(Hellim)
Halloumi is a cheese made in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, Paphos, and Kyrenia since ancient times. It is made from fresh, full-fat sheep's or goat's milk or a mixture of both, with or without the addition of cow's milk (traditionally, cow's milk is not added).
The milk comes from local breeds of goats and sheep or their cross-breeds and cows that were brought to the island in the last century. The curd is folded to be easier to fit in the containers of whey. The mint leaves are placed between the curd layers during the folding process, allowing the mint to give its typical aroma to the final product.
There are two main types of Halloumi cheese – fresh and mature. The fresh one is semi-hard and elastic, white to slightly yellow in color. Read more
It has a minty and salty flavor and a strong milky smell. The mature Halloumi is a semi-hard to hard cheese left to mature in salted whey for at least 40 days. It has a similar flavor and aroma as the fresh one, but is fairly bitter and very salty.
There is also the third type - the first made, extremely fresh Halloumi which is very soft and fluffy, and people often buy it in the morning when it's still warm. Halloumi cheese does not change its shape at high temperatures and is therefore often used for frying and grilling.
It can be served as it is or used as an ingredient in many meals, most favourite being Halloumi pie or tasty Halloumi canapes.
Best Halloumi
