What Is Halloumi Cheese? (2024)

FAQs

What does halloumi cheese taste like? ›

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.

Many Halloumi-style cheeses are prepared by dairy and goat farmers in Canada and the United States. For legal proprietary reasons, these cheeses are usually called Halloumi-style or grillable cheeses. Sometimes they are called grilling cheese or frying cheese, or queso de freír in Spanish.

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.

Halloumi cheese has a unique savory flavor and firm texture. It contains calcium and protein which helps keep bones healthy and may help reduce type 2 diabetes risk. It's best to eat it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Halloumi is made out of sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's or goat's milk due to the animal milking production—though nowadays you can also find Halloumi varieties with a mix of these kinds of milk, thus lowering the price of the product.

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.

Halloumi cheese also contains high levels of selenium, which is a mineral that has anti-inflammatory properties. Selenium helps reduce inflammation throughout the body, which can help relieve pain and improve joint health. The high levels of selenium in halloumi cheese also help boost the immune system.

Instead of the former, substitute halloumi: another Mediterranean cheese similar to the Greek classic, but with a more mild taste and firmer texture. Halloumi works as a perfect feta substitute because it's more neutral in taste and smell than feta, but not different enough to fully change any given dish.

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.

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.

Why is halloumi so hard to find? ›

PDO protection for Halloumi was delayed largely by disagreements among farmers of cattle, sheep, and goats regarding the inclusion of cows' milk, and (if cows' milk were included) the proportion of it.

Same day is best - It's best to fry only what you're going to eat while the cheese is still warm. Once it cools down, halloumi will get rubbery again. Beware of refrigerating cooked halloumi for use on another day; refrigeration tends to make fried halloumi too hard and firm.

Cypriots also enjoy halloumi fried for a hearty breakfast served with eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, and traditional Cypriot sausages like loukaniko or lountza (smoked pork marinated in red wine). Because it can withstand high heat, halloumi is perfect for the grill.

Halloumi is originated from the Middle Eastern as a Bedouin cheese made from ewes “Sheep pedigree exists mostly in Iraq, Syria and Jordan” and sometimes goats' milk and it is famous with the Squeaky texture this is why it is described as Squeaky cheese.

It develops a crispy, flavorful exterior, with a soft, squeaky inside. It's this textural versatility that makes halloumi so similar to feta, which likewise tastes great grilled as a block. However, halloumi retains a milder taste than the former cheese, so it serves a more neutral function in recipes.

Halloumi is a semi-firm, fresh cheese historically made from sheep or goat's milk, hailing from the island of Cyprus. Similar in texture to a cheese curd, halloumi has a salty taste with a slight tang — similar in flavor to feta.