Loukoumi: Cyprus Delights - Complete Guide to the Island's Famous Sweet

Soft, fragrant, dusted in icing sugar and served with a small cup of strong coffee — loukoumi is the sweet every Cypriot household keeps in the cupboard for visitors.

You may know it as Cyprus delight. What you may not know is that one particular loukoumi, made in a single village since 1895, was the very first Cypriot product ever to win EU protected status.

What Is Loukoumi?

Loukoumi (Greek: Λουκούμι) is a soft, gel-textured confection made from just a few simple ingredients: sugar, water, starch and flavouring, often with nuts folded through, and finished with a dusting of icing sugar or desiccated coconut.

It belongs to the same family as Turkish delight, and versions of it are found across the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. But the Cypriot tradition has its own character — and in Geroskipou, its own legally protected identity.

Geroskipou: The Protected Loukoumi

The story begins in 1895, when a man named Sophocles Athanasiou returned to his home village of Geroskipou, near Paphos, after years abroad — bringing a loukoumi recipe home with him.

That recipe stayed in the village. It has been made the same way, in the same place, by the same families ever since.

In 2007, Loukoumi Geroskipou became the first Cypriot product ever granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, entering the European register in January 2008. It remains the only loukoumi in the world with that protection.

The PGI means the name cannot be used by anyone making it elsewhere. When you buy Loukoumi Geroskipou, you are buying something made in one specific village to one specific method — a genuine link to 1895.

How Loukoumi Is Made

It sounds simple. It is not easy.

1. Sugar syrup is prepared and brought carefully to temperature.
2. Starch is blended in and the mixture is cooked slowly in large copper cauldrons.
3. It is stirred constantly — traditionally by hand, for several hours. This is the hard part, and the part that cannot be rushed. The stirring is what produces the characteristic soft, elastic texture.
4. Flavourings and nuts are added towards the end — rosewater, bergamot, citrus, mastic, almonds, pistachios.
5. The mixture is poured into trays, left to set for many hours, then cut into cubes and dusted with icing sugar.

There are no artificial setting agents involved. The texture comes entirely from the cooking and the stirring.

The Flavours

Traditional Cypriot loukoumi comes in a wider range of flavours than most people expect:

• Rose — the classic. Floral, delicate and the one most people picture.
• Bergamot — citrusy and perfumed. A Cypriot favourite and, for many, the best of the lot.
• Lemon and orange — bright and refreshing, less sweet on the palate.
• Pistachio — nutty and rich, with whole nuts through the set.
• Mastic — flavoured with Chios mastiha, giving a distinctive pine-fresh, cooling note.
• Coconut — rolled in desiccated coconut instead of icing sugar.
• Carob — a distinctly Cypriot version, deep and caramel-like, made with the island's carob syrup.
• Mixed fruit and forest fruits — modern additions, popular with children.

How to Serve Loukoumi

In Cyprus, loukoumi is above all a gesture of hospitality. It arrives on a small plate the moment a guest sits down.

• With Cyprus coffee. The traditional pairing, and a perfect one — the bitterness of the coffee balances the sweetness exactly. Serve with a glass of cold water alongside.
• With Commandaria. Sweet amber wine and rose loukoumi is a genuinely lovely after-dinner combination.
• With tea. Particularly the citrus and bergamot flavours.
• On a dessert board with dried figs, nuts and dark chocolate.
• As a gift. Loukoumi travels well, keeps for months and looks beautiful in its traditional boxes.

Our Loukoumi Selection

We ship traditional Cypriot loukoumi directly from the island, including genuine Aphrodite Delights from Geroskipou — the PGI-protected original.

Browse all loukoumi and Cyprus delights →

How to Store Loukoumi

Keep loukoumi in a cool, dry place in an airtight container — not the fridge, where it can go hard and sticky. Stored properly it will keep for several months.

If the icing sugar coating absorbs and the pieces begin to stick together, simply dust with a little fresh icing sugar or cornflour and separate them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is loukoumi the same as Turkish delight?

They belong to the same family and the method is broadly similar. Cypriot loukoumi has its own flavour traditions — bergamot and carob in particular — and Loukoumi Geroskipou holds EU protected status that no other version has.

Is loukoumi gluten free?

Traditional loukoumi is made with cornflour rather than wheat, so it is usually gluten free. Always check the individual packaging, especially where nuts or added ingredients are involved.

Is loukoumi vegan?

Traditional recipes contain only sugar, water, starch, flavouring and nuts — no animal products. Some modern varieties may differ, so check the label.

Why is my loukoumi sticky?

Humidity. The icing sugar coating absorbs moisture from the air. Keep it sealed, and re-dust with icing sugar if needed.

Which flavour should I try first?

Rose if you want the classic, bergamot if you want the one Cypriots reach for. If you like nuts, the pistachio and almond versions are excellent.

Does loukoumi make a good gift?

One of the best. It keeps for months, travels well, comes in handsome traditional boxes, and it is something most people outside Cyprus have never tried.

Where to Buy Authentic Loukoumi

Much of the "Turkish delight" sold in supermarkets is mass-produced and heavily gelatinised. Traditional Cypriot loukoumi — slow-cooked, stirred by hand, made with real rosewater and bergamot — is a different thing entirely.

We ship it directly from Cyprus, including the genuine PGI Geroskipou product. Browse our loukoumi collection, take a look at our Cypriot gift boxes, or explore the rest of our traditional sweets.

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Serve it properly: pair loukoumi with traditional Cyprus coffee or a glass of Commandaria.