cyprus food stuffs > History, Traditions & Myths >Halloumi in traditional Cyprus
Halloumi/hellim is the only cheese in the world that can be eaten and enjoyed either raw or cooked in any possible way, i.e. fried, grilled, baked or boiled.
It is authentically Cypriot , as it is widely eaten in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
One of the most important aims of traditional agrarian, self-sufficient societies was the utilization of every product, even the last grain of wheat or the last drop of milk. People develop many different ways for preserving food and especially milk, which curdles very easily. Halloumi/hellim (a medium hard cheese), anari/nor (smooth cheese) and yogurt were the traditional Cypriot foodstuffs, produced in order to use surplus milk and store them for consumption for later in the year. Halloumi/hellim, the patented product of Cyprus, is produced by curdling the milk by pythkia (rennet), followed by boiling the curd in its own whey, which works as the pasteurization. Halloumi/hellim used to be made of goat’s or sheep’s milk, or a mixture of the two. Cows were considered by the farmers to be “sacred” because they were used in different agricultural activities and it was believed to be a sin to drink a cow’s milk or eat its meat (Magda Ohnefalsch-Richter, 1997:21-2). With the increasing introduction of cattle since the 1960s, cow’s milk was used especially by dairy industries (Nicholas Andilios and Gisela Welz, 2002:1).
The production of traditional halloumi/hellim was a job exclusively for women, who worked together in small groups. However, after the events of 1974 relatives and friends did not live side by side any more so this practice came to an end . Nowadays, very few women produce village halloumi/hellim and even fewer produce halloumi/hellim using milk by their animals because hygiene and safety legislation do not allow for animals to be kept in the yard of the house.
Halloumi/hellim from 50’s until today
The traditional method for making halloumi
The step-by step-traditional procedure
The Modern procedure of making halloumi
The step-by step modern procedure
Comparison of the two types of making halloumi
|
New technology |
Modern trends
Halloumi/hellim and the Cypriot cuisine
Conclusions
Bibliography
Halloumi/hellim from the 1950s until today
The decades following the 1950s were very important for Greek Cypriot society because within a very small period of time the traditional, rural society transformed into a modern, urban one. After Cyprus’ independence in 1960 and especially after the events of 1974 there were radical changes in Cypriots’ lifestyle. Nowadays, in Greek Cypriot society “a considerable part of the population has an urban middle class lifestyle characterized by mass consumption and modern technologies” (Nicholas Andilios and Gisela Welz, 2002:2).
The traditional method for making halloumi
The
traditional method of making halloumi/hellim was based upon the
experience and knowledge learned over generations. However, it was not a
simple procedure but rather a process with personal, familial and social
meaning. The production of halloumi/hellim had nothing to do with a
single housewife but with a group of women who gathered together to mix
the milk that each household produced. From this daily traditional
process, we can see the feeling of collectivity and solidarity, which
characterizes traditional Cypriot society. Furthermore, through this
procedure it is possible to see the strong faith of traditional Greek
Cypriots who appealed to the power of God by saying: Ela i dinamis
sou, Thee mou, which means Come, God, and give us your strength and
doing the sign of the cross. They used this phrase in every aspect of
life. These traditional practices indicate a different spirit of social
relations, which has declined since the 1960’s when the procedure of
making halloumi/hellim became industrialized. Village
halloumi/hellim is still produced in rural areas by small industries
or by a very small number of women who produce it for their own use or
for sale .
The step-by step-traditional procedure
The process we are presenting here is based on a direct observation of the production process in a village twenty minutes from Nicosia, Ayii Trimithias, and also according to women from Lysi. For decades, even centuries, the process was the same and there were only some differences in details.
1.
The ingredients they use are: goat’s or sheep’s milk, curdling agent
(pythkia), salt, mint and water. One of the most important elements
for the success of this product is cleanliness. The step-by-step procedure
of making halloumi/hellim the traditional way is:
1. Milk the animals and transfer the milk.
2. Filter the milk in order for it to be clean and put it in a metallic
vessel (hartdgi.)
3. Heat the milk for about ten to fifteen minutes and add the curdling
agent. Let it stand for an hour.
4. Break the “glass” (the shining surface of the curd), doing the symbol of
the cross first, and mix, the curd milk up.
5. Light the fire again and in the meantime put a cloth in the vessel in
order to collect the curd, which is sinking to the bottom.
6. Put the cloth with the curd into the tiroskamni (table used
especially for this reason. It has a hole in one of its sides for draining
water). In other regions they put the curd into a talari (basket).
7. Mix the curd again and pour whey on it in order to stay warm and help
the curd to create a uniform solid mixture.
8. Wrap the curd up in the cheesecloth and shape it.
9. Place a wooden board over it and on top of it put two or three heavy
stones.
