Halloumi

Halloumi is the cheese Cyprus is known for around the world. It is a semi-hard, springy cheese with a high melting point, which means it browns and crisps on a grill or in a pan instead of running. Traditionally it is made from a mix of sheep and goat milk, often with some cow milk added, set with rennet, folded and salted, and finished with fresh or dried mint between the layers. The mint and the brine give it its familiar savoury, slightly salty taste.

Halloumi carries protected designation of origin (PDO) status in the European Union, registered in 2021 after a long application process. Under that protection, only cheese made on the island of Cyprus to the traditional recipe can be sold as halloumi in the EU. You will see it cooked over coals next to souvla and sheftalia, sliced into a salad, or paired with the cured pork loin lountza in a grilled sandwich, one of the most common quick meals on the island.

Where to try it

• On any meze table across Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca, grilled and served warm.
• In a lountza-and-halloumi sandwich at village kiosks and bakeries.
• Fresh and unfried at supermarkets and dairies, vacuum-packed to take home.

Halloumi is naturally vegetarian when made with microbial rennet, though traditional animal rennet is also used, so vegetarians should check the label. It travels well, which is why it is the food most visitors carry home. After a day at the ruins of the Paphos Archaeological Park or a drive up to the Troodos mountains, a plate of grilled halloumi with lemon and bread is the simplest Cypriot meal there is.