SF-October-2020

I t’s nowwell-known that the sun- baked island of Cyprus produces exceptional indigenous gourmet products, many of which are already extremely popular abroad. This global awareness of Cypriot food and drink is due to both the country’s fantastic tradition in food manufacturing, and the careful implementation of a targeted export promotion strategy led by the Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Commerce & Industry. Productionmethods, Standards and Flexibility Cyprus produces traditional food for export on an industrial scale using modern custom-made technology and processes. Hygiene standards are keenly followed and monitored throughout the manufacture of the island’s exportable foods, while vacuum and airtight packaging ensures that products reach their worldwide markets in premium condition. Cyprus has its own niche in the marketplace with quality, flavour, traceability, tradition and authenticity being the main characteristics. Importers should be aware that great importance is placed upon flexibility and that many of the products made on the island can be tailored to the demands of the customer. specialityfoodmagazine.com 19 Export The export market potential for food from Cyprus is broad. As well as appealing to the Cypriot community abroad, and customers with established tastes for the island’s food, the products have proven appeal for customers of supermarkets, delicatessens, food halls and independent retailers who are looking for products which are tasty and different. Cypriot manufacturers pride themselves on offering great value and high standards of service, use the best ingredients and follow authentic traditional recipes. Snacks, Bakery and Frozen Products Cyprus exports some fantastic snacks, frozen and bakery products, including delicious koupes - bulgur croquettes filled withmince meat or mushrooms. Tasty pittas are coiled and filled with local cheese, cream and spinach, while Rolini has broad appeal - these small, tubular bites are available in traditional flavours. Bite- sized puff pastries come in apple, almond, cheese, cheese with ham, Halloumi and sausage varieties. From crispy breadsticks, croutons, bags of wheat and rye rusks, olive rolls and raisin toasts, to crackers, rice cakes and bread rolls flavoured with orange, anise and honey, many products are popular abroad. The island also produces a wide variety of sweet delicacies, from the vegan option of tahini bread rolls, to bourekia filled with fresh unsalted Anari cheese mixed with sugar and dusted with icing sugar. Olive Oil With groves aplenty, Cyprus’ olive oils, including organic varieties, are already recognised as top quality premium products, celebrated for their superior flavour and rich golden colour, thanks to the country’s unique climate and fertile soils. Cypriot black and green olives, fromnative Cyprus olive trees, have a reputation for being among the finest in the world and this extends to the oils they make. Traditional Meat Products The island’s coldmeats, often marinated in dried coriander, seeds and local wine before being dried and smoked, offer meat counters something deliciously different. Among the local smoked delicacies produced on the island are Sheftalia (ground pork or lamb sausage, mixed with onions, parsley and wrapped in caul fat), Lountza (pork loin), Hiromeri (back leg of pork), Posirti (bacon), traditional smoked sausages (made from rich red wine and aromatic spices) and Pastourmas (peppered beef sausage). With these products still made in the traditional way, investment in new technology keeps up with the enormous demand. Dried Nuts and Fruit Dry roasted and raw nuts, nut brittle bars and packs of dried fruit, including dried figs, prunes, cranberries, mango and dates are ATASTEOF CYPRUS The sun-baked island’s home-grown flavours are popular across the world, making it one of Europe’s hottest regions for speciality export all very popular with islanders and exporters. Cyprus nut producers place great importance on the procurement of the best quality rawmaterials, which are subjected to strict quality control throughout the preparation procedure. Biscuits Cypriot biscuits are manufactured in technologically-advanced factories with HACCP, ISO and Biocert certification. The delicious, very traditional recipes are of particular interest to specialist fine food retailers and delicatessen buyers because, although loved by the island’s native population and gastronomic tourists, they are not quite so well known to the average consumer overseas. Typically, these varieties are flavoured with ingredients synonymous with Cyprus, such as aniseed, tahini, sesame seeds, olive oil, cinnamon, almonds and raisins. Perfect for export to retailers of speciality food, they are attractively packaged and offer a truly tempting and exotic alternative. Herbs and Tea Climate and altitude contribute to making Cyprus successful in the production of premiumherbs and tea. Such is the island’s suitability for growing herbs, delicious teas of most varieties are now being offered including anise, sage, nettle, marjoram, spearmint, basil, lavender, chamomile andmanymore. Producers of these herbal and organic teas believe that the difference is all in the power of the herbs, the strength of their flavour and their distinctive aroma. Drinks Freshly-picked apples, oranges, lemons, peaches, grapes and grapefruits go into the Cypriot fruit juices, smoothies and concentrates available to the export market. Additive-free juice drinks are sold in varying sizes in attractively-designed Tetra-Pak cartons. Bottled natural spring water can add a point of difference to retailers’ drinks ranges, while Zivania, Cyprus’ unique, clear alcoholic beverage, distilled on the island, has a growing reputation. Alternatively, buyers searching for refreshment or wanting to rekindle memories of a happy holiday, need look no further than the island’s award-winning beers. Wine Winemaking in Cyprus stretches some 6,000 years into the past and producers, large and small, agree it is the country’s indigenous varieties that offer the most potential for qual- ity wines with a point of difference. Cyprus’ island status means it has never had Phylloxera so it has kept its local varieties like Xynisteri, Mavro andMaratheftiko that grow nowhere else. Also, ‘new’ old varieties are being rediscovered all the time in amongst the ancient vineyards. Yiannoudi, Morokanella, Spourtiko, Promara and others are so new they haven’t made it into the “Wine Grapes” bible yet. Of course someone cannot miss the one world-famous Cypriot wine, the sweet dark Commandaria, the oldest named wine still in production and still made bymethods documented in 800BC. This dark sweet wine Halloumi, the springy-textured, salty, semi-hard cheese unique to Cyprus and for which the island is justly famed, was once a cottage industry, but has since been improved for exporting using modern, technological production methods and vacuum packaging. The distinctiveness of this Cypriot cheese lies on the fact that it can be eaten raw, grilled, fried or baked and constitutes a great option for vegetarian consumers. As such, Halloumi has secured a world-wide market, with large consignments being dispatched regularly to continental Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, the Middle East and the USA. The Ministry of Energy, Commerce & Industry in Cyprus has registered Halloumi as a Trademark in many countries and regions including the EU, the UK and the USA, while Cyprus Government has submitted an application to the European Commission for the registration of the names ‘Χαλλούμι’ (Halloumi)/‘Hellim’, in Greek and Latin, as Protected Designation of Origin. HALLOUMI PARTNER CONTENT made from sundried grapes is also undergoing a bit of a revival as newer producers seek to show their interpretations of this key part of the Cyprus wine story. Traditional Sweets Traditional spoon sweets of Cyprus are typically flavoured with the fragrant plants that grow in the region – sweet fig, rose water, lemons, almonds, carob, bergamot and masticha. Other traditional products include Soutzoukos (grape rolls) and Loukoumia Yeroskipou (Cyprus delights), traditional sweets available in a range of flavours including rose, mandarin, orange, vanilla and chocolate. Loukoumi Yeroskipou is the first traditional food product of Cyprus to receive an approval as a Product of Geographic Indication under EU regulations. Carob also features as a key Cypriot product carob syrup, pastelaki (peanut brittle), carob chocolate and carob powder. A comprehensive Directory of Exporters can be found on the Cyprus High Commission Trade Centre in London website: www.cyprustrade.com