Cypriot Pilavuna - Flaounes

Pilavuna is one of the local flavors of Cypriot cuisine. Its pilaf stuffed with halloumi and curd cheese is served especially at breakfast and dinner tables. It can be served hot or cold upon request.

Flauna is a traditional Cypriot Easter dish consumed after the Resurrection. The preparation and consumption of flauna is also observed in the Turkish Cypriot community during the Ramadan period.

According to various versions, the word comes from the ancient Greek word palathis (preparation with dried fruits) or from the synonymous Latin word fladonis. According to another version, flauna comes from the ancient Greek verb φλάω (θλήβω). As a word, flauna is also found in Arcadia and identifies the pie that is made on the plate and baked on the coals. In Cyprus the specific dishes are called flaunes and more rarely flaunes. In the area of ​​Karavas it was called fesudkia while in Karpasia they were known as aflaounes.

The flaunes have been made in Cyprus since at least the 19th century. According to tradition, they were made on Holy Saturday and then transported to churches and consumed after the Resurrection. They were also offered to foreign visitors but also to people who could not prepare them themselves (elderly, needy, etc.). Flavones are a food that in ancient times was used for the transition of believers from fasting to the consumption of non-fasting foods without causing stomach upset.