Have You Tried Halloumi Cheese? (2024)

FAQs

Is halloumi actually cheese? ›

Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made principally in Cyprus from sheep or goat milk or mixture of the two. The raw milk is coagulated as for Feta cheese. The blocks of the cheese (10 × 10 × 3 cm) are heated at 92–95°C in the whey extracted during draining.

Traditionally prepared from goat's and/or sheep's milk on the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Halloumi is a white, layered cheese, similar to mozzarella. It is a semihard, unripened, and brined cheese with a slightly spongy texture. Its flavor is tangy and salty, and it has no rind.

Halloumi has a very appealing flavor that's unlike any other cheese: mellow, but not in the least boring, mildly feta-like, notably tangy, and never too strong. It can be enjoyed almost any of the ways you'd eat other cheeses: sliced, for a simple snack, cubed in salads or melted it in or on casseroles.

Beyond its delectable taste and versatility, halloumi cheese offers a compelling choice for those seeking high-protein, low-carbohydrate options. It is also a great option for lactose-intolerant people, as it is very low in lactose. Halloumi cheese is also a good source of phosphorus.

When eaten regularly in large quantities halloumi can be considered unhealthy, as this fried cheese is pretty high in saturated fat and salt. However, when eaten sporadically as part of a balanced diet, halloumi has a range of health benefits, as it's high in calcium and protein.

You'll probably feel pretty stupid calling it "squeaky cheese," but as soon as you take a bite you'll understand why it makes sense. Sometimes called Greek grilling cheese, halloumi is just that — a dense cheese that holds its shape and won't drip through the grates when grilled.

Compared to cow's milk, goat's and sheep's milk are typically more costly due to the lower milk yield and the challenges associated with raising these animals. In addition to the higher cost of the ingredients, the production process of halloumi cheese requires careful craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Halloumi could be eaten raw, but it typically isn't as its flavour and texture is enhanced when cooked. A big part of enjoying halloumi is the crisp, browned outside and soft inside when cooked, and this would be lost if eaten raw.

Halloumi and Feta, are commonly made from a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk, but there are variations in production as in many milk-based products. Feta can be made either with only sheep's milk or only goat's milk and sometimes halloumi includes cow's milk in the mixture.

This makes it an excellent cheese for frying or grilling (as in saganaki) 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.

Does halloumi need to be refrigerated? ›

Halloumi will keep in the refrigerator for as long as a year, if it's unopened. Once opened, store it in the refrigerator in salt water in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Or wrap it tightly in waxed paper, parchment paper or cheese wrap. Rewrap in fresh paper whenever you unwrap it.

Traditionally, Halloumi is made from goat's or sheep's milk (or a combo of the two), but cow's milk is also used today. As for the flavor, it's tangy and salty, somewhere between mozzarella and feta cheeses.

Currently, the UK is the country consuming the highest number of halloumi cheese outside of Cyprus. Mainly Southern Cyprus halloumi exports highly depend on consumption by Cypriots living abroad in countries like Australia, the UK, Germany and others, rather than local consumers.

Nutritionally haloumi cheese contains slightly less fat (26 per cent) than regular cheddar cheese but more than double the sodium content thanks to the brine used to preserve it. Haloumi is delicious, and as such one of the biggest issues it poses is the risk of overeating.

It is the high pH (low acid) of the cheese that causes this non-melting characteristic. Although the cheese keeps its shape, its outward appearance turns into a crispy, golden-brown color when fried or browned and with grill marks when grilled, it softens significantly but it does not melt.

Halloumi cheese has a semihard, elastic and compact texture, a slight rind, and no holes or openings. It is easily sliceable, the color varies from white (when sheep or goats' milk is used) through yellowish (when cows' milk is used) in production (Guley and Akbulut, 2004; Milci et al., 2005).

What is halloumi? Originating from Cyprus, halloumi is a semi-hard, un-ripened, brined cheese that can be made from cow, sheep or goat's milk. It can be eaten raw but is truly delicious cooked, having a high melting point, makes it an excellent choice for grilling or frying.

This is because, unlike many cheeses, halloumi has a high pH, as no starter cultures are used in its production. It seems that when this dense casein network “rubs” against the enamel of the teeth, it produces a squeak. Other cheeses usually have a lower pH, which tends to make the casein more fragile.