Flaounes

Flaouna

A flaouna halved, showing both the sesame seed topping and the raisins inside
Type	Pastry
Place of origin	Cyprus
Main ingredients	Cheese
Variations	May include raisins

Flaouna (Greek: φλαούνα, Turkish: pilavuna) is a cheese-filled pastry from the island of Cyprus, which may include raisins or be garnished with sesame seeds. Flaounes are traditionally prepared for Easter by Orthodox Greeks as well as Ramadan by Muslim Turkish Cypriots. Regional names for flaouna include vlaouna, fesoudki (Greek:φεσούδκι) in Karavas, and aflaouna in Karpasia.

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.

Flaounes were featured as a technical challenge in The Great British Bake Off pastry week episode of season six.