Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite is home to beautiful beaches, important archaeological sites and a rich and diverse gastronomy. Located at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, Cypriot cuisine is an exotic blend of Greek and Middle Eastern cultures, sprinkled with remnants of ancient civilisations such as indigenous Roman root vegetables or old Phoenician delicacies.
Centuries of knowledge have been passed down from generation to generation as I discovered on a gastronomy and wine tour of the island. I experienced not only a distinctive cuisine but also some unusual wines. These are my highlights.
Blue Wine
Linos Winery, situated in the picturesque village of Omodos village in the Troodos Mountains has created Cyprus’ first ever Blue Wine. “Mediterranean Blu”, catches the colour of the Med in a bottle and is made from 99% Xynsteri and 1% pure grape juice. The grape juice is from both Alicante and Mataro grapes.
There are no artificial colours, the blue doesn’t come from as jokingly described by the owner, treading the grapes wearing blue socks but was created by accident. Its gorgeous and vibrant azure colour pigment is found within the skin of the red wine grape, anthocyanin. A gimmick maybe but this unique wine is refreshingly sweet, fruity and light at just 12.5% alcohol and is a fun souvenir to take home with you.
Cyprus can proudly lay claim to the world’s oldest wine still in production, that of the delicious sweet dessert wine Commandaria. Thought to date back to 800 BC, references to the consumption of a wine named ‘Cypriot Nama’ are believed to have been Commandaria before it was given its current name during the Crusades of the 12th century.
It was thought that the wine had therapeutic qualities and it was widely used as a tonic. Richard the Lion Heart celebrated his capture of Cyprus and his marriage to Berengaria in Limassol with Commandaria, declaring it “the wine of kings and the king of wines”.
Bringing home a bottle of Commandaria wine means savouring a taste of Cypriot history with each sip. My Christmas tipple came from Karseras Winery in the village of Doros in the heart of the Commandaria region, also in the Troodos Mountains and just 25 km from Limassol. Wineries throughout the Troodos Mountains offer wine tastings.
Mexico has tequila, Greece raki, Germany schnapps and Cyprus zivania. With an alcohol content of 40-99%, it is no surprise that the island’s national drink of Zivania is also referred to as ‘firewater’. The strong drink dates back to the 14th century when the island was under Venetian rule and is still made in the same traditional way today. Grape pomace (remains such as pulp, peel, stalks and seeds) is mixed with high-quality dry wines made from the indigenous grapes of Mavro (black) and Xynisteri (white), then distilled and mellowed for a long period. Distillation takes place in a cauldron (‘kazani’) with three different processes producing different qualities and intensity of the drink. The resulting liquid is clear and highly potent and can be drunk as an aperitif.
Tsiakkas Winery is one of the highest-altitude vineyards in Europe, located in Pelendri village. I enjoyed a wine tasting followed by a tasting of Zivania, a much-appreciated warming tonic in the cooler Troodos Mountain climate. Costas Tsiakkas established the winery in 1988 which he now runs with his wife Maria
Zivania might be Cyprus’s national drink but Brandy Sour is the unofficial national cocktail created in the mountain village of Platres. Post World War Two Platres was a prominent holiday resort popular with both European and Middle-Eastern elite who were attracted by the cooler, fresher air and the beauty of the surrounding forest.
One of the resort’s frequent guests was King Farouk of Egypt, who occasionally loved to enjoy a drink. At one of his visits in August 1946, the King asked Stelios Sourmelis, the bartender of the Forest Park Hotel to make him a drink that would have alcohol but it wouldn’t show. The barman put together all his knowledge and experience in mixology and he created a drink that looked like ice-tea but was not. This was the birth of the Brandy Sour. The king loved it as did I. Brandy sour is made from locally produced brandy which is milder than Cognac or Armagnac, fresh Cyprus lemons or lemon cordial that give it both a sour and a slightly bitter taste, Angostura which adds intensity and moderates the acidity of the lemons, and soda water. You can order a Brandy sour at any hotel and bar in Cyprus.
Synonymous with Cypriot cuisine is the ‘mezze’ – a variety of small dishes that combine to create a feast, and a good starting point to become acquainted with the local dishes, such as moreish dips, grilled meats, local, freshly caught fish, speciality cheeses and more unusual bites, all authentically prepared. It’s a traditional way to gather around a meal and has been a part of Cypriot culture for centuries.
