What is the Halloumi production process?

For centuries Halloumi was produced in rural areas of Cyprus. Modern dairy machinery for Halloumi production use the same traditional production process following European hygiene standards which give quality and “allow” Halloumi to retain its distinctive taste.

Fresh Healthy Milk is used for the production of Halloumi. During the production process Fresh Milk develops temperatures above 90°C which results in the development of temperatures above 70°C in the center of Halloumi, which is known as a pasteurization temperature.

Dairy machinery for Halloumi production

Today halloumi is produced mainly in well-equipped dairies small and large from sheep and, or goat milk or a mixture of sheep, goat and cow milk. The different types of milk used in the Halloumi production are listed on the product label in the proportion used.

The milk is cleaned, standardized, pasteurized and placed in modern stainless steel containers in which it gets body temperature and coagulates with rennet. All the fresh and coagulated milk for cheese is placed in stainless steel molds with continuous drainage of the fresh.

The drained condensed milk for cheese is pressed and cut into cubes weighing 300gr. The nour is then reheated to boiling point to be ready for baking the cheese, the final stage of Hallumi production. After the final drainage, the halloumi pieces are salted and sprinkled with mint leaves (menta viridis).

Then the pieces of coagulated Halloumi are folded to get their shape, left to cool. After cooling, it is placed in containers with brine for two days in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4°C – 8°C. It then comes out of the brine and is airtight packed in plastic bags. They are placed in 10kg boxes and kept at 4°C. This is how fresh Halloumi production is made with the help of modern dairy machines.

Mature Halloumi is produced by keeping fresh Halloumi in plastic containers with brine at 12°C – 15°C for 40 days. After this ripening period the halloumi pieces are airtight packed as mature Halloumi and kept in a cool place. Fresh Halloumi is elastic and semi-hard while ripe Halloumi is semi-hard to hard.

Both species are folded in a rectangular (oval) shape, are cohesive, easily cut into slices and have the distinctive aroma of mint (menta viridis).

The Halloumi production of high quality is achieved in the following ways:

The use of healthy milk (from healthy animals, control of personal hygiene on farms, hygienic practices on livestock, healthy methods of collecting and transporting milk and control of feed hygiene).
Regular inspections by Veterinary Officers in the dairy industry to confirm the implementation of HACCP system procedures.

High quality Halloumi production can be identified by the oval marking on the packaging. This marking indicates the approved production facility as well as the country of origin.

Why choose Halloumi production?

Halloumi is the most important and popular dairy product produced on the island of Cyprus for many centuries, and is used as part of the Mediterranean diet.

You can enjoy Halloumi in many ways:

Halloumi can be cooked in a hot oven or grilled until it takes on a light golden yellow color and the inside of the cheese softens. This is the most popular way of consuming.
Halloumi can be lightly fried in oil or butter as an appetizer. It is also very popular in slices and fried with bacon and eggs or in omelette.
You can enjoy the Halloumi fresh sliced in sandwiches, as a snack and with tomato and cucumber during the morning or in the afternoon.
It is very refreshing with slices of melon, watermelon, with grapes and figs.
It is used for the filling of ravioli and other sweet and savory pastries (pizza and Halloumi pies) and is wonderfully grated in spaghetti and cut into small cubes in the trahana soup.

Halloumi is the only cheese in the world that is so versatile that it can be used in so many ways.

What is the Halloumi production process?