Cyprus summer love! Cyprus summer fruits! So, what are the summer fruits which can be bought in Cyprus?
Watermelon
A Cypriot summer is not complete without watermelons – and in Cyprus they tend to grow rather large!
The red soil villages of the Ammochostos (Famagusta) region are the main watermelon growers and you will often see trucks of watermelons parked up in the streets, with local growers selling their juicy crop.
Whilst it may seem an unusual pairing, watermelon is commonly eaten with Halloumi cheese as a traditional summer breakfast or light supper.
Apricots
Apricots are beautifully orange colored fruits full of beta-carotene and fiber. They are relatives to peaches and they are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh, not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. The best sort of Cyprus apricots is “kaishia”.
Cherries
We all love cherries. Cherry season in Cyprus starts in May and ends in June. Cherry trees are cultivated in Troodos’ villages such as Agros, Kalopanagiotis, Platres, Foini etc. They are quite expensive but worth buying.
Figs
Cyprus Fig is a hardy tree that produces light grey-brown figs with honey-coloured interior. Delicious and fine-grained. The fig season starts in August and ends in October. You can find the best in fruit markets and local markets.
Prickly Pears (papoutsosiko)
Papoutsosyka or Fragkosyka belong to the family of Opuntia ficus -indica.
They are wild fruits growing on cactus trees and have big spikes. Peeling the fruit can be quite hard but it worth the pain. These cactus trees can be found anywhere in Cyprus but you can also buy them from supermarkets or street markets.
Grapes
Grapes have been cultivated without interruption in Cyprus for centuries, as the island was the only place not to succumb to the dreaded Phylloxera beetle disease that was killing vines throughout Europe in the 1800s.
The two most common indigenous varieties grown are Mavro (red) and Xynisteri (white), whilst the ancient variety of Maratheftiko (red) is also grown to a lesser extent. In recent years many new varieties of grapes have been introduced, which have greatly enhanced the island’s wines.
Along with wine, grapes are used to make a variety of desserts and sweets such as Palouze (a grape pudding), and Soutzoukos (almonds dipped in sweet grape jelly).
Other delicious fruits that grow in Cyprus during the summer are Formozes, melons, nectarines and peaches.
Courtesy of the CTO
Praxia Aresti
