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.
Many people have never tried halloumi that way. That might be because you're not sure whether it's even okay to eat uncooked. Relax, we can verify that yes, halloumi is okay to eat uncooked.
If you come across unpasteurised halloumi while you're pregnant, you should only eat it if it's thoroughly cooked. Cooking kills off the listeria bacteria, making it safe to eat.
It's great for salads and side dishes because you can serve it cold or two days old, and it will still taste nice. You can add this tasty cheese to salads as well as serve it on its own.
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.
Halloumi can take heat, so it is a versatile cheese that can be cooked in different ways, including baked, grilled, or fried. Each method is fairly easy to follow: Baked Halloumi. To bake it, put your block or thick slabs or slices of cheese in a baking dish.
In these individuals, a high intake could lead to issues such as water retention and bloating ( 16 ). While raw halloumi contains a moderate number of calories, it's often consumed fried or coated in oil. This can significantly increase the calorie content, potentially contributing to weight gain.
To remove excess saltiness, soak the halloumi in cold water for 2 hrs, or overnight. Cut the halloumi into 4 long pieces and thread onto metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked for 10 mins.
Squeaking against the teeth is a characteristic of halloumi's texture. The reason why lies in the fact that it contains a large amount of the milk protein casein in its intact form, which creates a dense network.
If you live in Australia, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Most of the commercially available halloumi cheeses that you will find in the fridge at your local supermarket with almost certainly be made with pasteurised milk.
Halloumi that is mass-produced for shops uses pasteurized cow, goat or ewe's milk, all of which are safe for pregnant women to consume. This is very often clearly stated on the label. Traditional, non-commercial Halloumi is almost always made from a mix of unpasteurized ewe's and goat's milk.
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.
Slice the halloumi into ½cm/¼in thick slices. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, then add the cheese. Allow to toast for 2–3 minutes, or until the halloumi is golden-brown.
"On most packs of halloumi," says Ellie Bain, Gousto's registered nutritionist and dietician, "the recommended serving size is only 30g (so is the nutritional value), which is good to bear in mind when cooking." Because the recommended serving size is 30g, we've compiled the nutritional benefits of a 30g serving too.
Pasteurisation has done a great deal to reduce food borne disease over the years. It is illegal to sell raw cow's milk in Australia for human consumption that hasn't been pasteurised (or put through another approved safe treatment) and health authorities recommend that unpasteurised milk should not be consumed.
The healthiest cheese options include feta cheese, goat cheese, cottage cheese, sheep milk cheese like Pecorino Romano and ricotta cheese. To get the healthiest cheese versions, opt for varieties that are unprocessed, raw and certified organic.
Baked halloumi is another delicious way of cooking the Cypriot cheese. Pre-heat your oven 200°C (180ºC fan). Cut your halloumi into 5mm-1cm thick slices, then lay them in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then place in the oven for 10-15 minutes; turning halfway through.
If you have extra halloumi, prepare a warm salad and add fried halloumi just before serving. Cut the halloumi into cubes and add it to meat or vegetable skewers. For meat-free burgers or sandwiches, grill slices and serve in buns or bread with condiments and vegetable toppers. Or replace the buns with grilled halloumi.
don't overcook the halloumi - a couple of minutes on each side is all it needs! You still want it to be soft, not totally crispy. eat the halloumi within 5 minutes or so of cooking it - if you leave it to cool, it will become a little more rubbery.
Brands vary, but feta is usually the winner. Haloumi tends to have more calories and a higher fat content. Plus, it usually has more salt. Haloumi makes a good cooking cheese thanks to its high melting point.
It is possible to get food poisoning from semi-soft white brined cheeses like Halloumi. Traditionally Halloumi is made from unpasteurized sheep and goat milk which can leave it susceptible to listeria contamination. Even when pasteurized and cooked, Halloumi food poisoning can occur if mishandled.
The halloumi base is typically made from unpasteurised goat's or sheep's milk, and sometimes cow's milk. The inclusion of dairy milk of any kind renders halloumi completely not vegan friendly, and should not be consumed by anyone strictly following a plant-based diet.