🧑🤝🧑 Cypriots
The Greek and Turkish communities of the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean; their shared famous cheese is halloumi for grilling.
Cypriots are the Greek and Turkish communities of the island of Cyprus, who share a pastoral tradition and a famous cheese — halloumi (hellim in Turkish). On an island with hot, dry summers, sheep and goats were traditionally kept.
Halloumi is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk, often with cow’s milk added: the curd is heated in hot whey, folded and salted, sometimes with mint. Thanks to this treatment the cheese does not melt and can be grilled or pan-fried. In 2021 the EU registered “Halloumi/Hellim” as a protected designation of origin: the name may be used for cheeses made in Cyprus according to set rules, including by producers from both communities.
In summer halloumi is eaten with watermelon and added to salads and pastries, and the whey left after making it is used for the soft cheese anari.
How it connects to milk
🧑🤝🧑 Cypriots → live in → 🌍 Anatolia and the Middle East ← milked in ← 🐪 She-camel → gives → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Where they live
- 🌍 Anatolia and the Middle East
- Traditions
- 🧀 Halloumi, 🧀 Anari, 🧂 Brined cheeses, 🍇 Xynisteri, 🍇 Mavro, 🥃 Ouzo, 🥃 Zivania, 🍇 Maratheftiko
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t halloumi melt?
The curd is heated in hot whey, which firms up the proteins, so the cheese holds its shape when fried.
What milk is halloumi made from?
Sheep’s and goat’s milk, often with cow’s milk added.
What is anari?
A soft cheese made from the whey left over from halloumi.
What to read next
- 🧂 Brined cheeses — Soft and semi-hard rindless cheeses that ripen and keep in brine: feta, Bulgarian sirene, telemea, Ezine.
- 🥃 Ouzo — Ouzo is the Greek and Cypriot aniseed spirit, EU category 29 «distilled anis»: alcohol flavoured with anise, from 37.5% ABV; copper pot stills up to 1,000 l; turns milky white with water or ice.
- 🍇 Xynisteri — A white grape of Cyprus; with the red Mavro, one of the two grapes of sweet Commandaria from 14 villages north of Limassol.
- 🍇 Mavro — A red grape of Cyprus; with Xynisteri, one of only 2 grapes of sweet Commandaria; a leading local grape of Larnaca and Nicosia.
- 🥃 Zivania — Cypriot grape marc spirit, EU GI «Zivania» (category 6): a single simple distillation, no flavouring, 43–52% ABV. Cyprus's answer to grappa.
Similar
🧑🤝🧑 Bedouin · 🧑🤝🧑 Jordanians · 🧑🤝🧑 Turks · 🧑🤝🧑 Iranians · 🧑🤝🧑 Palestinians · 🧑🤝🧑 Lebanese
ℹ️ This page describes the people only through food: what they grow and make, and which foods and drinks matter in their traditions. History, language, religion and other parts of the culture are not covered here.