MAIN INGREDIENTS
This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is presumed that they first appeared in Greece or Turkey, though some suggest Arabic origin.
The dish is considered to be one of the oldest recorded desserts in Greek history. It is said that the pastries were even given to winning Olympians as a treat and were called honey tokens. Loukoumades, or loukmades in Cyprus, can be found throughout the streets of Greece, in shops selling nothing else but this caloric dessert.
VARIATIONS OF Loukoumades
Bourekia is a traditional pastry that is usually made with thin and flaky phyllo dough and filled with cheese. The small, semicircular pastries come in sweet or savory versions, and they’re typically deep-fried in oil until golden brown. The sweet version most commonly uses a combination of fresh, unsalted anari cheese, a type of soft, slightly sweet Cypriot whey cheese, cinnamon, and sugar for stuffing the phyllo dough pockets.
Rosewater or citrus blossom water (usually orange blossom water) is often used to enhance the filling’s flavor, and the sweet pastries are either dusted with cinnamon sugar or soaked in honey or syrup. Savory bourekia, on the other hand, may contain various ingredients including ground meat, cheese (such as halloumi, graviera, or feta), spinach, or mushrooms.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Shamishi is a popular Cypriot dessert consisting of fried pastry dough that is filled with sweet semolina paste. These treats are additionally flavored with cinnamon and orange blossom water, and are traditionally sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Shamishi can be found at various Cypriot fairs and festivals throughout the year, and it is recommended to serve them hot. The word shamishi means work of Damascus, and it's believed that the dessert was brought to Cyprus by Anatolian Turks during the Ottoman period.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.