Lebanese cuisine

Cyprus' main exports for 2023 included mineral fuels and oil, halloumi and pharmaceutical products, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (CyStat).

In an infographic published on Tuesday, CyStat shows that Cyprus exported 508.39 million euros of domestically produced goods to EU countries and another €1.84 billion to third countries.

On a cold winter evening in a car park in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, queues are already forming before former airline pilot Pantelis Panteli arrives in a small van to sell his produce.

After being made redundant following the closure of Cyprus Airways in 2013, Panteli decided to try his hand at cheese-making. He hasn't looked back.

A top court in the European Union on Wednesday rejected an attempt to drop the protected status of halloumi, staving off a challenge to the prized cheese that is one of Cyprus' top exports.

Tomorrow, Dec. 5, is declared as the "World Turkish Coffee Day." Exactly 10 years ago, in 2013, Turkish coffee was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List on Dec.

A year after the agreement between Cyprus' Agriculture Ministry, halloumi producers, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it seems Cyprus' protected cheese is facing new challenges.

Turkish dishes are being promoted in a series of events held across the county and at diplomatic missions during "Turkish Cuisine Week."

Following the application of the Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the European Union (EU), the southern province of Antakya's famous künefe dessert has been put under protection as a registered geographical indication and traditional specialty.

Turkey's first and only coffee museum is located in the Safranbolu district in the northern province of Karabük, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and among the "20 best-protected cities," hosting visitors in a 400-year-old historical Cinci inn.

Cyprus on March 30 hailed a European Union decision to recognize halloumi cheese as a product distinct to the divided eastern Mediterranean island after a seven-year wait.

Known as halloumi in Greek and hellim in Turkish, the famously barbecue-able cheese is the island's biggest export, earning a record 250 million euros ($290 million) last year.

Turkish coffee, one of the indispensable elements of Turkish culture, has captivated the hearts and taste buds of generations, infusing flavor and meaning into the social experience equally. But for some, the traditional drink has become more than a daily passion.