10. Let it stand for an hour until all the whey liquid drains off.
11. Cut the curd into square pieces.
12. Light a good fire under the vessel which has the whey in it and put the
pieces of halloumi/hellim onto a baking tray. Place the tray into
the vessel and heat them continuously until they rise to the surface of the
whey.
13. When they rise to the surface, boil for another 15-20 minutes until
halloumi creates small bubbles on ir surface.
14. Take the pieces of halloumi/hellim out in the tiroskamni,
add salt and the mint and fold them in.
15. Let them cool down completely and before the storage add a little more
salt.
16. Place them in the storage pot and cover them with cold whey. Seal it
very well so no air is allowed in.
17. Open the storage pot every two or three days and add whey, if needed.
18. Every week, for up to 40 days, remove the butter that is rising to the
surface of the storage pot until there is no more fat rising to the
surface.
Village halloumi/hellim is still produced all around the island, especially in rural areas, and many Cypriots prefer this kind instead of the industrial one and often say: “Village halloumi (old halloumi) is tastier and more filling”. Storing the village halloumi in pots helps it mature (na paliosi= to get old). Specifically, it becomes more solid and harder by a kind of fermentation done during the first forty days. This fermentation gives it a stronger taste.
The Modern procedure of making halloumi
Large dairy companies which dominate the local market have transformed halloumi/hellim into an important mass market product consumed not only in Cyprus but in many other places like: USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Australia and Japan. Since the 1960s procedures have been industrialized. Dairy companies have introduced high-tech machinery that participates in every stage of production, reducing the involvement of people in the procedure and the contact between the workers and the product. The modern factories are very strict about hygiene and every stage of production is controlled and supervised. “An important innovation was the large-scale utilization of cow’s milk for industrially produced halloumi” (Nicholas Andilios and Gisela Welz, 2002:8). Cow’s milk has a lower fat content than sheep’s milk and therefore has a greater yield in halloumi/hellim production. It is also cheaper and easily available in large quantities for industrialists. The daily production of milk is needed for the production of halloumi/hellim and other milk products twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, month after month. Despite the fact that milk is a seasonal product, farmers are trying to spread out the production throughout the year as the quantity produced is very large. According to Mr. Andeas H’Petrou, who is a quality manager at Pittas Dairy Company, the average production of halloumi/hellim is an average of 8 tonnes per day, which requires about 70 tonnes of milk.
The step-by step modern procedure
The general idea of the modern procedure is similar to the traditional
one but there are radical changes concerning the hygiene of the product,
which now requires a number of detailed testing, the packing of the
product of which every piece is vacuum-packed individually, and the
equipment used which is made of stainless steel and therefore ensures
hygiene. In addition, these improvements give the factory the opportunity
to produce larger quantities of halloumi/hellim. The step-by-step
method for producing halloumi/hellim using the modern methods is as
follows:
1. Biochemical testing of the milk for any antibiotic substances, the
content of the pH level, fats, proteins in the milk before the raw material
left the farm and after the delivery to the factory.
2. If the milk is clean, it is stored and frozen below 4°C for
preservation.
3. Filter the milk and remove any unwanted elements.
4. Filter the milk again in a specific machine which has the ability to
locate and remove any extraneous material like dust.
5. Pasteurization of the milk happens at about 35° C (95° F).
6. Add rennet to the milk and let it stand for the appropriate time.
7. The curd is cut with the appropriate machine and mixed up.
8. Special pumps pour the curd milk into moulds and press it in order to
remove all the whey liquid.
9. Cut the curd into square pieces
10. Put them again into the vessel and heat them to 80°C (176°F) for about
one or one and a half hours, depending on the type of milk, in order to be
cooked.
11. Take them out, add salt and mint and fold them in.
12. Place them in almi, which is water mixed with salt, and let the
pieces of halloumi/hellim cool down completely.
13. Pass each of the pieces through a metal detector.
14. Lab testing for staphylococcus, colon bacillus and other microbial in
order to avoid bacterial contamination.
15. Put them in the refrigerator.
16. Vacuum-pack each piece separately in order to be fresh and preserved for
a long time and stamp the date of production and the expiry date as well as
other batch details.
Quality control is the major concern of these companies and lab tests are performed at each stage. In their terminology there are some points in the procedure called “hazard points” that must always be controlled (like temperature, wetness, time for curdling and boiling and refrigeration) because the above factors at a particular stage of the procedure play the most important role for the quality of the product. If something goes wrong, the composition of the product misquotes and then the product is useless.
