Sheftalia, minced, wrapped and charcoal-grilled

On any grill in Cyprus, next to the skewers, you’ll see some golden oval pieces that look a bit like sausages at first glance. They’re sheftalia, and for me they’re the nicest surprise of the Cypriot barbecue, because nothing quite like them turns up at a British one. Here’s how they’re made according to the official recipe and how I’d order them. For the wider table, start with Cypriot food.

A sausage with no skin

The definition the Cyprus Food Virtual Museum gives is precise. A minced-meat mixture divided into small portions, wrapped in pork caul fat and barbecued over charcoal. Caul fat is the lacy membrane of fat around the animal’s stomach, and here it does the job of a casing. As it cooks it melts gradually, browning the outside and keeping the meat moist inside. The Famagusta tourism board calls them oval «crépinettes» of minced pork with herbs and spices, wrapped in caul fat and barbecued.

The same museum presents it as a typical meat meze of modern Cypriot cooking, and dates its entry to the 20th and 21st centuries. What makes it so common is how well it fits everywhere, at a pitta stand, on a Sunday grill and on a long meze table.

How is sheftalia made?

The recipe the museum publishes comes from the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2010 book of traditional preparations. For every kilo of minced pork you use four finely chopped onions, two slices of bread soaked in water and not drained, a bunch of chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Mix and knead well. Cut the caul fat into small squares, put a spoonful of mixture on each and wrap it once to form a parcel. Then onto the charcoal.

The proportions are the interesting part. Four onions and bread per kilo give a very tender, far from dry result, and that’s precisely what separates it from a burger or a cured sausage.

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How it’s served

According to the museum, it goes into a warm pitta with fresh parsley, tomato and cucumber, and pairs very well with souvlaki, potatoes, salad and yoghurt. The photos on its entry show it with lemon squeezed over, which is how I’d want it. At a pitta stand the usual thing is to order it alone or mixed with Cypriot souvla and souvlaki, and eat it standing up.

At a taverna, the Famagusta tourism board puts it in the second half of the Cypriot meze, when grilled halloumi, smoked pork, meatballs and sausages arrive, before the kebabs and chops.

Not to be confused with loukaniko

Cyprus does have proper sausages, so don’t confuse the two. Paphos loukaniko, a protected geographical indication since 2015, is minced pork matured in dry red wine from the district, with salt, coriander, cumin and pepper, filled into strings of six to ten links and dried for two or three days. It’s a cured sausage. Sheftalia, by contrast, is made and eaten the same day, with no casing and no curing, and its appeal lies in the onion, parsley and caul fat. Both are worth trying, but they’re ordered for different reasons.

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Where the Famagusta board suggests trying it

The Famagusta tourism board gives a specific list of places to try sheftalia, souvlaki, grilled halloumi and souvla at traditional tavernas. It names Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni, Sotira, Deryneia, Liopetri, Avgorou, Frenaros, Vrysoulles and Acheritou, and Dasaki Achnas. I’d head inland to Sotira, Liopetri or Avgorou, where you’re more likely to find a taverna full of locals than one with a buffet.

Charcoal as a way of cooking

You can’t really separate sheftalia from charcoal. The museum notes that barbecuing is the most popular and distinctive way of cooking meat in Cyprus, and that grilled meat almost always comes with potatoes and salads. It’s the same logic as the Sunday souvla, only smaller and quicker, because the pieces are small and cook in minutes.

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Where I’d order it

At any grill taverna and at the pitta stands in the towns. If you need somewhere to start, try where to eat in Cyprus, and if you’re watching the budget, a sheftalia pitta is one of the best-value meals going, alongside the other ideas in cheap eats in Cyprus. If you fancy something cooked for hours in the oven instead, the dish is kleftiko.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.