You may have noticed this week that one of the recipes from our virtual meal in #Cyprus called for "Halloumi.” Personally, I was not familiar with this ingredient, so I was on the hunt to research this mysterious cheese.
What I learned was really fascinating! #Halloumi cheese I found often referred to as "Wonder Cheese" because of the variety of things that can be done with it. Halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. This property makes it also a popular meat substitute.
In an ever increasing list of countries around the world, including the US and the UK (it is currently being debated in the EU), Cyprus enjoys protected status as the only origin of Halloumi cheese. I believe this means we can think of it similarly to Champagne... you can have bubbly wine from anywhere, but it can only be called Champagne if it comes directly from that region in France. Halloumi - the Wonder Cheese - can only be considered authentic if it comes from the source.
It was so delicious in our recipe this week! Have you tried it? I’m looking forward to finding other recipes I can make with it. Any ideas for me?
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