Comparison of the two types of making halloumi
When we compare the two procedures of how the traditional and the modern halloumi/hellim is produced, we witness the transition that has been made from traditional to modern society, with all these transformations occurring in every aspect of our life. There are seven important differences between the two procedures:
1.New technology
The
traditional method of making halloumi/hellim did not make use of
any technological equipment . Everything, from raw materials to storage
pots were locally made and produced until 1960 (Nicholas Andilios and
Gisela Welz, 2002:6). The first technological intervention was the use of
industrially made rennet. Scientific knowledge, modern technology and the
rationalization of the industrial process brought radical changes to the
whole method. Factories use high-tech machines and all the equipment used
is manufactured with stainless steel. Workers now wear white suits and
special caps ensuring the basic rules of hygiene. Machines do most of the
work under the supervision of the workers and only the salting and
folding are still done by the workers.
2.Scale of production
The
industrialization of halloumi/hellim, as any kind of food, and the
developing scientific knowledge have contributed to the production of
larger quantities in order to reduce the production cost. In the
traditional method, the volume of milk was an average of sixty litres
daily which gives about five to six kilos of halloumi/hellim. This
cannot be, in any way, compared with the modern method in which an average
of seventy tones of milk are used daily which produces about eight tones
of halloumi/hellim.
3.Traditional Vs Modern Society
The traditional method of making halloumi/hellim was based upon
the experience and knowledge learned over generations. However, it was not
a simple procedure of making a product but a process with personal,
familial and social meaning. The production of halloumi/hellim was
carried about by teams of women in the villages. This simple process
demonstrates the co-operation and true faith that characterizes the
Cypriot traditional society. Besides, it was an opportunity for gathering,
discussion and gossip.
In the industrial system the whole process is rationalized and the traditional process loses its meaning. Halloumi/hellim, as any food in the food industry, is just a product that brings profits to companies. Industrialization is based on a different socio-economic system in comparison to the agrarian economy that was the framework of the traditional halloumi/hellim production. The modern system has, for every stage in the whole procedure, detailed rules that big dairy companies are obliged to follow if they want to ensure their presence in the local and international markets. It includes regulations for every aspect of the process, from milking of animals in the farms to the delivery of the final product to the consumer and registrations from the government and other national organizations. There is also a well-organized network for distribution far beyond the local framework of a village. Additionally, there are standardizations that have to be followed, for example the form of the halloumihellim, its size and its weight.
4.Taste
The halloumi/hellim produced by the dairy companies is vacuum
packed , which means that it stays fresh and softer than the village
halloumi/hellim that can be consumed after a period of time, and
becomes more solid and harder. The first type of halloumi/hellim
has a lower salt content and needs refrigeration in order to be preserved
and the second type is more salty and does not need a refrigerator.
Furthermore, the village halloumi/hellim is produced by goat’s or
sheep’s milk or of a mixture of the two whereas in the modern production
of halloumi/hellim the factories produced different kinds of
halloumi/hellim and in some kinds they use cow’s milk which has a
lower fat content. All these factors contribute to taste differences
between the two kinds and consumers are separated into two categories
according to their preferences. For instance, many people, especially the
older generation prefer the village halloumi/hellim because it is
“tastier, more palatable and more filling”. The other category prefers the
modern type because is “softer and milder (lower salt content)” or because
“you can find different kinds of halloumi/hellim according to your
taste demands, your health and your life style”.
Halloumi/hellim has been one of the most important local foodstuffs for centuries, and consumed in large quantities due to its nutritional values . Halloumi/hellim was a part of the daily diet, except in fasting periods, in a number of combinations with other foods according to season and time of day.
Nowadays, halloumi/hellim is not only a local Cypriot product but also an “ethnic food” that was officially registered as a distinctive indigenous product to Cyprus. It is a mass product sold not only in supermarkets and department stores on the island but it can also be found in supermarkets all over the world from Australia to the US and Europe. Based on the information given from the Cypriot Organization of Milk between 1997-2001, they exported annually more than 2 million kilos of halloumi/hellim and in 2002 3 million were exported , due to the marketing strategies and advertisement, especially in the US. This diversifies the traditional taste of halloumi because manufacturers adjust the halloumi/hellim’s characteristics in order to suit the different market’s tastes or the national and religious regulations. Specifically, as Mr. Hadjipetrou pointed out, “the halloumi/hellim exported to the US is restricted to that made of sheep’s milk”. Additionally, “the Gulf and Arab consumers prefer less mint, whilst Europeans prefer more mint but a healthy reduction in the salt content” (Barbara Strain, 2001:3).
6.Hygiene
One of the major concerns for the Cypriot housewife during the
preparation of halloumi/hellim is cleanliness. In the old days,
when people did not have the knowledge and standards we have today for
hygiene, they used to do only two things: first, they made sure that the
equipment was clean and second, before they put the milk into the
hardgi they used to filter it using a piece of cloth called
kouliastiri.
