Tava
“Ταβάς (Tavas)”
A Paphos clay-pot bake scented with cumin
Tava
Tava is named after the clay pot it is cooked in: a round terracotta dish with a lid that traps moisture and gives the food its slow, gentle bake. The classic filling is lamb (sometimes pork) cut into pieces, layered with potatoes, onion and fresh tomato, and seasoned simply with whole cumin seeds, which give tava its distinctive aroma. The pot goes into a hot oven and bakes for a long time until the meat is soft and the cumin has worked through everything.
Tava is particularly tied to the Paphos district, and the Paphos style often adds long-grain rice to the pot, where it soaks up the meat fat and juices. The dish has a strong Easter association in the villages of the area, where families would once take their filled pots to the communal bakery to cook while they went to church. The cumin and the clay pot are what make tava recognisably itself.
Where to try it
- At tavernas in and around Paphos, where it is a local speciality.
- In the villages toward Polis and Latchi and the Akamas edge.
- Around Easter, when it is a traditional festive dish in Paphos-district homes.
If you are based on the western coast, tava is the dish to seek out as a regional speciality you are less likely to find elsewhere on the island. It is hearty and homely rather than refined, and the cumin gives it a flavour quite different from the wine-led afelia or the lemony kleftiko. Pair a Paphos tava day with the Coral Bay coast or the Avakas Gorge walk in the Akamas.
Key ingredients
How to make Tava
- 1
Preheat the oven to about 180C. Cut the lamb (or pork) into large chunks and peel and cut the potatoes into thick wedges or chunks.
- 2
Slice the onion into rings or wedges and roughly chop the fresh tomatoes, or use a mix of chopped fresh tomato and a little tomato paste dissolved in water.
- 3
In the clay tava dish or a heavy ovenproof pot, layer the meat, potatoes and onion together, tucking the pieces in so the dish is fairly full, and drizzle olive oil over everything.
- 4
Scatter whole cumin seeds generously over the layers and season well with salt and pepper. Pour the chopped tomato over everything, along with enough water to come about a third of the way up the ingredients.
- 5
Cover the tava tightly with its lid or with foil to trap the steam, and place it in the oven.
- 6
Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours without uncovering, until the meat is very tender and the potatoes are soft, checking once near the end and adding a splash more water if it looks dry.
- 7
For the Paphos style, stir a cup of rice into the dish along with a little extra hot water about 20 to 25 minutes before the end, re-cover and continue baking until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.
- 8
Remove from the oven and let the tava rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving straight from the dish with crusty bread.
A home-style reference method; every family and kitchen has its own version.
Tava questions
What does tava mean?
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What is in tava?
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Where is tava a speciality?
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What makes tava different from other Cypriot bakes?
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