The rich fatty composition of the ewe's milk seeps out of the cheese when heated and forms a delicious crispy golden crust, whilst the goat's milk ensures a firm texture and definitive lingering flavours.
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.
Halloumi has a distinctive layered texture similar to mozzarella and has a salty flavour due to it being brined in a salt water solution. Traditionally mint was added for taste as well as to preserve the cheese by wrapping it in mint leaves to keep it fresh.
Halloumi cheese is high in fat making it quite calorific. When on a weight loss diet based on lowering your calorie intake, high amounts of Halloumi cheese could quickly cause a calorie build up. There are now lower calorie halloumi options you can choose for your weight loss diet, but be mindful of how much you eat!
Yes, you can eat halloumi raw, and here's how
There are many, many recipes in which halloumi is much better fried. Golden-delicious grilled or fried halloumi creates a texture and flavour which pairs so well with both cooked and raw vegetables, meats, in burgers, wraps or for breakfast.
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.
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.
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.
For a cheese to melt it needs a protein structure that stretches in the frying pan or under the grill. Halloumi contains a tightly knit three-dimensional network of milk proteins that hold fast during cooking.
Halloumi itself is not poisonous to dogs, but it can still make them sick. Halloumi is a dairy product and most adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so eating too much cheese like halloumi can give them gastrointestinal troubles like vomiting and diarrhoea.
Halloumi, like other dairy foods, is rich in calcium, a mineral we need for muscle and nerve function as well as strong healthy bones and teeth. A portion (80g) supplies a significant contribution towards your daily calcium needs, something which is of important for all life-stages.
This is because it has not been pre-soaked. Soaking, especially as here, with some lemon juice, leaches out halloumi's preserving salt, and also softens the cheese nicely. The result is that you'll taste and smell the farmy sweetness of the milk in the finished dish.
The most common way to eat hellim as a hot food in Cyprus is either grilled or fried with breakfast. Hellim can also be used on toast, or in a sandwich. Cypriots also like to add hellim to soups, especially tarhana, which is a traditional soup enjoyed in the winter months.
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.
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made principally in Cyprus from sheep or goat milk or mixture of the two. The raw milk is coagulated as for Feta cheese. The blocks of the cheese (10 × 10 × 3 cm) are heated at 92–95°C in the whey extracted during draining.
The quick answer here is that the best choices to serve with halloumi include Greek salad, mezze platter with cold cuts and olives, pitta breads and dips, grilled prawn skewers, lemon and pomegranate couscous, and roasted vegetables.
Halloumi is a type of cheese made from a mixture of milk stolen from goats, sheep, and cows. Every bite of halloumi is the result of exploitation and abuse of mother animals and their babies.
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.
You may find the texture is a little softer than you would expect from cooked halloumi but it will still have that rubbery texture with a bit of a squeak when you eat it.
Originating from Cyprus, halloumi is a traditional Cypriot semi-hard pasteurized cheese traditionally made with a mixture of goat and sheep milk. Eventually, some producers started to add cow milk to the mix. Halloumi is known to most of us by its Greek name, but is also known by its Turkish name, hellim.
Traditional halloumi also often has a crescent shape with the fold may containing a whole mint leaf. This is a nod to the traditional belief that wrapping halloumi in mint keeps it fresher and more flavoursome. It is traditionally consumed uncooked in Cyprus.
Don't overcook the halloumi, or it will end up becoming tough and rubbery.
Even though it has a good amount of protein, it is also high in fat. Therefore, it is recommended not to consume halloumi for weight loss. Instead, low-fat/non-fat cottage cheese or tofu can assist in your weight loss journey.
You should be especially careful how much of it you're eating and how you're cooking it. "Halloumi is very high in salt, and a portion of 70g contains 2.1g, which is a third of your recommended daily allowance of 6g," says Watkins. "People with high blood pressure should be especially mindful of their salt intake.
Once opened it's suggested that you consume it within 3 days. However, it will usually last longer than that. Most often, up to 5 days, especially if grilled and covered in a drizzle of olive oil. But, if your halloumi has gone bad it will smell like sour milk and have a slimy texture on the outside.