Halloumi

Halloumi, or haloumi, is a cheese originating from Cyprus. It is traditionally made from a mixture of goat milk and sheep's milk; however, due to industrial tactics to increase profit, modern halloumi increasingly contains cow's milk. The cheese's texture is often described as "squeaky". It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat alternative among vegetarians. Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production, although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.

Due to trademark law, for a cheese to be called "halloumi" in the U.S. or the European Union, it must be produced in Cyprus. The global halloumi market is approximately US$500 million in sales per year; the UK is the largest importer. Halloumi accounts for 13.4% of exports from the Republic of Cyprus.

Although legend attributes the origin of halloumi to Cyprus, it is unclear if it was first produced there; records of it on the island date to around 1554.