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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Tom Hunt

‘A good, strong squeak’: the best supermarket halloumi, tasted and rated

Grilled halloumi cheese slices arranged on a red background.
Squeaky yum time: the best halloumi features a simple ingredients list, and just needs frying until golden brown. Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Robert Billington.

I used to get through about 300kg of halloumi each summer at my festival cafe. Our halloumi wrap was a bestseller, filled with superslaw (sprouts, cabbage, raisins, parsley and seeds), tahini sauce and broad bean falafel.

Halloumi is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product that has to be produced and packaged in Cyprus, and be at least 51% sheep and goat’s milk (cow’s milk can make up the rest). The curd has to be cooked and folded, which gives halloumi its characteristic shape and texture. This is why the block sometimes splits during cooking, a sign of authenticity that’s often mistaken for lack of quality. No preservatives, colourings or milk powder are allowed, either.

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