c. Seafood and Especially Fish Hold an Important Place in Northern Cypriot Turkish Cuisine.

Although as in other Mediterranean countries this is decreasing, seafood is still very popular with the islanders, who cook it in many ways to create a variety of different dishes. This should be seen as an advantage for Northern Cyprus, whose income is based to a large extent on tourism.

d. Northern Cyprus has its Own Unique Meyhane, or Tavern Culture.

One of the most important dividing factors in the area of Cypriot cuisine is religion. Certain religious prohibitions and restrictions have had significant consequences in the area of cuisine. The fact that in Christianity wine is considered sacred while in Islam it is forbidden has led to separate development of drinking traditions between the two peoples.

The drinking culture has created its own set of eating habits, and the rich variety of meze and other dishes owes in part to this environment. The meyhanes, or taverns, are few in comparison with those in the Greek population. But they have brought to Cypriot Turkish cuisine a rich variety of appetizers and light dishes, noteworthy for their small portions and even more for their garnishes. Obviously, this variety is closely related to the Near Eastern and Mediterranean character of the island. It is a simple fact that we have added much variety to our culture, both positive and negative, through our relations with the other tribes and peoples living in this region.

Clearly, the many research projects dealing with the culinary cultures of Turkey and the Turkic world will add much information and documentation of Northern Cypriot Turkish culinary culture to the literature, and thus help develop our national culture.

Informants:

Hami Özsaruhan, 1929 Larnaka, Cyprus
Şermin Ünsal 1947, Girne (Kyrenia), Cyprus
Mahmut İslamoğlu

Sources:

Zekâi Altan “Otantik Kıbrıs Mutfağı” Mutfak Bar Sanatı Denemeleri Lefkoşa 1988, pp. 167-172.
Zekâi Altan “Kıbrıs Meyhane Kültürü” HAS-DER 6. Halkbilim Sempozyumu 31 Ekim 1988 Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, Lefkoşa. 13 p.
Mahmut İslamoğlu, “Kıbrıs Türk Mutfağı ve Etkileri” Mutfağı Sempozyumu Bildirileri Ankara. 1982.
Kâmil Toygar, “Kıbrıs Meyhane Kültürü Üzerine Notlar”, AMFORA, Yıl 1, Sayı 12, Mayıs1993, 20.-21. s.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Edip Uysal, “Hellim Peyniri” Türk Mutfak Kültürü Üzerine Araştırmalar 1993, Ankara 1993, 71- 72 s.

* President, Foundation for the Research and Promotion of Turkish Folk Culture (Ankara)
** Researcher and Writer

Photo Credit: http://www.refikaninmutfagi.com/tarifler/tatlilar/kibrisin-ceviz-macunu/