Souvla

Souvla is the centrepiece of a Cypriot family gathering. Large pieces of meat, traditionally pork, lamb or chicken, go on a long metal skewer over a charcoal brazier called a foukou. The skewer turns slowly, high above the coals at first and lowered as the meat cooks, so the outside browns while the inside stays juicy. The whole process runs long, often around 90 minutes to three hours depending on the cut, which is part of why souvla is a weekend and celebration meal rather than a quick dinner.

This is not the same as Greek souvlaki. Souvla uses much bigger pieces of meat, cooked slowly at a greater distance from the coals, so it is closer to a rotisserie roast than a skewer of small cubes. The seasoning is usually simple, salt, pepper and lemon, sometimes a little oregano, letting the charcoal and the slow cooking do the work. It is the Cypriot equivalent of a Sunday roast, cooked outdoors in gardens, on balconies and at village festivals.

Where to try it

• At tavernas across Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, especially at weekends.
• At village panigiria (festivals) in the Troodos mountains.
• Alongside sheftalia and grilled halloumi on a mixed grill.

Souvla is usually served with flatbread, a village salad, pickles and tzatziki. If you order a mixed grill at a taverna, souvla often arrives with sheftalia, grilled halloumi and koupepia (stuffed vine leaves) on the same platter. It pairs well with a day out on the coast, after the sands at Coral Bay near Paphos or Finikoudes Beach in Larnaca.