29 halloumi is the national cheese of Cyprus? Did you know that... The island’s most famous cheese – halloumi – is a delicious and versatile product that has a distinctive texture. It is fantastic both cold and cooked (grilled or fried). In fact, it is unlikely that you will not encounter this cheese on your visit to the island, whether it is in a sandwich, as part of a traditional “meze” or at breakfast! This white, semi-hard cheese, a protected designation of origin (PDO) product, has been produced on the island for centuries. It is traditionally prepared with a precise quantity of goat or sheep’s milk (mainly by the villages that produce it) in order to qualify as authentic halloumi. It can also be made with cow’s milk (more commonly by the larger dairies), or even a mix of all three milks. Mint is often added to this salty cheese. The oldest written reference to halloumi as “CALUMI” exists in a code containing five manuscripts of Cyprus and kept in the library of the CORRER Municipal Museum in Venice.
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