Food safety regulations for commercial production are strict, but the old folk in the villages still make halloumi in the same traditional way that has been handed down over the years from generation to generation.
How Halloumi is Made
The goats and the sheep are milked every morning. The milk is then strained and heated in large vats before adding rennet to set off the curdling process. If there is not enough milk one day it will be refrigerated until sufficient has been collected to fill the vat. Once the curds have set into a soft cheese, the mass is removed from the whey and wrapped tightly in a large clean cloth. It is pressed between two heavy wooden boards before being cut into manageable squares. Every drop of liquid is collected and returned to the vat. The whey is simmered gently over the heat until a crumbly cottage cheese, "anari" forms, which is removed with a sieved ladle.
The halloumi is then cooked in the whey to give it its firm rubbery texture. While the pieces are still warm, they are liberally sprinkled with salt and mint, folded in half and then stored in large containers of salted whey. In this manner the halloumi can last for several weeks and for up to a year when individually wrapped in a freezer.
In the villages fresh anari is often served as a pudding sprinkled with sugar and cinammon. But most of the day’s production is shaped into salted or unsalted portions to be eaten fresh or allowed to dry for grating over pasta dishes.
The most prized halloumi is produced between May and July because it keeps well for months, becoming harder and firmer as it matures. No milking takes place between August and October. Halloumi which is produced when the milking is resumed in November is best eaten within a few weeks while it is still fresh and soft.
Simple Halloumi Recipes
- Chunks of halloumi can be grilled over red-hot charcoals on the barbecue and popped into toasted pockets of "pitta" bread .
- For an evening snack it can be fried in a little oil to release its lovely nutty flavor and served with "lounza" ham.
- A savoury pastry mixture is made by mixing grated halloumi with beaten eggs. Add some dried mint for extra flavour.
- Diced halloumi can also be added to enhance a spinach pie or to garnish a salad.
- What about dessert? Try halloumi sprinkled with walnuts and drizzled with honey!
With Koulouri …..
Halloumi can be served in thick fresh slices with cucumber and tomato as an accompaniment to locally brewed beer and “koulouri”, an aromatic local bread. Try it with ice-cold chunks of water-melon.
….and with Trahanas
In winter-time it is added to the popular Cypriot soup known as "trahanas" which is made from cracked wheat. When halloumi is simmered, in five minutes it becomes very soft and succulent. In this way it losed much of its fat and salt content which is useful to know for those who suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
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