Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox food Halloumi or haloumiTemplate:NoteTagTemplate:NoteTag is a cheese that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Its texture is described as squeaky.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute. Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production,<ref name=CFVM>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Halloumi is popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.<ref name="Robinson, R. K. – Tamime, A. Y. 1991 144">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By 2013, demand in the United Kingdom had surpassed that in every other European country except Cyprus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the United States, Halloumi is a registered trademark owned by the government of 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 also protected as a geographical indication in the EU, 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 name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 was included) the proportion of it.<ref>"Application for the name 'halloumi' to go to EU in early 2007". Cyprus Mail. September 2, 2006. {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
EtymologyEdit
The English name halloumi is derived from Modern Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Template:Translit, from Cypriot Maronite Arabic {{#invoke:Lang|lang}},<ref name="AHD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Borg 2004">Template:Cite book</ref> ultimately from Egyptian Template:Langx Template:Transliteration {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref name="AHD"/><ref name="Borg 2004"/><ref name="OED2">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>Andriotis et al., Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής</ref><ref name="Otter 2016">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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Cypriot Turkish name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} derives from this source, as does the name of the different modern Egyptian cheese Template:Transliteration.<ref name="Otter 2016" />
HistoryEdit
A recipe for enhancing Template:Translit (Template:Gloss) by brining is found in the 14th-century Egyptian cookbook {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Translit).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The earliest known surviving descriptions of halloumi in Cyprus were recorded in the mid-16th century by Italian visitors to Cyprus,<ref name='papademas'>P. Papademas, "Halloumi Cheese", p. 117ff, in Adnan Tamime, ed., Brined Cheeses. Society of Dairy Technology series, Blackwell. 2006, Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="Patapiou 2006">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> where it is often said to have originated.<ref name="Robinson, R. K. – Tamime, A. Y. 1991 144"/> However, the question of whether the recipe for the quintessential halloumi was born in Cyprus and then travelled to Lebanon and the rest of the Levant, or whether the basic techniques of making cheese that resists melting evolved over time in various parts of the eastern Mediterranean—or both—does not have a definitive answer.<ref name="papademas" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Welz 2015">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Garanti 2016">Template:Cite conference</ref>
Traditionally, Cypriot halloumi was made from sheep and/or goat's milk, since there were few cows on the island until they were brought over by the British in the 20th century. But as demand grew, industrial cheese-makers began using more of the cheaper and more plentiful cow's milk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Overview and preparationEdit
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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=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, unpasteurised sheep and/or goat's milk.<ref name=":3">Template:Citation</ref> However, for its commercial production a mixture of pasteurized sheep, goat and occasionally cow's milk is used (with the cow's milk making up the lowest proportion of the milk used, if used at all).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Two main types of halloumi exist: fresh and mature.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=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=":2" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=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 news</ref>
ProductionEdit
Production of halloumi cheese involves several key steps.<ref name=":0">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=":0" />
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=":3" /> 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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=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=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Nutritional factsEdit
Template:Convert of commercially produced packaged halloumi typically contains:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Fat | 26.9 g |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 2.2 g |
| Protein | 21.2 g |
| Energy | 336 cal |
| Salt | 2.8 g |
See alsoEdit
- Template:Annotated link
- Bread cheese
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NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Cuisine of Egypt Template:Cuisine of CyprusTemplate:Greek cuisineTemplate:Cuisine of Lebanon Template:Turkish cheeses Template:African cuisine