Loukoumi... Traditional, but more modern than ever!

From the Dubai Chocolate wave, no sweet is safe...

In Cyprus, you'll find many types of loukoumi. Traditional, with flavors like rose, lemon, mastic, bergamot, but also in more contemporary versions, with chocolate, nuts, vegan, and sugar-free – these small, soft, chewy treats have retained their sweet charm for centuries. And today, they meet the most viral sweet, with a filling of kadaifi and pistachio praline, the chocolate that conquered the world through social media – the one and only Dubai Chocolate!

But let’s start from the beginning… Loukoumi arrived in Cyprus during the Ottoman period and quickly became part of everyday life and the island's local gastronomy. Over time, it developed its own distinctive local identity, with the use of high-quality ingredients, unique aromas, and local production techniques.

From the late 19th century, the area of Geroskipou near Paphos became the center of loukoumi production. The first to start making it was Sophocles Athanasiou in 1895, in a small factory near Geroskipou square, with a recipe he brought from abroad. The secret was passed down from generation to generation, and today, under the name Aphrodite Delights, it travels around the world.

Aphrodite Delights CEO, George Gabriel, in an interview with inbusinessnews.reporter.com.cy, describes their philosophy: "We preferred to create variations of our own products or to use local ingredients. For example, in our loukoumia, to which we gave many flavors with a Cypriot or Mediterranean element (carob, commandaria, fig, ouzo, etc.), we created categories that are closer to the modern trend sought by young people, specifically with a dark chocolate coating or with some herbs (wild sweet), which give a special texture and appearance."

Who would have thought that a small, sugar-coated cube would become a global ambassador of Cypriot tradition? In 2004, it entered the Guinness World Records when the municipality of Geroskipou made the largest Cypriot loukoumi in the world, weighing 2 tons and 718 kg. And the most important thing – in 2007, "Loukoumi Geroskipou" became the first Cypriot product to be officially recognized with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) by the EU.

And now, it's time for it to meet the sweet queen of social media, Dubai Chocolate! In Greece, the company NENTIM from Komotini produces Dubai Loukoum, a chocolate loukoumi combined with a filling of pistachio and crispy kadaifi, coated with luxury milk chocolate couverture. It’s available in bulk and in 300g boxes and can be found in selected traditional grocery stores and gourmet product shops.

Image source: https://www.nentim.gr/products/182/Dubai-Loykoym

How does this pairing sound to you? Have you come across it in Cyprus yet? Probably not, but who knows... from the Dubai Chocolate wave, no sweet is safe!