What is included in the mezze varies widely in each restaurant, and largely depends on what is in season and whether you are ordering a meat mezze, fish mezze or a mixed mezze. Typically, there should be around 15-20 dishes, including the dips and bread, but some places may include up to 30 dishes. At To Katoi restaurant in the heart of Omodos, a particularly good mezze included a somewhat unusual take on the standard moussaka. The chef had painstakingly created individual circular mini moussakas.
Often included within a mezze, Cyprus’s most popular cold cut, Lountza Krasati is another ultimate Cypriot flavour. It is produced by marinating pork tenderloin in red wine. The spicy village sausage known as Loukaniko is cured in a similar fashion as Lountza and acquires it distinct taste from red wine and spices such as black pepper, dry coriander seeds and cumin. My gastronomic tour included a visit to Kafkalia, a family business in the village of Agros that’s been smoking meat in the traditional way since 1978.
The tasting included tsamerella, goat meat with salt and oregano, an acquired taste but the pork loin was delicious. When vacuum-packed, the meat has a long shelf life and makes the perfect taste of Cyprus to take back with you to enjoy at home.
Glyka tou koutaliou (sweets) – courtesy Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism
Halfway through my tour, I had enough products and sweet treats to make up the most mouth-watering hamper, particularly those gathered at Nikis Traditional Sweets in Argos. Niki is famous for her “Spoon Sweets”. The traditional glyka ‘spoon sweets’ are candied preserves that are typically served on a small spoon and offered to guests as a symbol of hospitality, always with a glass of cold water.
Almost any fruit, vegetable, nut or peel can be preserved, and the sweets are often flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon or pelargonium (scented geranium leaves). The more common sweets are made from figs, cherries, watermelon rind and citrus peel, walnuts, apricots, marrows, grapes, bergamot or almond stuffed baby aubergines.
In more traditional times, spoon sweets were given as wedding favours, whereby the guests would eat the sweet directly from the spoon, which was then washed for the next well-wisher. Almost every Cypriot home had specially-made delicate serving dishes and tiny silver forks and spoons with which they serve the sweets to their guests. In today’s modern Cypriot society, it is more common to buy a jar, and Nikki Sweets has over 90 flavours.
The Tsolakis family chose the soil-rich region of Agros village, with its cool, healthy climate, at an altitude of 900-1100m above sea level, to plant its famous roses. The ‘Rosa Damascena” rose has been cultivated in this region for the past 70 years. Over the years the family has produced a complete range of products for the face and body but also rose liqueur, organic rose tea, rose jam, rose vinegar and rose chocolates. Everything is of course pink, colour of the Rosa Damascena. Agros village produces annually about 20 tons of roses and the locals celebrate their star produce with the Rose Festival, annually held in May.
Soujioukos c.Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism
Soutzoukos is a traditional, chewy sweet made from grape juice that has a unique appearance (it looks similar to a candle), and is popular at traditional festivals. The sweet is made using the surplus of grapes after the grape harvest, which is why it is commonly made in the wine producing villages of the Troodos.
Casale Panayiotis a luxury hotel and spa retreat that consists of some traditional lovingly restored houses located through Kalopanayiotis village in the Troodos Mountains offers Soutzoukos workshops and it was where I had a go in making the traditional sweet.
To make Soutzoukos, the hot mixture known as ‘moustalevria’ (a combination of the Greek words ‘must’ and ‘flour’) is used. Almonds (and sometimes walnuts) are dipped into water to soften them and then threaded like necklaces onto strings of two to three metres in length. They are dipped into the hot mixture until completely covered, and then hung to dry for a few hours. This dipping process is repeated three to five times over the course of hours or days until the desired thickness is achieved (approximately one inch in diameter). It takes five to six days for the Soutzoukos to dry and it can then be stored for months. When served, it is chopped into slices with a nutty centre and a chewy texture, often as an accompaniment to zivania.
I ended my tour by donning a beekeeper’s protection suit and became a beekeeper for the day. At Ecophysis Bee and Nature Center in the mountainous Larnaca region, I inspected the hives, spotted the Queen Bee, observed the bee workers at work and acquired yet another sweet treat to take home.
Cyprus is a good place to arrive hungry as the hospitality and portions are legendary and as I found out a big gastronomic adventure awaits.
