Close
Niki Psarias is tapping into food traditions to host delicious meals and bring all Cypriots to the table.Photo: Pascale Bouzon
Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.Boris SV/Getty Images
That line mirrors the longstanding rift between the island’s Greek- and Turkish-speaking communities. When Cyprus declared independence from British rule in 1960, violence flared as the country settled into a power-sharing government between the Greek majority and Turkish minority. U.N. peace-keepers arrived in 1964, but clashes continued through another fraught decade. In the summer of 1974, the Greek military backed a government coup and troops from Turkey invaded the north days later. The Turkish forces never left, occupying one-third of the island, and decades later, Cyprus remains divided.
Niki Psarias is striving to bridge that divide. In December 2017, she started Border Kitchen, a series of events that bring islanders together for an evening of food and conversation. At the first gathering, guests pulled open the door to the Powerhouse Restaurant in Nicosia and were met with the aroma of fresh lemons, dried oregano and slow-cooked lamb. Tea lights flickered in the corners near jars overflowing with pink-and-white bougainvillea. The crowd of strangers settled in around long, communal tables and started passing plates ofblack-eyed peas with wilted greens(pictured above), slivers of fresh halloumi cheese and dips aromatic with garlic.
Psarias wasn’t alive in 1974, but war shaped her life all the same. Her Greek Cypriot family were refugees of the conflict, with her grandparents fleeing their homes in the north of the island. Her family later settled in London, where Psarias was born and grew up. To her Cyprus meant sunny summer vacations and the bright flavors of the country’s cuisine, but it was also the source of her family’s profound sense of sadness and loss.
Niki PsariasFood brings people together. We feel happy, and that helps us be more open to new ideas and discussions.
Niki Psarias
Food brings people together. We feel happy, and that helps us be more open to new ideas and discussions.
“Food brings people together,” says Psarias. “We feel happy, and that helps us to be more open to new ideas.” That idea resonated for Marina Kyriakou, a Greek Cypriot who attended the inaugural Border Kitchen dinner. Kyriakou was 20 years old before she ventured across the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone. “I learned to live in a country that wasn’t whole,” she says. “My perspective back then was ‘I have no idea what is there and I’m not curious about it.’ " Meeting fellow islanders at the Border Kitchen dinner helped fire her interest in Turkish Cypriot culture, and she now makes regular trips into the northern part of the island.
After a lifetime abroad, Psarias now has a base in Nicosia and splits her time between London and Cyprus so she can continue working for peace on the island and building Border Kitchen. And at a moment when disputes are simmering across the globe, she believes that the simple pleasures of cooking and conversation are essential tools for every culture with healing to do. “It’s a way for us to share part of ourselves with each other,” Psarias says. “Food can get you to a table—and a table is where dialogue begins.”
Cypriot Recipes to Try
Slow-Cooked Lamb with Lemons & Pomegranate
Tahini Dip
Purslane, Tomato & Cucumber Salad with Mint
Wild Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs
Black-Eyed Peas with Chard
authentic Mediterranean recipes
When in Cyprus
Stay:Get relief from the Mediterranean heat in the whitewashed courtyard of theCypriot Swallow Boutique Hotel. The historic home in north Nicosia has been renovated into a three-room guesthouse.
Sip tiny cups of thick Cypriot coffee while people-watching on your private balcony at3 Rooms Boutique Hotel, inside the -medieval Venetian walls of Nicosia’s historic center.
Eat:Colorful volumes line the walls of north Nicosia’sRüstem Kitabevi, where set menus feature homey Turkish-Cypriot fare in a dining room above an iconic book-store.
Located within the buffer zone,The Home Caféserves fair-trade coffee alongside slices of sweet and savory cakes and organic salads dressed with island-made olive oil.
Do:Soak and scrub like a Sultan then indulge in a massage or full-body clay mask in the gorgeousHamam Omerye, a Turkish bath inside Greek-speaking Nicosia. hamamomerye.com
Hike to the hilltop Buffavento Castle in northern Cyprus, an ancient fortress that has views stretching from the Kyrenia Mountains to turquoise bays and sandy beaches.
Jen Rose Smith spent three months in Cyprus last year, where she learned that she loves Commandaria wine and green walnuts in syrup.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
