Cyprus delights have been made in the villages of Cyprus since 1895 and are still one of the most consumed sweets. Most visitors will try the traditional Cyprus delight and many foreigners will buy a few boxes for friends or family back home. These traditional soft sweets do not rely on additives and are made using mostly natural ingredients.

Making loukoumia (Cyprus Delights) is a drawn out process that is time consuming and can only be made by experts. Families pass down the receipt and these recipes are carefully guarded.

Every morning, three large copper cauldrons are filled with water while flames are burning underneath them. After the water has boiled the sugar is then added. After an hour of boiling the water with the sugar, the starch is added, and yet again boiled. The solution will be boiled for another five to six hours until it is smooth and shiny.

The mixture must cool down before the various flavours are added. There are twenty four flavours to choose from including cherry, lemon, almond and chocolate, mint, orange, pineapple, pistachio and the traditional flavour being rose. Nuts are also placed into the mixture. These nuts include almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios or walnuts.

When the flavourings are added the mixture is placed into wooden trays to allow the liquid form to set. Roughly five hours later it is ready to be cut into squares or rectangles, coated with icing sugar and packed into appropriate boxes which have a greaseproof paper lining.

One can find these delicacies in most supermarkets and some kiosks. This traditional sweet is now sold abroad due to high demand. Visitors can go to the factories were these loukoumia are made and experience the process first hand. Simply try a Cyprus Delight and you will be hooked.