The hygiene and different safety rules in the food industry these days has led to an improvement of public health and has also increased productivity. “The European Union requires food products imported from so-called third states to comply with the food safety regulations imposed on the industry of its members. The Cypriot companies had to apply for an export certification to the EU” (Nicholas Andilios and Gisela Welz, 2002:10). In order to receive this permission, companies have had to do major changes in the manufacturing buildings and to the equipment. According to Mr. Hadjipetrou, “nowadays, if you want to gain people’s trust you have to be very strict with hygiene. Our company follows the European Union Directive 92/46/EEC which requires many standards regarding every stage of the production starting from the quality of the raw material (milk) in the farm continuing with the suitability of the production premises and ending with the delivery of the product to the market. In order to receive the certification that ensures the maximum level of hygiene, as required by this directive, we had to do major changes in our factory. The “obligation” to do all these changes is relative because if you want to promote your product beyond the borders of Cyprus into large supermarket chains you have to follow some standards because with these you make your production sure. These supermarkets have their own requirements that every producer has to follow”.
Modern trends
An
important innovation in the production of halloumi/hellim is
“halloumi light”. “This kind of halloumi”, according to Mr.
Andreas, “was a request, especially from the local consumers, which has
been based on a new philosophy coming from Europe and the US. Greek
Cypriots found different kinds of cheese on the shelves with the
verification “light”. Knowing that the fat content of halloumi/hellim
is high, they demanded a lower fat content product, because of the fact
that many of them face health problems, especially with cholesterol, and
the fact that an important number of the consumers are on a diet. This
type of halloumi/hellim is more likely to be sold in Cyprus and
covers about the 10% of our sales”. Currently, another kind of halloumi
appears in the supermarkets and is labelled “as suitable for vegetarians”
because of the use of non-animal rennet.
Halloumi/hellim and the Cypriot cuisine
“Halloumi claims to be the only cheese in the world that can be eaten and enjoyed either raw or cooked in any possible way, fried, grilled, baked or boiled” (Barbara Strain, 2001:2). The versatility of halloumi is such that it can be eaten raw with cucumbers or tomatoes, with watermelon or figs and other seasonal fruits or it can be used in baking pies halloumopitta(=halloumi pie), bourekkia me halloumi (a small folded fried pie, with halloumi inside in this case) or as a stuffing for pastries. It is also used for cooking traditional Cypriot ravioli. Furthermore, halloumi is used as a meze (a traditional habit which contains small tasty titbits from different dishes) accompanying beer, wine, zivania and whisky.
Conclusions
“More and more people today look for what is different, for the unpredictable experience that is new and unexpected in a world in which the differences are thought to become less and less noticeable” (Renee Valeri, 1998:102). This constant fight between “us” and “them” that characterizes our times is clearly reflected in the area of food and taste. The desire for new food and tastes is a phenomenon of the modern society. The knowledge of different food through travelling, advertising, mass media, cookery books, health-food movements and migration has increased. “Food is, therefore, often portrayed in regional or national marketing as an aspect of cultural heritage” (Renee Valeri, 1998:102). What is considered “ethnic food” (the traditional food which defines particular social values and characteristics) is often a cultural construct accepted by outsiders. Halloumi/hellim can be characterized as such because it is a commodity produced for centuries in Cyprus and includes the history and the memories of local people. Halloumi/hellim, like any other traditional product, plays a twofold role: firstly, as a marketing product, it gives the opportunity to foreign people to learn about Cyprus and its heritage, to have a glance to the “other”, and secondly, as a cultural product, it is a powerful instrument for ‘ethnic socialization’. However, traditional products can survive as “ethnic foods” only if they would be modified in a way that they could respond to foreign consumers’ gastronomic styles and expectations.
Bibliography
Andillios, Nicholas, Gizela, Welz, 2002, Modern Methods for Producing the Traditional. The case of making halloumi cheese in Cyprus. Paper presented at the 14th Ethnological Food Conference, October 2nd, Basel.
Strain, Barbara, 2001, Halloumi – the cheese of Cyprus.
Available at: http://entare.com/ezinewin01/Halloumi/story.html
Ohnefalsch-Richter, Magda, (1913) 1994. ÅëëçíéêÜ ¹èç êáé ¸èéìá óôçí Êýðñï. ÅëëçíéêÞ ÌåôÜöñáóç êáé ÅðéìÝëåéá áðü ¢ííá Ìáñáãêïý. (Greek Customs in Cyprus. Greek ranslation and commentary by Anna Maragou). Nicosia.
Valeri, Renee, 1998. “A Different Taste” in Food and the Traveller. Migration, Immigration, Tourism and Ethnic Food. Proceedings of the 11th Conference of the International Commission for Ethnological Food Research. June 8-14,1996. Edited by Patricia Lysaght. Intercollege Press. Nicosia.
