Flaouna (
Greek: φλαούνα), ,[1] is a cheese-filled
pastry from
Cyprus and
Greece, which may include raisins or be garnished with sesame seeds. Flaounes are traditionally prepared for
Easter.[2] Regional names for flaouna include vlaouna, fesoudki (
Greek:φεσούδκι) in
Karavas, and aflaouna in
Karpasia.[2]
History
Flaounes are traditionally served in Cyprus, parts of Greece (especially
Arcadia) and more widely in the Greek diaspora as a celebratory food for the breaking of the Lenten fast, being prepared on
Great and Holy Friday for consumption on
Easter Sunday.[3][4] They are eaten in place of bread on Easter Sunday, and continue to be made and eaten for the weeks following.[3] Creating the flaounes can often be a family tradition shared with multiple generations.[5]
The
Guinness World Records holds a record for the largest flaouna ever made. It was set on 11 April 2012 by the company
Carrefour in
Limassol. The pastry measured 2.45 metres (8.0 ft) long and 1.24 metres (4.1 ft) wide, weighing 259.5 kilograms (572 lb).[6] As part of the celebrations, 20 percent of sales of flaounes in Carrefour stores on the day in Cyprus went to charity.[7]
The name Flaouna is derived from the ancient Greek
παλάθη[8] (paláthē>
flado> fladoonis> flauna), a cake of preserved or
dried fruit.
Recipe
Flaounes are a cheese-filled pastry commonly flavored with
mastic,
mahleb and
spearmint.[9][10] The pastry is described as similar to
shortcrust in texture.[5] A sheep and goat cheese known as tiri flaounas[11] or flaouna cheese, that is made in the region of
Paphos,[12] is traditionally the main cheese used in the filling. Any mix of
graviera,
halloumi,[13][14]fresh anari or
kefalotyri[3][15] can be further added to the mixture.
Flaounes may be served hot or cold.[16] Depending on the area of the island in which they are made, the recipes vary so that the pastries are either salty, semi-sweet or sweet.[17] They can also sometimes have sesame seeds sprinkled on top or
sultanas interspersed with the cheese.[9][18]