Koupes

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koupes new2

Koupes (found also in other countries under the name kibbeh, kibbe, kubbah, kubbat), is a street food we find in Cyprus and one of the most usual place we used to find them was on Sunday mornings outside the Church yards. I am not sure if you can still find them outside churches but I know that they are now sold in supermarkets or in confectioneries.

Koupes are a finger food, served as a mezes as we call it in Greek or a snack, which is usually eaten by the hand. Its crust is made of bulgur wheat, flour, oil, salt and egg (optional) and stuffed with ground meat, lots of onions, parsley and spices. Actually the ones sold by stree vendors were mostly with lots of onions and parsley and less minced meat.

koupes machine

Note:  The machine you see above is for making sausages.  However, there is an extra part which is inserted inside the white nozzle, which presses the bulgar to come out as a cylinder.

I have tried several times to make them and this was my third attempt. The first was a total disaster and the second although they tasted good, they lacked appearance as they cracked during frying. After a few attemps I finally managed to make them.

In Cyprus you can find two kinds of bulgur wheat. One is for pilaf and the other one which is much thinner is only for koupes. I brought some with me, as the bulgur wheat I find in Greece is not very fine but next time I shall attempt and grind it in the spice grinder and make it like semolina and see how it works.

 

During Lent we also make them vegan and use mushrooms instead of ground meat:

An easy way to make the shell is to use an attachment for a mincing (or sausage) machine which is designed to make koupes.   I had this machine for many years but only during my last visit to Cyprus in 2014, I learned that you can use it to make koupes.

Making koupes

The shells come out  quite thin, into a long, hollow sausage which you cut at the size you prefer.

cutting koupes

You then close one end, fill them and close the other as well.

Koupes from Cyprus

You can find the recipe of Koupes, in my other blog.

The recipe is included in Volume 2 of My cookbook or in the pdf of both volumes of My Cookbook.

 

 

frying koupes

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

9 thoughts on “Koupes”

  1. Pingback: Koupes

  2. Am I weird? I actually prefer the mushroom ones. My Mother in Law to be makes both kinds and if she leaves the mushroom ones unattended they disappear 🙂 Yum.

    Reply ↓

  4. Hi ivy, just reading your blog, great info. I lived in Cyprus for a number of years, in fact mother married a Cypriot she lived there for nearly 40 yrs god bless her.
    We buried her 3 years ago in Cyprus in beautiful location half way up the mountains in a church yard of course.
    Any way Iam now thinking of opening a small Cypriot cafe/venue and intend to practice my culinary skills ( Cypriot of course). I part owned a Cyprus cafe and catered for the Cypriots in Limassol just off Markarius avenue. I can prepare and serve most Cypriot dishes but never tried Koupes so your methodology in preparing the outer shell will help. So with the Cypriot live music and your help
    it should go down quite well . Ill read your blog for any further help.
    David

    Reply ↓

  5. I am married to a Cypriot man and we just came back from Cyprus yesterday. We all LOVE Koupas ( including our three little boys) and I have also tried in the past to make them but they also fell apart. A women in my mother -n- laws village in Dromolaxia makes them and was nice enough to let me watch her. I tried to find a machine to make the casing but was unsuccessful. I have been looking on line at different pasta makers but they don’t seem to have the attatchment I need. Would you be able to direct me as to where I could go about getting one? thanks soooo much

    Reply ↓

  6. Pingback: Koupes with Mushrooms - Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality

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