As Cypriot as Tahini Pie (Ταχινόπιτα)!

Introduction:

Get ready to savor some mouth-watering sweet-and-savory sesame goodness. It’s time we try one of my favorite Cypriot dishes, or foods! Why? Because, for me, nothing is more Cypriot than “tahini pie,” which is the word-for-word translation of tahinopita. But what on earth is tahini? And does tahini pie look anything like a good ol’ fashioned American apple pie? Let’s take a closer look to find out!

What food did I try?:

When I first arrived in Cyprus, I was surprised—and more than a little disappointed—to be greeted by the familiar golden arches of McDonald’s, the beaming face of the smiling Starbucks queen, the kindly grin of KFC’s Colonel Sanders, the bold candy cane stripes of TGI Friday’s, and the neon glow of at least a half dozen other American fast-food signs. They competed for my attention among the unfamiliar signs for local Cypriot restaurants, shops, and cafés lining Cyprus’s malls and Nicosia’s central shopping area, Ledra Street. Silently I vowed to avoid these venues of American culture as much as possible. After all, I was here in a new place to try new things. And so I set out to visit restaurants with Greek and Turkish names, preferably ones that locals recommended to me.

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