekmezi — dark syrup from carob pods, eaten with tahini at breakfast.
What to take home
- Vacuum-packed hellim
- Carob syrup and macun (preserved green walnuts, quince, orange peel)
- Olive oil from mountain villages
- Olive-oil soap and lace from the Büyük Han
Prices, opening hours and entry rules change — check official sources before you travel.