Connecting to Cypriot culture through food

In a refugee from Varosha, PAUL LAMBIS finds a woman whose life in catering brings back memories of home

Like most Greek Cypriots of the diaspora, Athina Merkouris has gone to great lengths to keep her traditions alive. As an active member of the Cypriot Community of Western Australia, an organisation that was founded shortly after the invasion in 1974, Merkouris has connected like-minded individuals through the common Cypriot culture of food.

Athina has worked as a poet, author, blogger, editor, film critic and fashion designer. However, her real flair lies in her ability to create authentic Cypriot dishes, often with a twist, which has helped her feel more connected to her native country, despite not having visited Cyprus since her family fled in the mid-seventies.

“My memories stem back to the invasion of my hometown Varosha and coming to a new country after being refugees for about a year, living in various camps, not knowing what to expect,” Athina recalled. “We were fortunate that my uncle, who was living in Western Australia at the time, helped us relocate.”

And she grew up in an environment where her Greek Cypriot heritage took centre stage. “Maintaining our traditions gave us a sense of comfort and a feeling that not everything had changed, allowing us to adjust to life in a new country easily.”

According to Athina, her mother, who was a constant presence in the kitchen, served as her teacher and mentor, constantly behind a cooking pot and always welcoming guests into her home. “No one could come over without my mother creating some kind of feast,” Athina told Living.

“My mother taught me to rely on all my senses when cooking, and, more importantly, to add ingredients ‘koutourou’ – without measuring, or use the ingredients that are available to create the perfect dish. These skills took a lot of time to develop,” she added.

But her family could never forget the trauma of the war, desperately clinging to the dream, like every Cypriot refugee, of returning home. Athina remembers her mother saying, “If not in my lifetime, hopefully you will be able to return home.” She naively assumed her mother’s wishes would be realised when Varosha was partially reopened in 2021, “but sadly this was not the case.

“The overall picture is that what is happening in Varosha right now is clearly wrong, and I can see why so many people are dissatisfied and heartbroken. I do not know if we will ever reclaim our homes and land, but I would give anything to be able to walk down the street where I used to play as a child.”

Athina considers Cypriots hospitable, where human virtues like warmth, integrity and friendship are still a way of life. “These are the values that have been ingrained in me, and I want to communicate these not only in my personal life, but also in the food and the products I create.”

In 2018, Athina’s passion for cooking unexpectedly evolved into a career when she decided to offer homemade baklava, infused with orange, cinnamon, cloves and rose water, and mouth-watering, syrup-drenched ravani (semolina cake) to potential customers, while holding a garage sale. “A few days later, people came back to my house asking for more conventional baked products; at that point, I made the decision to go full-time with my specialty.”

She began creating traditional Cypriot-inspired recipes with a modern twist for her newly established company Greek Goddess Gourmet Delights, which she branded throughout Western Australia – especially among members of her own community and beyond – catering for small events and festivals to large banquets and celebrations.

Traditional ingredients, such as rose water, aromatic village spices, sweet preserves, olive oil, honey, and sweet dessert wine often serve as the foundation of her many creations, which include walnut and roasted almond kataifi biscuits, rose cheesecake and pistachio puffs, custard tarts combined with sweet apple filling to all the traditional savouries and dishes that are steeped in Cyprus’ culinary history.

“Given that I am in a foreign country, cooking these foods and getting enthusiastic about sharing them with others helps me remember Cyprus, and makes me feel at home,” she said.

Yet, Athina feels compelled to add a genuine touch to her home-based business by providing a home delivery service to her steadily expanding clientele. “Opa Eats is a subsidiary of my business that will deliver hot meals to clients on a scooter, reminding me of how freshly baked cheese pies were brought to our home during my childhood in Varosha,” she added.

“Food is something that shapes us, our identities, our culture, and society. If this is my destiny, I will embrace it and pursue it to the end.”