Mezedes is a large selection of dishes with small helpings of varied foods, brought to the table as a progression of tastes and textures. The meal begins with black and green olives,tahini, skordalia (potato and garlic dip), humus, taramosalata (fish roe dip), and tzatziki, all served with chunks of fresh bread and a bowl of mixed salad. Some of the more unusual meze dishes include octopus in red wine, snails in tomato sauce, brains with pickled capers, samarella (salted dried meat), quails, pickled quail eggs, tongue, ram’s testes, kappari pickles (capers), andmoungra (pickled cauliflower). Bunches of greens, some raw, some dressed with lemon juice and salt, are a basic feature of the meze table. The meal continues with fish, grilled halloumi cheese, lountza (smoked pork tenderloin), keftedes (minced meatballs), sheftalia (pork rissoles), and loukaniko (pork sausages). Hot grilled meats – kebabs, lamb chops, chicken – may be served toward the end. The dessert is usually fresh fruit or glyka – traditional sugar-preserved fruits and nuts.
- Avga me Manitaria (Eggs with Mushrooms)
- Elies Tsakistes (Cracked Green Olives)
- Houmous (Chick Pea Dip)
- Koupes (Bulgur & Minced Meat Croquettes)
- Kypriaka Kapnista Loukanika (Cyprus Smoked Sausages)
- Keftedes
- Koupepia
- Lahmacun
- Moungra (Battered- Pickled Cauliflower)
- Pombari (Sausage with Minced Meat and Rice)
- Pickled Olives
- Sheftalia (Spiced Minced Meat Rolls)
- Talatouri (Yogurt Mix with Mint)
- Tahini dip
- Zalatina (Pork in Vinegar Jelly)
- Halloumi Cheese in Batter
- Fried Halloumi with chilli
- Fried Haloumi
- Grilled Halloumi
- Halloumi &Tomato Sauce
