Meet Andrea from “The Traditional Plate”🍽️ 🍽️
The Traditional Plate 🍽️
Andrea, the heart and soul behind “The Traditional Plate on Instagram, has captivated a growing audience with her genuine love for traditional Cypriot cuisine and the stories that come with it.
Recently hitting 10,000 followers, Andrea celebrated in true family style — at her grandparents’ house, where her journey with food began, over Greek coffee and a homemade breakfast. For Andrea, this milestone wasn’t just about follower numbers. It was about honouring her heritage and sharing her family's recipes with the world.
Growing up, Andrea spent countless hours in her grandparents' kitchen, learning the craft of traditional Cypriot cooking. What began as cherished family moments has now become a mission to preserve and celebrate those recipes for future generations. Her Instagram is more than just a food account; it’s a window into her family’s legacy, filled with the warmth and flavours of her childhood.
One of the things that makes Andrea’s journey so inspiring is the way she turned to cooking in a difficult time of her life. After experiencing loss and facing a long road of infertility, she found comfort in the kitchen with her grandparents, learning their stories, recording their recipes, and rekindling the joy that cooking brought to her heart. From those intimate family moments, The Traditional Plate was born, and what a beautiful gift it’s been to the world of food lovers.
Andrea’s posts are not just about food — they’re about family, memories, and the essence of Cypriot culture. She’s shared stories of making tarhana with her siblings and cousins, guarding the dough from curious birds, and more recently, hosting cooking demos with her γιαγιά (grandmother) at a local church hall. With four generations in the kitchen, Andrea continues to honour and preserve her family’s traditions while making new memories with her children.
Cypriot cuisine is the heart of her content, with its Mediterranean roots and unique blend of flavours. Andrea showcases recipes passed down from her grandparents, like her favourite cheese bourekia, or dishes her creative παππού (grandfather) adapted during his time as a chef in the army. For Andrea, preserving these recipes is about keeping her family’s culinary history alive, unaltered, and true to its roots.
Keep reading for a deeper dive into Andrea’s culinary world in the Q&A section below, where she shares her must-try Cypriot dishes and her special family traditions.
Get to know Andrea! 🎉
Congratulations on reaching 10k followers! How does it feel to see so many people connecting with your love for Cypriot cooking?
Thank you 🙂 The best feeling was letting γιαγιά and παππού know. They still find the whole thing surreal. We celebrated 10k at their house with Greek coffee and a homemade breakfast. It feels great sharing my time in the kitchen with my grandparents. Putting Cypriot cuisine on the map is just an added bonus.
Your posts often feature traditional Cypriot meals. What inspired you to start cooking with your grandparents and sharing these family recipes with the world?
My parents operate a successful seafood shop in Bondi so growing up we had many sleepovers at my grandparents’ house. I was always in the kitchen with γιαγιά and παππού. They are both excellent cooks in their own way and taught me so much in the kitchen. In 2018, I suffered my first miscarriage and the beginning of a long road of infertility. As difficult as it was, my happy place was my γιαγιά and παππού’s house. I spent most of my time hearing their stories, recording their recipes and enjoying many delicious meals. It was pure joy! I began posting and received a lot of positive response. The Traditional Plate was born.
Cooking with your grandparents must be so special. Can you share a memorable moment or a favourite story from your time in the kitchen together?
So many! Growing up my grandparents would make tarhana (fermented mixture of grain, yoghurt or milk) from scratch. They would allow the tarhana to dry in the sun for days. As kids, my siblings and cousins would gather during the school holidays and safeguard the tarhana from the birds and cats. We learnt to mix it, shape it and dry it. A tradition that has disappeared over the years but one I was grateful to experience as a kid. More recently, we were invited by the St George Fellowship to do a cooking demo at the Greek Orthodox church hall in Rosebay. Γιαγιά taught the youth how to make her famous cheese bourekia. Having my παππού frying the cheese pastries and my eldest daughter roll out the dough was amazing. You can't beat 4 generations in the kitchen, cooking together. Times like these are the most memorable for me.
Cypriot cuisine is rich with history and flavour. What are some of the key elements that you believe make it so unique?
The Cypriot cuisine follows the Mediterranean diet with a Turkish influence. The climate and agriculture have a huge impact on the flavour - tomatoes taste different with the rich soil, halloumi cheese is made from goat and sheep’s milk as opposed to the cow milk in Australia. When visiting Cyprus, I am always intrigued by their ability to preserve food and limit waste. For example, pattiha (watermelon) is enjoyed as a cold treat after dinner. The watermelon rind can be used to make traditional spoon sweets, which are the trademark of Cypriot hospitality and the ultimate treat.
Traditional recipes often come with a personal touch. Have you made any unique adaptations to classic Cypriot dishes that you now consider your own?
