Cyprus Gift Ideas: 12 Authentic Food and Drink Gifts Shipped from the Island

Some gifts get a polite thank you. Others get a phone call the moment the box is opened. For anyone with roots in Cyprus, a holiday memory of the island, or simply a love of Mediterranean food, a parcel packed in Cyprus falls firmly into the second group. Here are twelve ideas, grouped by budget, that we ship around the world every year.

Small Gifts and Stocking Fillers

1. Loukoumi (Cyprus Delights)

Soft, fragrant cubes dusted in icing sugar, and the classic sweet to bring home from the island. Choose rose, mixed fruit or forest fruits, or see the whole loukoumi range. Our loukoumi guide tells the full story.

2. A Bag of Cyprus Coffee

Laikou Gold and G. Charalambous are the two brands found in almost every home on the island. Light to post, and the smell alone does the work.

3. Snacks From Home

For a Cypriot student or relative abroad, nothing beats oregano crisps and Frou Frou biscuits. See our list of snacks you can't find abroad.

Mid-Range Gifts

4. Soutzoukos

Strings of almonds or walnuts dipped again and again in thickened grape juice until they form a chewy, candle-shaped sweet. It is made in wine villages after the harvest and is unlike anything else. Try the almond, the pomegranate and walnut or the carob honey version.

5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A good bottle is a gift people actually use. Our olive oil guide explains how to choose one, or go straight to the olive oil collection.

6. Cyprus Honey

Thyme and wildflower honeys from mountain villages, thick and intensely aromatic. Browse the honey collection.

7. Mastiha From Chios

Mastiha is a natural resin with a flavour all of its own, and it grows on one Greek island only. A bottle of mastiha liqueur served ice cold is a wonderful after-dinner gift. See the mastiha collection and our complete mastiha guide.

Bottles Worth Wrapping

8. Commandaria

The world's oldest named wine, sweet, amber and perfect with Christmas pudding, blue cheese or mince pies. KEO St. John is the classic, and Tsiakkas Commandaria is the one for a serious wine lover. Read the Commandaria guide first.

9. Filfar Orange Liqueur

Bright, bittersweet and made from Cypriot citrus. Filfar is a favourite gift among our customers and works beautifully in festive cocktails and desserts.

10. Cyprus Brandy or Zivania

An aged KEO Five Kings brandy for sipping, a KEO VSOP for making Brandy Sours, or a bottle of Zivania for someone who likes their spirits clear and strong.

11. A Bottle of Native-Grape Wine

A Maratheftiko red or a Xynisteri white will be new to almost any wine drinker. Our Cyprus wine grapes guide suggests where to start.

The Big Gift

12. The Cypriot Traditional Products Gift Box

If you would rather we did the choosing, the Cypriot traditional products gift box brings together a selection of the island's best known foods and drinks in one parcel. See everything in the gift box collection. For someone who loves to cook outdoors, a foukou charcoal grill is the most Cypriot present there is.

Christmas Specials

In Cyprus and Greece, Christmas means kourabiedes, the buttery almond shortbread buried in icing sugar, and melomakarona, the honey-soaked spiced biscuits. We stock kourabiedes with almonds and add seasonal items to the Christmas collection as they arrive.

Tips for Sending a Gift From Cyprus

• Order early. Every parcel travels by air from Cyprus, and international post slows down in December. For Christmas delivery we recommend ordering by mid November for the United States, Canada and Australia, and by the end of November for the UK and Europe.
• Send it straight to them. Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address at checkout.
• Fill the box. Postage is charged by weight band, so adding a few small items to a bottle costs very little extra and makes a far better gift.
• Check alcohol rules. The recipient must be of legal drinking age in their country, and some destinations apply import duty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a traditional gift from Cyprus?

Loukoumi, Commandaria wine, soutzoukos, halloumi, village honey, Cyprus coffee and Zivania are the most traditional food and drink gifts.

Can I send a gift from Cyprus to the UK, USA or Australia?

Yes. We ship to all three, and to most of Europe, every week.

Still deciding? Browse everything we ship from Cyprus and Greece.