Cypriot Fruit

Cypriot fruit, especially from the South, has a well-deserved reputation. Because of the long growing season, varieties tend to appear much earlier than their counterparts in Europe -for example strawberries in April, watermelons in June. Until 2003, every- thing was grown locally in the South, since the govemment bans imported products - ostensibly to keep the island relatively pest- free but also to economically protect the local farmers and specifically exclude smug- gled-in goods from the North. In February 2005, restrictions on northern produce were relaxed, so you can expect to see citrus from Morfou across the island in the future.

Froutarfa is Greek for a roadside fruit- and-vegetable stall, manav the Turkish word. The central covered bazaars of all the major towns also usually have a good selection, though in the North much comes from Turkey, since the orchard potential of the Kyrenia hills and the Morfou plain is limited. Strawberries are increasingly available in the South all year round. Medlars and loquats ripen in mid-spring; their large pips and papery husks may have you wondering why people bother until you taste them, Apricots are next up, followed by peaches, which are imported from Turkey into the North. Watermelons grown in Pafos district and around Nicosia are on sale everywhere from June on, followed by dessert melons. Plums are also excellent in early summer; cherries, solely from the Troodhos villages of the South, are delicious in their several varieties.

Towards autumn prickly pear fruit presents an exotic challenge, tasting like watermelon once you penetrate its defences. Table grapes of marketable quality are confined to the South, an adjunct of the wine indus- try. Wonderful strawberry guavas -allegedly the late President Makarios' favourite fruit -arrive in October and November. Citrus, specifically oranges, mandarins and grapefruit, is ready in winter. The longest established eating oranges are called Jaffa, something of a misnomer as they're elongated rather than round, juicy and almost seedless. Valencias and Merlins ("navel" in the US) are also available, as is an old non-acid but seedy variety called sherkerika good for sweet juice.

Since the late 1980s, subtropicals such as avocados, bananas, mangoes, kiwis and starfruit have been introduced in the warmer corners of Pafos district.