Halloumi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Country of origin | Cyprus | |||
| Region, town | islandwide | |||
| Source of milk | Goats or Sheep | |||
| Pasteurised | Traditionally no, but commercially yes | |||
| Texture | semi-soft | |||
| Aging time | Not aged | |||
| Certification | No | |||
Halloumi (Greek: χαλλούμι, Turkish: Hellim), is a cheese indigenous to Cyprus. It is traditionally made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, although some halloumi can be bought that also contains cows' milk. Industrial halloumi contains more cows milk than goat and sheep milk. This reduces the cost but changes the taste and the grilling properties.
The cheese is white, with distinctive layered texture, similar to mozzarella, and a salty flavor. It is stored in its natural juices with salt-water, and can keep for up to a year if deep frozen at −18 °C (0 °F) and defrosted to +4 °C (39 °F) for sale at supermarkets. It is often garnished with mint. The mint is supposed to add a taste while some claim that it has natural anti-bacterial action that was traditionally helpful to increase the life of the cheese.
It is used in cooking, as it can be fried until brown without melting due to its higher-than-normal melting point, making it an excellent cheese for frying or grilling (such as in saganaki), as an ingredient in salads, or simply fried and served with vegetables. The resistance to melting comes from the fresh curd being heated before being shaped and placed in brine. Traditional halloumi is a semi-circle shape, about the size of a large wallet, weighing 220-270 g. 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 consumed.
Cypriots like eating halloumi with watermelon in the warm months. No Cypriot meze menu would be complete without halloumi and lounza. This dish is simply a combination of halloumi cheese and either a slice of smoked pork, or a soft lamb sausage (opinion appears to differ on which is the true lounza) simply layered one on top of the other and then grilled. Halloumi is also often used in bacon sandwiches, but also makes a satisfying dish on its own or with salad.
Currently Halloumi is registered as a protected Cypriot product within the US (since the 1990s) but not the EU. The delay in registering the name halloumi with the EU has been largely due to a conflict between dairy producers and sheep and goat farmers as to whether registered halloumi will contain cow’s milk or not and if so, at what ratios with sheep and goat’s milk. [1] [2]Once registered as a PDO (Protected designation of origin) it will enjoy the same safeguard as 600 or so other agricultural products such as feta and parmesan cheese. Halloumi is also registered in Canada as "Hallomi" without the "U" due to a dispute with a dairy producer in Canada.
[edit] References
- ^ Application for the name ‘halloumi’ to go to EU in early 2007 , Cyprus Mail archive article - Saturday, September 2, 2006 [1]
- ^ Saoulli, Alexia. "Halloumi bickering threatens EU application", Cyprus Mail, March 3, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-04.
