Keeping the culture of respect for ancestors alive;
preserving and respecting historical heritage.

Culture consists of the ways of life that distinguish one nation from others and the national values ​​unique to each nation. Therefore, we must acknowledge our duties and responsibilities toward future generations to keep Cyprus’s local and distinctive values ​​alive.

Unless our values ​​are passed on to future generations and kept alive, they cannot truly become part of the culture. A nation’s traditions, customs, social norms, and religious lifestyle form its cultural heritage as they are handed down from generation to generation.

Culinary culture is also a component of cultural heritage.
Beyond being an element of cultural heritage, culinary culture also serves as a tourism product.

Making Walnut Preserve –  Walnut Preserve Ingredients

Quantity/Measure | Ingredient

• 50 | Raw fresh walnuts
• 50 | Almonds
• 1 cup | Lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons | Vegetable oil
• 5–10 | Cloves
• 2 kilograms | Granulated sugar
• 6 cups | Water
• ½ | Lemon
• 2 cups | Slaked lime water

Place the lime in a deep container, add enough water to cover the walnuts, and mix thoroughly. Submerge the walnuts in the lime water and let them soak for one day.

Remove the walnuts from the lime water and wash them thoroughly. Place the walnuts in a deep pot, cover with water, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the boiling water, add fresh water, and boil for another 5 minutes. Repeat this process two more times. Allow the walnuts to cool; once cooled, pierce the center of each walnut with a skewer. Add enough water to the 1 cup of lemon juice to cover the walnuts. Submerge the walnuts in the lemon water and let them soak for 2–3 hours. Blanch the almonds in water and peel off their skins. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and lightly roast the almonds. Remove the walnuts from the lemon water, make a slit in each one with a knife, insert an almond into the center, and continue this process until all ingredients are used. Once all walnuts are stuffed with almonds, place them in a deep pot and add the sugar and 6 cups of water. Simmer over low heat until the syrup reaches a consistency where it flows slowly when a spoon is dipped into it. Skim off and discard the foam that forms during boiling. Once the syrup reaches the desired consistency, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let it cool, transfer to jars, and store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

 

Making Hawthorn Paste –  Hawthorn Paste

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram hawthorn fruit,
• 1 teaspoon lemon salt (citric acid),
• granulated sugar,
• water.

Preparation:

Wash the hawthorn fruits, remove the stems, and place them in a deep pot. Add enough water to cover the fruit and simmer over low heat until the hawthorns split open. Strain the liquid from the split hawthorns into a separate pot and measure it.

Add one cup of sugar for every cup of hawthorn liquid and boil the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring constantly. Skim off and discard any foam that forms during boiling. Once the paste thickens, remove it from the heat and let it rest for one day. After resting, boil the mixture again until it reaches a consistency where it flows slowly off a spoon. Add the lemon salt to the thickened syrup and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, transfer to jars, and store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

Quince Paste

Recipe

Quince Paste Ingredients Quantity Measurement Ingredient

• 1 kilogram quince
• 1 kilogram granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon citric acid 10-15 cloves water

Preparation:

Wash the quinces, remove the stems, peel them, and core them (removing the seeds and hard centers). If a darker syrup color is desired, the quince seeds can be added to the syrup during boiling to provide color.

Slice the cored quinces lengthwise into 4 to 8 pieces, depending on their size. Place the quince slices in a deep pot, add enough water to cover them, and simmer over low heat until tender. Remove the softened quinces from the water and transfer them to a separate bowl; set the cooking water aside for later use. Sprinkle sugar over the quinces and let them rest for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the reserved cooking water and boil the mixture until the syrup reaches a consistency where it flows slowly off the back of a spoon. Skim off and discard any foam that forms during boiling. Once the syrup reaches the desired consistency, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, transfer to jars, and store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

The plant, known botanically as Corchorus olitorius, goes by names such as mülûhiyye and molohiya.

The King’s Dish:

It derives from the Arabic word mulukhiyah, meaning “belonging to royalty.”
Legend has it that it earned this name because it was originally served in palaces and at the tables of pharaohs.

Used in cooking since ancient times, this plant is also the primary source of jute fiber. The dish, with recipes dating back to Ancient Egypt, is highly popular across the Middle East and North Africa and stands as a well-known traditional staple of Cypriot cuisine.

Its leaves and young fruits are consumed as vegetables, while dried leaves are used for tea and as a soup thickener. The seeds are edible. Beyond its status as a medicinal and industrial plant, it owes its renown to the fact that the dish has been prepared across a vast geographical area from Ancient Egypt to the present day. Of course, one must not overlook the role of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra; it is widely rumored that she owed her beauty to the juice of the molohiya plant.
Its Arrival in Cypriot Cuisine

• Ottoman and Arab Influence:

It was introduced to the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus through the Ottoman Empire’s regional rule and its cultural ties to the Arab world.
The traditional Cypriot-style molehiya dish is a matter of great importance—almost a “red line”—for the island.

One of the most debated topics in Cyprus is whether the dish should be prepared with chicken or lamb. However, the oldest and most classic version is made with fatty, bone-in lamb (specifically lamb neck), which imparts a robust aroma to the dish.

Ingredients

•  160–200 grams dried molokhia leaves
•  500 grams lamb meat (bone-in or cut into large cubes; optionally, a small amount of lamb tail fat for added flavor)
•  2 large onions (finely chopped)
•  5–6 cloves of garlic (coarsely chopped or lightly crushed)
•  3 large red tomatoes (peeled and diced)
•  1 tablespoon tomato paste
•  Juice of 2 or 3 fresh lemons (to balance the tartness and consistency of the greens)
•  1 small cup (demitasse) extra virgin olive oil
•  Salt and black pepper
•  1–1.5 liters hot water

1. Preparation (The Secret of Molehiya)

Place the dried molehiya leaves in a large bowl, cover with warm/hot water, and let them soak for 10–15 minutes. Afterward, wash the leaves thoroughly in several changes of water. The most important trick: Transfer the washed molehiya to a colander and squeeze it firmly with your palms to extract all the dark, viscous liquid (garasu). This squeezing step prevents the dish from becoming slimy.

2. Searing the Meat

Add olive oil to a large pot (or pressure cooker).
Add the lamb meat (and the tail fat, if using) and sear over high heat until the meat changes color and browns beautifully.

3. Adding Onion, Garlic, and Tomato

Add the finely chopped onions and the garlic cloves—lightly crushed to release their aroma—to the browned meat. Sauté until the onions soften. Then, add the tomato paste and cook briefly until fragrant; immediately follow this by adding the diced tomatoes and cooking for a few more minutes.

4. Combining Molehiya and Lemon

Add the thoroughly squeezed molehiya leaves to the pot and gently mix with the other ingredients. Season with salt, black pepper, and a generous amount of lemon juice. The lemon juice breaks down the gelatinous texture the molehiya releases during cooking and imparts that signature tart flavor to the dish. Finally, add enough hot water to just cover the mixture (approximately 1–1.5 liters).

5. Cooking Time

• In a Standard Pot: With the lid on, let it simmer slowly over low heat for approximately 1 to 1.5 hours until the molehiya leaves soften and the meat becomes incredibly tender. In Cyprus, the longer and more slowly molehiya is cooked, the better it is considered to be.
• In a Pressure Cooker: If you are short on time, cooking it in a pressure cooker for 25–30 minutes will suffice.

More coming soon…