Halloumi, The Other Squeaky Cheese

Grilled Halloumi

The Lady sells this traditional cheese of Cyprus on her Cheese Island (aka BH adjacent) but had never tried it. This weekend with her “all-things-must-include-fresh-tomatoes” she decided to use it in a fresh-from-The Man’s garden tomato salad. Made from 100% sheeps’ milk, this cheese doesn’t melt when heated. The Lady grilled it to a golden brown; cubed it and tossed it with EVOO, Modena Balsamic Vinegar, tomatoes, basil, Himalayan pink salt and fresh ground pepper. Wow, what a tasty salad.

Living with The Lady is an adventure in cheese land… this is my best life…so far…anyway…next life I might hit the jackpot and end up living with Bill and Melinda Gates…hope they like cheese… As usual, I digress…

Fortunately, I will not be saying the disgraceful, every critics please-don’t-ever-make-me-say-this-in-a-review…”it tastes like chicken”…it doesn’t; but after being grilled, it does look like chicken…

This cheese is very versatile with the texture of mozzarella and the briny moisture of feta. You can freeze it for up to a year and often it’s naturally preserved by wrapping it in mint leaves. This means, of course, it’s no surprise that along with its salty taste there is a hint of mint as well.

Its resistance to melting is a result of the curd being heated before it is wallet-shaped and placed in the brine.

I give Halloumi 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).

Serving Suggestions: The Cypriots love to eat this cheese with watermelon; but alas, this feline foodie won’t get to try that as The Lady is allergic to watermelon (which she loves; but it doesn’t love her…). It is also a favorite in sandwiches with smoked pork or a lamb sausage. At epicurious.com, The Lady found this recipe using Halloumi.

Wine Pairing: Keeping with the Terroir thingie that The Lady so embraces …Tsangarides Vineyard’s Agios Efrem, a Dry Rose. Here’s a bit of trivia for you winos…I mean that in the most sincere way…the island of Cyprus ranks 37th in world wine production…who knew???

Beer Pairing: Cypriot Keo, a Premium Lager with an ABV of 4.5%.

Source: Sheeps’ Milk

P.S. It squeaks because of its firm texture when grilled…