Halloumi
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox food Halloumi or haloumiTemplate:NoteTagTemplate:NoteTag is a cheese that originated from Cyprus. It is traditionally made from a mixture of goat milk and sheep's milk, and now, due to shortages, it increasingly contains cow's milk or milk from other animals such as buffalos and camels.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Its texture is described as "squeaky".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat alternative among vegetarians.<ref name=Rich/> Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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 and Northern Cyprus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.
Etymology
The English name halloumi is derived from Modern Template:Langx Template:IPA, Template:Translit, from Cypriot Maronite Arabic Template:Lang,<ref name=Heritage>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Comparative>Template:Cite book</ref> ultimately from Egyptian Template:Langx Template:Transliteration Template:IPA.<ref name=Heritage/><ref name=Comparative/><ref>Template:Cite OED2</ref>
The Egyptian Arabic word is itself a loanword from Coptic Template:Script/Coptic Template:Transliteration (Sahidic) and Template:Script/Coptic Template:Transliteration (Bohairic), and was used for cheese eaten in medieval Egypt.<ref name=Oxford>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The name of the cheese likely goes back to the Demotic word ḥlm Template:Gloss attested in manuscripts and ostraca from 2nd-century Roman Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Cypriot Turkish name Template:Lang derives from this source, as does the name of the different modern Egyptian cheese Template:Transliteration.<ref name=Oxford/>
History
Halloumi is thought to have first been made by Bedouins as its preserved qualities were ideal for a nomadic lifestyle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to folklore, sometime between AD 395 and 867 a herder in Cyprus combined milk from sheep and goats. The herder then heated the cream over a fire, sifted out the curds as they separated from the whey, then formed the curds into blobs and left them to cool.<ref name=Rich>Template:Cite news</ref>
A recipe for enhancing Template:Translit (Template:Gloss) by brining is found in the 14th-century Egyptian cookbook Template:Lang (Template:Translit).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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".<ref name=history>Template:Cite web</ref> The manuscript was transcribed by Leonardo Donato, later Doge of Venice.<ref name=history/><ref name=hell/> In 1788, Archimandrite Kyprianos referred to the cheese in his book Chronological History of the Island of Cyprus, where he also noted that the cheese was exported.<ref name=history/>
Traditionally, Cypriot halloumi was made from sheep and/or goat's milk, since there were few cows on the island until they were introduced by the British in the 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was typically made by cooperatives formed in villages, typically consisting of 10-15 women; the woman with the most goats led the cooperative.<ref name=history/> In the early 1940s, authorities began issuing licenses to produce the cheese.<ref name=history/>
By 2013, demand in the UK had surpassed that in every other European country except Cyprus, where that year, the average resident ate 8 kilograms of halloumi per year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2018, a protocol was signed for the export of halloumi to China and sales surged.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This led to a shortage of the cheese, exacerbated by high temperatures that led animals to produce less milk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref name=hell>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2023, annual production of the cheese exceeded 450,000 tons.<ref name=Surpass/> The U.S. imported 5,000 tons of halloumi, Japan imported 2,500 tons, and the UK imported 18,000 tons.<ref name=Surpass>Template:Cite news</ref>
Overview and preparation
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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Traditional halloumi is a semicircular shape, weighing Template:Convert. 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Traditional halloumi is typically made from fresh, unpasteurized sheep and/or goat's milk.<ref name=Varieties>Template:Citation</ref> However, for its commercial production a mixture of pasteurized sheep, goat and cow's milk is used.<ref name=hell/><ref name=metagenomic/><ref name=ingredients>Template:Cite web</ref>
Two main types of halloumi exist: fresh and mature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fresh halloumi has a semi-hard, elastic texture and a milder, less salty flavor compared to the aged version. As mature halloumi is stored in brine it has a harder, drier texture, as well as a saltier flavor.<ref name=ingredients/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both versions have a slight minty flavor, due to the addition of spearmint during the production of the cheese.Template:Cn
Sealed, halloumi (both fresh and mature) can last in a refrigerator for as long as a year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Production
Production of halloumi cheese involves several key steps:<ref name=Microflora>Template:Citation</ref>
The first step of halloumi production involves the coagulation of the milk in order to make curds. 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 of whey has been removed.<ref name=Microflora/>
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,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> during a process known as scalding.<ref name=Varieties/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
For the production of mature halloumi, the cheese needs to be kept in the brine whey for at least 40 days.<ref name=metagenomic>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Nutritional facts
Template:Convert of commercially produced packaged halloumi branded by Tesco contains:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Fat | 24.6 g |
|---|---|
| Saturated fat | 17.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.8 g |
| Sugar | 0.5 g |
| Protein | 22.0 g |
| Energy | 313 calories |
| Salt | 3.0 g |
Legal issues
In the United States, Halloumi is a registered trademark owned by Cyprus, while in the UK it is owned by the Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
It is protected as a geographical indication in the European Union, as a protected designation of origin (PDO), which means, within the EU, only products made in certain parts of Cyprus can be called "halloumi".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2006, a German enterprise registered the trademark "Gazi hellim"; hellim is the name of the cheese in the Turkish language. The Cypriot dairy producers' organisation filed a complaint with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, which was rejected.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
- Georgios Vizyinos, who lived in Cyprus as a teenager, wrote a poem To Ptochon tis Kyprou (Το πτωχόν της Κύπρου) (1867) that describes eating halloumi cheese in a village.<ref name=history/>
- The Cypriot surnames Halloumas, Hallouma, Halloumakis, and Halloumis likely relate to halloumi production.<ref name=history/>
See also
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- Bread cheese
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Notes
References
External links
Template:Cuisine of Egypt Template:Cuisine of CyprusTemplate:Greek cuisineTemplate:Cuisine of Lebanon Template:Turkish cheeses Template:African cuisine