FACT FILE
More info: Visit Cyrprus website
STAY:
https://www.petitpalais.com.cy/ in Platres
https://www.casalepanayiotis.com/ in Kalapanayiotis
https://amathusresidences.com/ in Limassol
https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-larnaca in Larnaca
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Within minutes of landing on a strip in Caiman, a private property in Brazil’s Pantanal, all my expectations had been exceeded.
Located mostly within the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetlands, extending into portions of Bolivia and Paraguay. The blue skies are dazzling, the humid temperature is languid and the lush bright green vegetation is lit up by tropical flowers and the stunning flame trees with their spectacular display of large clusters of bright red-orange flowers.
Reaching this paradise involved a flight to South America from London to São Paulo, another to Campo Grande, the capital city of Mato Grosso do Sul, and finally a short ride on a private plane. But as we crossed a narrow bridge to our luxury accommodation at Casa Caiman, over a tropical lake, every mile was worth it.
Neon yellow butterflies and red-crested kingfishers scattered by and the lake was dressed with huge floating beautiful pale blue water hyacinths and lilies as cunning caiman crocodiles glided by in the glistening water. It was an assault on the senses. It is easy to see why this idyll is a mecca for natural history filmmakers and on Sir David Attenborough’s wish list.
Caiman is a refuge that harbours 132 different mammals and 463 birds so it is a top hot spot to see Brazil’s “Big Five” mammals: Jaguar, Brazilian Tapir, Marsh Deer, Giant Anteater and Capybara. Although the aim of its safari guides is to help that happen, it can never be guaranteed which adds to the excitement.
The UK is the fourth largest European market for Brazil with 130,239 visitors visiting last year and while the Pantanal may not be as well known as Rio de Janeiro’s crowd-pleasing Carnival, Amazon Rainforest and Iguazu Falls, its vastness cannot be overestimated. Put the Pantanal over Europe, and it would be larger than at least nine countries, including England, Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Ireland.
Not only does it have the largest concentration of crocodiles in the world, with approximately 10 million caimans, but it is also the home of the majestic jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas, and the biggest parrot on the planet, the glorious Blue Hyacinth Macaw. One million tourists visit the Pantanal every year.
Blue Hyacinth Macaw c. Gabriela Astorga
Only five percent is protected and around 95 percent of the Pantanal is under private ownership, mostly used for cattle grazing. Caiman is owned by Roberto Klabin, who is fighting to conserve jaguars and other species of animals, and the fauna and flora of the region, through pioneering projects of responsible ecotourism. Running alongside his ranch, he offers unique premium accommodations and activities that bring you closer to wildlife while also raising awareness of their plight with climate change and forest fires.
He told me, “When I was growing up I was astonished by the beauty, the sounds the smells, everything was a discovery.
I knew the Pantanal was much more than cattle raising. No one talked about the future. I wanted to take it in a total different way and it’s now based on three pillars; one is conservation, the other is cattle raising and the third is wildlife observation tourism.
“It’s a vacation but it’s more than a vacation. It’s a way of leaving Caiman with hope. Hope that you can still have wild areas, that you can still protect wildlife, and you can still make a difference. When you go to places like Caiman, and you see how good tourism affects the maintenance of these animals, it makes you positive and hopeful we can have a better world.”
The beauty of Caiman is its tranquillity and oneness with nature. It has the Pantanal culture at its heart while also operating as a cattle ranch with indigenous cowboys called Pantaneiros
On my first safari expedition, under the watchful eye of our guide, Rafael de Andrade, I was able to spot Capybara, Tapir, and rare Marsh Deer. Up in the trees, playful howler monkeys gazed curiously down as they swung by.
Arguably the jaguar is the jewel of the Pantanal and on my first day, I set off on safari at dawn to find some of these fabulous felines. A handful of the jaguars in Caiman have tracker collars so with the help of GPS, and stealthy indigenous jeep drivers, there is now 100 percent chance of a visitor seeing these big beautiful cats.
Surya and Dakari mother and cub jaguars – c. Bruno Sartori
With our enthusiastic guide Bruno Sartori at the helm, we went off into the bush to track a mother and cub known as Surya and Daraki, and found the mother lying exhausted from a recent kill, with her playful cub grooming her.
