Cypriot sheftalia has secured second place in TasteAtlas’ ranking of the world’s best sausage dishes, scoring 4.3 out of 5 and placing just behind Greece’s spetsofai.
For many in Cyprus, sheftalia is an essential part of a souvlaki mix, a favourite meze and a familiar feature of the island’s barbecue culture. Its latest international recognition puts the traditional dish among the highest-rated sausage-based specialities worldwide.
The distinction comes as TasteAtlas highlights sausages and related preparations from different countries through its Sausages of the World charts. These offer a culinary overview of different ingredients, traditions and user ratings, rather than a numbered ranking. Sheftalia’s second place refers specifically to the platform’s Top 40 Sausage Dishes in the World list.
What makes Cypriot sheftalia special?
One of the defining features of Cypriot sheftalia is the way it is wrapped. Unlike most sausages, which are encased in intestine, sheftalia is wrapped in panna, a thin layer of fatty membrane that surrounds the minced meat.
As it cooks on the grill, the fat melts, helping the outside brown while keeping the filling juicy.
According to TasteAtlas, the traditional preparation includes minced pork and lamb, onion and parsley. The combination of meat, herbs and charcoal grilling gives sheftalia its distinctive flavour and texture.
Greece takes the top spot with spetsofai
Greece’s spetsofai leads the same ranking with a score of 4.4 out of 5.
Originating in Thessaly, the dish combines sausages and peppers, cut into large pieces and cooked in a rich tomato sauce, sometimes with added hot pepper. It can be served as a meze or a main course, usually accompanied by bread.
Greek sausages also come in a wide range of regional varieties. TasteAtlas describes loukaniko as a broad category that includes fresh, smoked and cured sausages, with ingredients varying from one region to another. These can include leeks, red wine, coriander, orange peel and fennel seeds.
Greek loukaniko scores 4.0 out of 5 and ranks 18th in TasteAtlas’ European Cooked Sausages list, a separate category from the one featuring sheftalia.
Sausages from around the world
TasteAtlas’ charts also highlight a range of traditional sausage varieties from across the world.
Among the highest-rated is Portugal’s Alheira de Mirandela, which scores 4.3. This smoked sausage combines meat with bread, garlic and paprika, giving it a texture different from meat-only varieties.
Several other specialities score 4.2, including Germany’s small Nürnberger Bratwürste, known for their marjoram flavour, the garlic-rich and spiced Sucuk, and Romania’s Cârnați de Pleșcoi, traditionally associated with mutton and a spicy taste.
Italy’s Salsiccia scores 4.1 and represents a broad family of fresh sausages with different seasonings, often including fennel seeds. The North African Merguez, known for its spicy flavour, receives the same rating.
The selection also features sausages made with ingredients such as rice, barley, potatoes, offal and cheese, reflecting the different ways communities around the world have adapted sausage-making to local ingredients and culinary traditions.
For Cyprus, sheftalia’s second-place ranking offers international recognition for a dish that remains a familiar favourite at family gatherings, tavernas and barbecues.
TasteAtlas rankings are based on user ratings and are updated regularly. They do not represent the outcome of a competition or an award decided by a judging panel.
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