Halloumi

Halloumi
Fresh sliced halloumi
Alternative namesHellim (Turkish)
Region or stateEastern Mediterranean
Main ingredientsgoat's, sheep's milk
Other informationEU: PDO (Cyprus) 2021

Halloumi or haloumi[note 1] is a cheese that is thought to have originated from Cyprus, though some contest that it originated in Egypt[1]. It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk.[2][3][4] Its texture is described as squeaky.[5] It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute. Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production,[6] although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.[7]

Halloumi is popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.[8][9] By 2013, demand in the United Kingdom had surpassed that in every other European country except Cyprus.[10]

In the United States, Halloumi is a registered trademark owned by the government of Cyprus, while in the UK it is owned by the Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi.[11] It is also protected as a geographical indication in the EU, as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which means within the EU only products made in certain parts of Cyprus can be called "halloumi".[12][13] PDO protection for Halloumi was delayed largely by disagreements among farmers of cattle, sheep, and goats regarding the inclusion of cows' milk, and (if cows' milk were included) the proportion of it.[14][15]


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Welz, Gisela (2017). May, Sarah; Sidali, Katia Laura; Spiller, Achim; Tschofen, Bernhard (eds.). Taste, power, tradition: geographical indications as cultural property. Göttingen studies in cultural property. Göttingen, Niedersachs: Universitätsverlag Göttingen. p. 25. ISBN 978-3-86395-208-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ "Cyprus - Cultural life - Daily life and social customs - halloumi cheese". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 16 June 2009. Geography has left Cyprus heir to numerous culinary traditions—particularly those of the Levant, Anatolia, and Greece — but some dishes, such as the island's halloumi cheese…are purely Cypriot.
  3. ^ Ayto, John (1990). The glutton's glossary: a dictionary of food and drink terms. Routledge. p. 133. ISBN 0-415-02647-4. Haloumi, or halumi, is a mild salty Cypriot cheese made from goats', ewes,' or cows' milk.
  4. ^ Dew, Philip; Reuvid, Jonathan, eds. (2005). Doing Business with the Republic of Cyprus. GMB Publishing Ltd. p. 46. ISBN 1-905050-54-2. Cyprus has managed to secure EU recognition of halloumi as a traditional cheese of Cyprus; therefore no other country may export cheese of the same name
  5. ^ "Why does halloumi, but not other cheese, "squeak" against your teeth?". New Scientist. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  6. ^ Lazarou, Stalo. "Χαλλούμι". foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy (in Greek). Cyprus Food Virtual Museum. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  7. ^ Charles O'Connor. Traditional Cheesemaking Manual. International Livestock Centre for Africa.
  8. ^ Robinson, R. K. – Tamime, A. Y. (1991). Feta and Related Cheeses. Woodhead Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 1-85573-278-5. Halloumi is a semi-hard to hard, unripened cheese that, traditionally, is made from either sheep's milk or goat's milk or a mixture of the two. Although the cheese has its origins in Cyprus, it is widely popular throughout the Middle East, and hence many countries have now become involved with its manufacture. In Australia, it is coated with a greek yogurt.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Allen, Gary J. (2007). The herbalist in the kitchen. University of Illinois Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-252-03162-5. Haloumi (sometimes spelled Halloumi) is a brine-cured cheese from Cyprus containing chopped mint.
  10. ^ Cooke, Nicholas (22 September 2013). "How halloumi took over the UK". BBC News. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Cyprus wins back UK halloumi trademark". Financial Mirror. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  12. ^ Smith, Helena (24 April 2021). "EU special status for halloumi fails to calm divisions in Cyprus". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Halloumi now registered as a Protected Designation of Origin". European Commission. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Application for the name 'halloumi' to go to EU in early 2007". Cyprus Mail. September 2, 2006. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ Saoulli, Alexia (3 March 2007). "Halloumi bickering threatens EU application". Cyprus Mail. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2007.