At a cooking class, you will be able to learn—and try for yourself—the whole process of making this traditional Cypriot cheese.

Traditional halloumi cheese

Learn how to make halloumi cheese, which was created in Cyprus more than 1500 years ago, during the Byzantine era.

Halloumi can be made with either goat or sheep milk and is very rarely made with cow milk. – © Michael Turtle

One of the final steps is to put the cheese mounds into a boiling liquid until they float. – © Michael Turtle

Although halloumi was invented in Cyprus, it is particularly popular these days in the Middle East. – © Michael Turtle

Halloumi can be made with either goat or sheep milk and is very rarely made with cow milk. – © Michael Turtle

Halloumi is a firm and rubbery cheese that is traditionally salted and eaten raw or fried. It was created here in Cyprus and soon spread around the world, becoming a fixture particularly in the diet of people from Greece, Turkey and countries in the Middle East.

You don't have to look hard to find halloumi still being made the traditional way in villages all around Pafos. Although there is an art to doing it well, there isn't much technical equipment needed so the cheese can easily be made at home by local producers.

Local cheesemakers in the hills around Pafos are able to cook halloumi in their own homes. – © Michael Turtle

Some of the cheesemakers around Pafos welcome visitors to come and learn about the halloumi-making process. It's fascinating to watch how they warm the goat or sheep milk until it turns into curds, at which point they gather the curds and press them together into moulds. To finish off the cheese, you need to boil all the remaining liquid and then put the cheese mounds back in until they float.

When you've finished making the halloumi, you'll be able to sit down and enjoy eating it as part of a traditional meal. – © Michael Turtle

If you visit one of the local cheesemakers, expect to be greeted with the warm hospitality that Cyprus is known for. At the end of the lesson, you'll sit down for a feast with the halloumi and other dishes that have been made along the way.

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