Flaouna

Flaouna or Flaounes in the plural (Greek: φλαούνα), is a special Easter and Ramadan food eaten on the island of Cyprus by the mainly Orthodox Greeks and Muslim Turkish Cypriots. They are a cheese filled pastry, which sometimes also include raisins or can be garnished with sesame seeds.

History

Flaounes have been made in Cyprus for a number of years and have been served as a celebratory food for the breaking of the Lenten fast. They are traditionally prepared on Good Friday for consumption on Easter Sunday by Orthodox Christians. They are eaten in place of bread on Easter Sunday, and continue to be made and eaten for the weeks following. Creating the flaounes can often be a family tradition shared with multiple generations.

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). As part of the celebrations, 20 percent of sales of flaounes in Carrefour stores on the day in Cyprus, went to charity.