Squeaking against the teeth is a characteristic of halloumi's texture. The reason why lies in the fact that it contains a large amount of the milk protein casein in its intact form, which creates a dense network.
Halloumi is known as squeaky cheese. It makes a distinctive squeaking sound when you bite into it. This is regardless of whether it's raw or cooked. The squeak is caused by protein strands as they meet the surface of your teeth.
Bread cheese (Finnish: leipäjuusto or juustoleipä; Meänkieli: kahvijuusto; Swedish: kaffeost or brödost), known in the United States as Finnish squeaky cheese, is a Finnish fresh cheese traditionally made from cow's beestings, rich milk from a cow that has recently calved. Reindeer or even goat milk can also be used.
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk and preserved in brine. The technology for the manufacture of Halloumi cheese is unique. It can be considered as a hybrid between brined and pasta-filata cheese varieties.
🧀 Cut it into thicker pieces, and make sure to not. overcook it ❌
Squeaking against the teeth is a characteristic of halloumi's texture. The reason why lies in the fact that it contains a large amount of the milk protein casein in its intact form, which creates a dense network.
Soak the halloumi in water for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to remove the salty taste. I love the salty taste of halloumi, so I prefer not to soak it. However, if you find the kind you have to be too salty, the soak will help alleviate that. Allow the halloumi cheese to grill without touching it.
You can definitely eat halloumi raw. However, you don't often see uncooked halloumi served in a meal. It's definitely tastier when it's been cooked, as it's just irresistible when it's warm and squidgy - not to mention, you get those lovely crispy bits around the edges.
Nutritionally haloumi cheese contains slightly less fat (26 per cent) than regular cheddar cheese but more than double the sodium content thanks to the brine used to preserve it. Haloumi is delicious, and as such one of the biggest issues it poses is the risk of overeating.
'Halloumi is high in protein (to help you maintain and grow your lean muscle mass), contains calcium (for healthy bones and teeth), phosphorus (for bone health), zinc (for cognitive, immune and fertility functions), iodine (for thyroid and cognitive function) and vitamin A (to support your immunity, vision and skin),' ...
What's more, halloumi is made from sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's milk or goat's milk due to a lower milking yield from sheep. And halloumi is often aged, which can also amplify the price.
Halloumi is also unique in having a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. It is the high pH (low acid) of the cheese that causes this non-melting characteristic.
Rich in bone-friendly calcium
Halloumi, like other dairy foods, is rich in calcium, a mineral we need for muscle and nerve function as well as strong healthy bones and teeth.
Originating from Cyprus, halloumi is a traditional Cypriot semi-hard pasteurized cheese traditionally made with a mixture of goat and sheep milk. Eventually, some producers started to add cow milk to the mix. Halloumi is known to most of us by its Greek name, but is also known by its Turkish name, hellim.
The halloumi base is typically made from unpasteurised goat's or sheep's milk, and sometimes cow's milk. The inclusion of dairy milk of any kind renders halloumi completely not vegan friendly, and should not be consumed by anyone strictly following a plant-based diet.
Brands vary, but feta is usually the winner. Haloumi tends to have more calories and a higher fat content. Plus, it usually has more salt. Haloumi makes a good cooking cheese thanks to its high melting point.
This means that halloumi should be consumed in moderation, and it really doesn't need any added salt when preparing it. Because of its higher salt content, it's best to enjoy one to two slices of halloumi about once a week or less.
When you buy a packet of haloumi, it comes with a little salty brine. Simply patting the haloumi dry with paper towel will remove some of the saltiness, but you can also place it in a bowl of cold water to remove more of the salt, if you prefer.
Fry. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and arrange the halloumi sticks in one single layer. Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minute over medium-high heat, managing the heat down as needed, until all sides have crisped and turned a nice golden brown. Garnish and Serve immediately!
Haloumi happy
You can use your sandwich press or grill pan for this too: cut the haloumi into slices about a centimetre thick, and then cook on the healed grill for a few minutes each side (depending on the grill, you might find it works best to cook with the lid closed, or to leave the press open).
Once opened it's suggested that you consume it within 3 days. However, it will usually last longer than that. Most often, up to 5 days, especially if grilled and covered in a drizzle of olive oil. But, if your halloumi has gone bad it will smell like sour milk and have a slimy texture on the outside.
Bake it. Halloumi is also great baked – add slices to an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil and herbs or spices. It'll need about 10-15 minutes in a 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 oven. The halloumi soaks up the flavours whilst baking so it's an easy way to add extra welly to your dishes.