# vegetarians/vegans in Cyprus and the cost of fresh fruit and veg?



## Aroura (May 29, 2012)

I was just wondering if there are any vegetarian/vegan communities or groups etc... Set up in Cyprus? (Something which I have only just come across in the UK).

I was also wondering about the cost of fresh fruit and veg? I have looked online but it's all rather conflicting... I'm just trying to work out how much a shop for me and my family would be each week... 

We're newly vegans (been veggie for the last 2 years-ish) and buy mostly fresh fruit and veg products with the added additions things like rice milks, soya milks etc... 

Here for example...

a bag of 8 granny smiths apples or a pineapple is about 2.25euros 
5 oranges or 1 melon is about 3.75euros (although i've noticed they seem to be getting smaller and smaller, a watermelon is now the size of a small bowling ball... I mean seriously I thought watermelons were meant to be the biggest fruit of them all?! lol mini rant)
bananas for 5 are only 1.25euros

Cheers in advance Aroura


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## Pam n Dave (Jun 11, 2007)

We're not veggies or vegans but we live in the sticks and over the past four years have been taught by our locals how to forage for various things. Oranges, lemons and olives grow on trees here and not on a supermarket shelf, most villagers don't need to pay for them.

Spinach, asparagus, artichokes and mushrooms grow wild and there are various other things that can be used in salads. There are other types of fruits that you wont find in the UK such as mespela and mosphilou (the spelling is probably wrong) and nuts are abundant when you know where to look.

We've started to grow a few things as well and find that we share things with neighbours and get other things in return. 

I'm maybe giving the impression that we spend all our time worrying about free food but it's not like that, when oranges are in season we may pick a bag full and juice them, if we get given a bag of apricots then some will be turned in to jam and a couple of jars passed on.

Because many things are local we spend a little less time shopping.


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## vasiliou (Jun 25, 2012)

If the fruit or vegetable is in season then it is pretty cheap here. Vegetarian / vegan food is plentiful too, traditional lunchtime fare in Cyprus tends to be beans or pulses. Fresh when in season, dried when out of season. Usually boiled in water with a bit of olive oil and lemon and with vegetables - greens or marrow - added at the end. Then served with more olive oil, lemon juice, olives, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Delicious and very inexpensive. There are a number of organic shops springing up now too. I live in Nicosia and there are several here - pricey but they stock items that can be hard to find.


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