Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum

Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum (CFNM) is a non profit Cultural and Research organization, which aims at conducting and undertaking initiatives and activities to promote knowledge and practice of traditional foods, as part of the intangible cultural heritage.

Research, study and training activities mainly cover the traditional forms of the following: food, nutrition, diet (with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean diet), utensils, tools and places for food production and preservation. Food is approached via various perspectives: folklore, history, museology, food science and nutrition. Also emphasis is given to the relationship and traditional health food and nutrition, and health impact of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and traditional Cypriot food. The ultimate aim is recording, preservation, promotion and dissemination of cultural heritage of traditional foods.

An electronic depository of data related to food history and culture has been developed: The Cyprus Food Virtual Museum. This is a database where information on the use of Cypriot traditional foods, associated everyday practices and meals, recipes, tools, and processing techniques (along with visual representations/photos) have been digitalized. The material presented covers a period from the prehistoric till the current time and so far, includes 1600 documents. In its present edition, The Cyprus Virtual Food Museum is in Greek.

Parallel to its research activities, the CFNM seeks to raise public awareness on Cypriot dietary traditions and local food products, as well as to promote gastronomical cultural heritage as a driver for the sustainable growth of urban and rural areas. In order to advance the aforementioned purposes, the CFNM collaborates closely with traditional foods producers, local and regional authorities, development planners and private enterprises. A specific set of activities undertaken by the CFNM relates to supporting entrepreneurship, promoting employment and enhancing professional advancement regarding women’s groups involved in producing and selling traditional food products. During the past two years the CFNM has been organising events, in order to showcase the work of this type of groups and enhance their sustainability through the promotion of their products to the wider Cypriot public.

At the EU level, the association presently participates in international projects related to European gastronomical culture. (Europeana Food & Drink, Cuninary Bridges Across Europe, Advancing Culinary Workshops).

The Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum has organized and hosted:

- Workshops among adults on traditional cuisine

- Annual national contests among children and youth on traditional cooking

- A national contest on traditional foods photography

- Seminars

- Gastronomical tours

- Research projects

- The first and only national conference on Cypriot traditional cuisine.

The association has also participated in various folklore festivals.

Educational programs

Exploring the flavours of Cyprus: traditional cooking classes for foreigners

Workshop

Cypriot cuisine, which is based mainly on the characteristic qualities of the Mediterranean diet, is usually praised for its tasty, richly diverse and nutritious merits. The Cyprus Food and...

Erasmus+KA1 – Learning Mobility for Individuals Course Title: “EXPLORING THE FLAVOURS OF CYPRUS: TRADITIONAL COOKING CLASSES FOR FOREIGNERS”

Workshop

Introduction: One of the things Cyprus is usually praised for is its tasty, richly diverse and nutritious cuisine with the characteristic qualities of the Mediterranean diet, which is considered as...

Articles

27. 12. 2015

“Φαγητό του δρόμου: αποτυπώνοντας την κουλτούρα του φαγητού στην Κύπρο”

Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum

Το Μουσείο Κυπριακών Τροφίμων και Διατροφής (ΜΚΤΔ), σε συνεργασία με τον Φωτογραφικό και Κινηματογραφικό Όμιλο Έγκωμης, προκηρύσσουν φωτογραφικό διαγωνισμό με...