Cyprus-Forum.com

[bill cobbett]

Well, I don't know, other than look forward to the time when, vandals allowing, you revert to the road signs which had all three languages.

Does anyone have an opinion on how to deal with the matter of the coffee and the delights? Is it Greek or Turkish coffee? Is there a difference? Are they Turkish Delights or Cypriot delights?

[shahmaran]

3 language sign sounds great! i beleive its more of a middle eastern thing so i can only assume u have adopted it during the ottoman ocupation, but i might be wrong....

[bill cobbett]

I remember in the early '70's, they used to in 3 languages. Anyway what about the coffee and delightS?

[mehmet]

The coffee and delights are Turkish in origin but in RoC some people object to putting 'Turkish' in front of anything unless it is to make a negative association. Therefore we have Cypriot coffee and Cypriot delight anin UK even Kebabs are Greek in origin. I believe the Americans renamed French fries 'freedom' fries because they couldn't bear to utter the word after their heresy of not supporting military action in Iraq.

[shahmaran]

3 language sign sounds great! i beleive its more of a middle eastern thing so i can only assume u have adopted it during the ottoman ocupation, but i might be wrong....

second part was about the coffee etc...

[bill cobbett]

Interesting Mehmet brings in the "kebabs". By chance I came across a reference to the invention of "Doner" kebabs as having happenned in one of the towns on the west coast of Turkey, which goes by a similar sounding name. Is there a town in Turkey with a similar name? I am sure that Mehmet is right in that the coffee and delights are of Turkish origin, which means that the "Turkish" bit must take priority in the correct title.

[shahmaran]

i dont think they are all turkish origin, but they are middle eastern, which have spread around through the ottoman empire along with us. but Doner kebab is definately turkish because its part of the Iskender dish which is why it was invented in the first place, i believe its from Bursa, dunno the greek name for the place....

[bill cobbett]

Yes OK but the whole world knows the coffee as "Turkish Coffee" doesn't it? The delights are also known the world over as "Turkish Delights"

[shahmaran]

nah man ud be suprized how poppular Greek goods are

[mehmet]

Turkish coffee is more popular in Cyprus than in Turkey where small glasses of black tea with lumps of sugar are preferred. I remembered reading that the loss of the Arab lands and the end of the Empire cut Turks off from the main source of coffee and led to a decline in coffee drinking. Yet the world may know it as 'Turkish' coffee mainly because it was assoicated with Turkish (Ottoman) Empire, in the same way people talk about a good old cup of 'English' tea. The word 'doner' actually has a meaning within the Turkish language. It would be like claiming the word xenophobic is a Turkish word.