Flaounes
“Φλαούνες (Flaounes)”
The cheese-filled Easter pastry of Cyprus
Flaounes
Flaounes (singular flaouna) are the cheese pastries Cypriot families bake for Orthodox Easter. A risen dough, flavoured with mastic and mahleb, is wrapped around a rich filling of grated cheese bound with egg, with fresh mint and often raisins folded in. The parcels are brushed with egg, dipped or sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked until golden. The traditional filling uses a special sheep and goat cheese known as flaouna cheese, made in the Paphos area, though many cooks now use halloumi or a mix.
Flaounes are tied closely to Easter custom. They are made in large batches in the days before the holiday, using eggs and cheese that are avoided during the long Lenten fast, and eaten once the fast ends, often in place of bread on Easter Sunday and for weeks after. For many Cypriots they are a symbol of the resurrection and one of the strongest food memories of the season. They can be shaped square, round or triangular depending on the family and region.
Where to try it
- At bakeries across Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca in the run-up to Easter.
- In village homes and bakeries in the Troodos mountains and Paphos hills.
- Around the Orthodox Easter period, which usually falls in spring.
If you visit Cyprus around Orthodox Easter, flaounes are the food to look for, sold warm from bakeries and central to the holiday table. They are good warm or cold and travel well for a day out. Outside the Easter window they are harder to find, so the timing of your trip matters. Pair a fresh flaouna with a morning at Omodos village or a quiet stop at one of the mountain monasteries.
Key ingredients
How to make Flaounes
- 1
The day before baking, grate the flaouna cheese and halloumi together into a large bowl and mix with beaten eggs, chopped mint, raisins and a little semolina, then cover and rest in the fridge overnight so the mixture firms up and dries out slightly.
- 2
Pound mastic and mahleb to a fine powder with a little sugar, then mix into flour with salt and a packet of yeast to make the dough base.
- 3
Warm milk and a little olive oil, add to the flour mixture and knead into a smooth, soft dough, then cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- 4
Divide the dough into balls and roll each into a round about 15 to 18 cm across, then spoon a mound of the cheese filling into the centre.
- 5
Fold three or four sides of the dough up and over the edge of the filling, pinching the corners to seal, leaving a window of cheese exposed in the middle.
- 6
Arrange the parcels on lined trays, brush generously with beaten egg, and press sesame seeds onto the top and sides.
- 7
Leave to rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, until slightly puffed.
- 8
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the dough is golden brown and the cheese filling has set with light browning on top.
- 9
Cool on a rack before serving; flaounes keep well for several days and are traditionally eaten around Orthodox Easter.
A home-style reference method; every family and kitchen has its own version.
Flaounes questions
When are flaounes eaten?
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What cheese is in flaounes?
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Are flaounes sweet or savoury?
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Can I find flaounes outside Easter?
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