 Fresh sliced halloumi | |
| Place of origin | Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | goat's,sheep's milk |
Halloumi orhaloumi[a] is acheese that originated fromCyprus. It is traditionally made fromgoat milk orsheep's milk, or a mixture of the two, but some halloumi is now made largely from cheaper cow's milk, for economic reasons.[1] The cheese's texture is described as "squeaky".[2] It has a highmelting point and so can easily befried orgrilled, a property that makes it a popularmeat alternative among vegetarians.[3]Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used tocurdle the milk in halloumi production,[4] although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.[5]
Due to trademark law, for a cheese to be called "halloumi" in the U.S. or the European Union, it must be produced in Cyprus. The global halloumi market is approximately US$500 million in sales per year and the UK is the largest importer. Halloumi accounts for 13.4 % of exports from the Republic of Cyprus.[6]
Although legend attributes the origin of halloumi to Cyprus, it is unclear if it was first produced there; records of it on the island date to around 1554.
The English namehalloumi is derived from ModernGreek:χαλλούμι[xaˈlumi],khalloúmi, fromCypriot Maronite Arabicxallúm,[7][8] ultimately fromEgyptian Arabic[ħalˈluːm].[7][8][9]
The Egyptian Arabic word is itself aloanword fromCopticϩⲁⲗⲱⲙhalōm (Sahidic) andⲁⲗⲱⲙalōm (Bohairic), and was used for cheese eaten inmedieval Egypt.[10][11] The name of the cheese likely goes back to theDemotic wordḥlm'cheese' attested in manuscripts andostraca from 2nd-centuryRoman Egypt.[12]
TheCypriot Turkish namehellim derives from this source, as does the name of the different modern Egyptian cheesehâlûmi.[10]
Halloumi is thought to have first been made by Bedouins as its preserved qualities were ideal for a nomadic lifestyle.[13] According to folklore, sometime between AD 395 and 867 a herder in Cyprus combined milk from sheep and goats. The herder then heated the mixture over a fire, sifted out the curds as they separated from the whey, then formed the curds into blobs and left them to cool.[3]
A recipe for enhancingḥalūm ('cheese') by brining is found in the 14th-century Egyptian cookbookكنز الفوائد في تنويع الموائد (Kanz al-Fawāʾid fī Tanwīʿ al-Mawāʾid).[14]
The earliest known surviving descriptions of halloumi in Cyprus were recorded around 1554 by Florios Voustroniou, head of the Secretariat in the Venetian administration of Cyprus, where it was called "calumi".[15] The manuscript was transcribed byLeonardo Donato, laterDoge of Venice.[15][1] In 1788,Archimandrite Kyprianos referred to the cheese in his bookChronological History of the Island of Cyprus, where he also noted that the cheese was exported.[15]
Traditionally, Cypriot halloumi was made from goat’s and/or sheep milk, since there were few cows on the island until they were introduced by the British in the 20th century.[16] It was typically made bycooperatives formed in villages, typically consisting of 10-15 women; the woman with the most goats led the cooperative.[15] In the early 1940s, authorities began issuing licenses to produce the cheese.[15]
By 2013, demand in the UK had surpassed that in every otherEuropean country except Cyprus, where that year, the average resident ate 8 kilograms of halloumi per year.[17]
In 2018, a protocol was signed for the export of halloumi to China and sales surged.[18] This led to a shortage of the cheese, exacerbated by high temperatures that led animals to produce less milk.[19]
As demand grew, industrial cheese-makers began using more of the cheaper and more plentiful cow's milk; by 2019, almost all halloumi exported to the UK used 80% cow's milk.[1]
In 2023, annual production of the cheese exceeded 450,000 tons.[20] The U.S. imported 5,000 tons of halloumi, Japan imported 2,500 tons, and the UK imported 18,000 tons.[20]
Although it can be consumed raw, halloumi is often used in cooking and can be fried until brown (without melting) due to its higher-than-typical melting point. This makes it an excellent cheese forfrying orgrilling (as insaganaki) and serving either as is, or with vegetables, or as an ingredient in salads or sandwiches. There are many recipes that use halloumi beyond simple grilling.[21]
Traditional halloumi is a hemispherical shape, weighing 220–270 grams (7.8–9.5 oz). The fat content is approximately 25% wet weight, 47% dry weight with about 17% protein. Its firm texture when cooked causes it to squeak on the teeth when being chewed.[22]
Traditional halloumi is typically made from fresh,unpasteurized goat’s and/or sheep milk.[23] However, for its commercial production a mixture of pasteurized cow’s, goat and sheep milk is used.[1][24][25]
Two main types of halloumi exist: fresh and mature.[26] Fresh halloumi has a semi-hard, elastic texture and a milder, less salty flavor compared to the aged version. As mature halloumi is stored inbrine it has a harder, drier texture, as well as a saltier flavor.[25][27] Both versions have a slight minty flavor, due to the addition of spearmint during the production of the cheese.[citation needed]
Sealed, halloumi (both fresh and mature) can last in a refrigerator for as long as a year.[28]
Production of halloumi cheese involves several key steps:[29]
The first step of halloumi production involves the coagulation of the milk in order to makecurds. This occurs by stirring rennet into the milk mixture while keeping it at a temperature of 30–34 °C until the milk coagulates (a process which takes approximately 30–45 minutes). Once the curd is formed it is then cut, reheated and stirred in order to increase its firmness. The curds are then added to special molds and pressed until a sufficient amount ofwhey has been removed.[29]
The next step of production involves the boiling of the pressed curds in hot whey (collected during the pressing of the curds) for at least 30 minutes,[30] during a process known as scalding.[23] This is the most crucial step in the halloumi production as it contributes to the characteristic texture of the cheese. The cooked pieces are then removed from the whey and are salted and garnished with fresh or dried mint (Mentha viridis) leaves. They are then folded and stored in salted whey for 1–3 days before being packed in airtight containers, ready to be sold and consumed.[31]
For the production of mature halloumi, the cheese needs to be kept in the brine whey for at least 40 days.[24]
100 grams (3.5 oz) of commercially produced packaged halloumi branded byTesco contains:[32]
| Fat | 24.6 g |
|---|---|
| Saturated fat | 17.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.8 g |
| Sugar | 0.5 g |
| Protein | 22.0 g |
| Energy | 313calories |
| Salt | 3.0 g |
In the United States,Halloumi is a registered trademark owned byCyprus, while in the UK it is owned by the Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi.[33]
It is protected as ageographical indication in theEuropean Union, as aprotected designation of origin (PDO), which means, within the EU, only products made in certain parts of Cyprus can be called "halloumi".[34][35] PDO protection for Halloumi was delayed largely by disagreements among farmers of cattle, sheep, and goats regarding the inclusion of and amount of cows' milk in the cheese.[36][37]
In 2006, a German enterprise registered the trademark "Gazi hellim"; hellim is the name of the cheese in theTurkish language. The Cypriot dairy producers' organisation filed a complaint with theEuropean Union Intellectual Property Office, which was rejected.[38]
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Media related toHalloumi at Wikimedia Commons
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