The Pantanal is great for birdwatching. It is home to the tiny burrowing owl, active in the day, and observing with attitude from a gatepost, I spotted flame-winged parakeets in flocks, the cheeky kiskadee (which sounds like the French c’est que dit?), flycatchers and the symbol of the Pantanal, the Jabiru, a large stork. But my favourite was the stunning orange-backed troupial, with its vibrant feathers.
Fires in the Pantanal have caused the loss of forests and biodiversity, aggravating the climate crisis but Robert has creative ways of helping the wildlife at Caiman by building water blocks and spaces for animals to shelter together from the flames, even ones that normally are predators.
Another conservation initiative, the Arara AzulInstitute (launched in 1994) is one which has helped to save the magnificent Blue Hyacinth Macaw from Brazil’s ‘red list’ of endangered species and increased its population from 1500 in the 1990s to 5000 in the Pantanal – and expanding – with the help of both natural and artificial nests. Seeing the monitoring work firsthand on a field tour with Maria Eduarda Monteiro from the Arara Azul Institute team was a fascinating experience.
Climbing a tree deftly with ropes, she brought down an already enormous nine-day-old chick from a natural nest for routine checkups. Squawking briefly, the brilliant cobalt blue feathered chick was otherwise docile and happy to be handled.
The tenderness and dedication of the young team to keep this extraordinary species on the planet is inspiring and their Adopt a Nest and Adopt a Chick schemes, provide valuable financial support. A safari at dusk is a must and gives a different perspective of the Pantanal as the wetlands come alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures; crab-eating foxes, frogs, insects and birds. Rafael, seated out front of our jeep holding special headlamps, even picked up an enormous Brazilian Black Tarantula strolling casually across the road.
As we cruised back to our lodge in the warm darkness, the brilliance of stars in the clear night sky felt profound.
On my final morning, at dawn, we journeyed into higher plains to try and catch a glimpse of the Giant Anteater. Almost blind, but with superpower smell and hearing, these elusive creatures are not easy to find.
Giant anteater c. Bruno Sartori
With only a few hours before my return flight, I struck lucky and got close up to this strangely Jurassic mammal as it shuffled and munched vegetation with its long snout. Needing to consume 30,000 ants a day to survive, it was not hard to see why Hollywood star Harrison Ford, aka Indiana Jones, had been so captivated by it on a recent Pantanal trip that he had set off on a quad bike in hot pursuit. Indiana Jones and the Giant Anteater? It has a certain ring.
Pousadas Casa Caiman – Suite Superior c. Felipe Castellari
So job done. I had seen The Big Five. Not only that, between activities and safaris, I had eaten top-class food, enjoyed the luxuriousness of my suite, and relaxed in the open-air sauna and swum in the pool as parakeets cackled in bushes around and lizards nipped niftily across the pathways. I had been to paradise.
As I flew back to Campo Grande later that afternoon looking down on the wetlands from thousands of feet above, I felt more than a little sad to leave, to paraphrase another movie hero James Bond, the Pantanal had left me both shaken and stirred.
As our guide Bruno said to me during my stay:” Our mission here is to make you fall in love with the Pantanal.” Mission accomplished.
STAY: Caiman Pantanal, an oasis of 53 thousand hectares, founded more than 35 years ago to conserve the fauna, flora and culture of the Pantanal.
Daily rates start at: USD 1,419.00 per night/per apartment and the apartments can accommodate up to two people. An Environmental Contribution of USD 200.00 per person per is added to the total amount for the maintenance of conservation projects and the RPPN Dona Aracy, a reserve created to guarantee the perpetual preservation of the Pantanal.
Daily rates include full board meals and a full programme, with nature tours, such as safaris in search of wildlife, Canadian canoeing and trails into the forest. All accompanied by a bilingual guide (English and Portuguese) and a field guide.
To visit the Onçafari and Arara Azul initiatives, you must schedule them in advance and make a separate donation, paid directly to the projects to contribute to their maintenance.
FLY: Flights from London Heathrow to Campo Grande, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (via Guarulhos airport in São Paulo) with LATAM airlines
Price per person: R$ 19,725.14 (or approximately £2,500)
Air Taxi with Voe Amapil
Aircraft: King Air C90-A with capacity for up to 7 people. Flight time from Campo Grande to Caiman Pantanal: about 35 minutes
Price per flight/segment: R$ 24,318.00 (or approximately (£3,100)
Contact: [email protected] – WhatsApp: +55 67 998489885
MORE INFO: VisitBrasil.com
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