Fried and grilled
Grilled halloumi
Thick slices of Cypriot halloumi seared on a grill or pan until striped and soft, with mint and watermelon.
Halloumi is the brined cheese of Cyprus, made from sheep's and goat's milk, often with cow's milk. It has a high melting point, so it can be grilled or fried until browned without losing its shape. Grilled halloumi is eaten with bread at breakfast, in a meze, or in summer with cold slices of watermelon.
What goes in
- Halloumi747%, Thick slices.
- Olive oil17%, A light brush.
- Lemon17%, Squeezed over.
- Fresh mint17%, Torn leaves.
- Watermelon or bread533%, To serve.
Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each ingredient's share of the dish.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional way, in outline.
Step 1: Grate Slice the halloumi about a finger thick and pat it dry. Step 2: Layer Brush lightly with olive oil. Step 3: Fry Grill over hot charcoal or in a ridged pan until striped and golden on both sides. Step 4: Layer Squeeze lemon over and scatter with mint. Step 5: Serve Serve at once, before it firms up, with watermelon or bread. Finished Grilled halloumi, by share.
Why it does not melt
Halloumi curd is heated in hot whey after it is made, which changes its proteins so the cheese holds its shape over heat. It is then folded, often with dried mint, and kept in brine. The result is firm, springy and salty, and it squeaks slightly when eaten. Cypriot families traditionally made it in spring when sheep and goats gave the most milk.
A protected name
In 2021 the European Union registered halloumi, also called hellim in Turkish, as a protected designation of origin from Cyprus, after many years of debate. In Cyprus it is grilled over charcoal, fried in a pan or eaten raw. It goes into sandwiches with lountza, smoked pork loin, and is grated over pasta. Summer pairings with watermelon are a much loved island habit.
Where it is used
The cheeses in it
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and kitchen makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Halloumi: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source