I haven't really adapted many recipes of my own. All I want to eat is my grandparents cooking, so I have worked hard to learn, record and preserve their recipes. I continue to cook for my family using the same ingredients and methods as my grandparents. Παππού is creative in the kitchen and loves experimenting - one of our favourite dishes is fasolada with bacon. Typically, a vegetarian meal where the beans are cooked in a rich tomato sauce. He adapted this traditional recipe when he was a chef in the army, he was looking for a reasonable price meat to add for extra protein and flavour. It’s the way my kids enjoy eating it now!
You’ve explored many traditional recipes. What’s one Cypriot dish that you think everyone should try at least once?
I could recommend the most popular dishes you eat at a traditional Greek Cypriot restaurant like kleftiko, pastitsio and stifado but it’s best to try flavours that are unique to Cyprus. Koupes are a popular street food in Cyprus and one of my favourite mezes. It’s bulgur wheat stuffed with ground meat and spices. They are perfectly fried and enjoyed with plenty of lemon. This is the first thing I buy from the bakery in Cyprus because it is a labour of love. Soujoukkos is also unique to Cyprus, it is nuts dipped in sweet grape jelly. Γιαγιά always brings this back from Cyprus. It keeps well in the fridge and is usually served with coffee.
As a fishmonger’s daughter, you must have a knack for seafood! What’s your favourite seafood dish to cook, and how has growing up around fresh fish influenced your cooking?
My parents have had the fish shop for 42 years now. My siblings and I were born into it and continue to help them run it. We are spoilt for fresh seafood as my dad buys straight from the fish market auction and sources the best local seafood from our Aussie fishermen. My family’s favourite dish is baked barramundi with a lemon and garlic crumb. Mine has to be Παππούς whole snapper baked in the oven with, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, olive oil and tomatoes. The flavours combined with the lemon juice just adds a delicious sweetness.
Cypriot desserts are a true delight. Do you have a favourite sweet treat that you love to make and share with others?
Growing up Γιαγιά lost her mother at a young age, as the eldest she took on the responsibility to look after her 5 younger siblings. She didn’t have the luxury to bake desserts for her family, it was about getting food on the table quickly for her siblings. For this reason, I have only started to experiment and learn how to make Cypriot desserts in my adulthood. My kids love rizogalo (rice pudding) and I love experimenting with various baklava fillings and shapes.
Cypriot culture is rich in traditions. Besides cooking, are there any other Cypriot traditions or customs that you enjoy participating in and passing down to future generations?
My favourite family tradition is Easter time. It truly is a family affair as we prepare for Easter Sunday during Holy Week. 4 generations gather at Γιαγιάs house and cook flaounes (a traditional cheese filled pastry). My grandparents love having their great grandchildren there as the recipe and technique is passed down from generation to generation. Our kids have learnt to roll the dough, add the filling and shape them. We all wait patiently for them to come out of the woodfire oven.
What’s your absolute favourite dish that Mr. Flunga cooks, even if he might be a bit of a procrastinator? What makes it so special to you?
For those that have followed me for a while know that Mr Flunga is my husband. His nickname is Mr Flunga because ‘flunga’ is slang for procrastination in Cypriot. He knows how to cook a good BBQ! Midweek he will take out the BBQ that Παππού gave him and cook the meat over the charcoal. It’s so tasty and cooked to perfection BUT he runs on Greek time. We usually eat at 9pm because beers, dancing and smoking must happen before cooking.
You have a love for quality ingredients. What are your favourite products from The Greek Providore that you always find yourself reaching for in the kitchen?
Everything! But my top 3 are good quality olive oil and vinegar. I am a salad girl, so I need to be able to dress my salad and taste the olive oil. I love the Ladolea brand of olive oils and am obsessed with their organic sweet vinegar with bergamot. I also can’t go past the gluten free klitharaki. I never go without herbs, including the Sparoza brand mixed herb cooking blend with lemon zest. I add it to my meat, vegetables and potatoes. For me, food is about flavour. Most of my pay is spent on good quality ingredients. I am happy to spend money on an olive oil that tastes rich and has the aroma of Greek olives.
Cyprus is full of hidden gems. Could you share some of your favourite lesser-known spots in Cyprus that hold a special place in your heart?
It would have to be my grandparent’s village, Agia Marina Xyliatou which is located at the foot of the Trodos mountain. We travelled to my grandparents’ house in the village in 2018. It was so lovely to stay with them, pick grapes from the vine and source most of our food from the land. It really is the ultimate village life. We would chat with neighbours, have siestas in the afternoon and catch up with family and friends over a cold beer at night. It’s not much of tourist destination as it only has 1 coffee shop in the centre of the park. However, the surrounding areas are popular tourist destinations such as the beautiful forest, Adelfoi.
