Cyprus Pride, Halloumi Cheese Is Recognized By The European Union

Halloumi-Based Menu. (web3525/Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Cyprus got some good news on Tuesday, April 6, when the European Union recognized halloumi cheese from the country, as a unique product or a protected designation of origin status (PDO).

This status will guarantee, halloumi made in Cyprus or which in Turkish is known as hellim will be marketed under both of these names abroad.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on his Twitter account is proud of this achievement. Calling halloumi now has a 'shield of protection', as quoted from DW.com.

"A milestone day for #Halloumi/#Hellim and our country. The EU has registered it as #PDO.  A shield of protection is now in place.  Significant prospects for increasing exports of our national product, to the benefit of all Cypriot producers, Greek and Turkish," he wrote on Twitter.

Menu processed halloumi. (Katiklinski/Pixabay)

The Ministry of Agriculture of Cyprus said that this status will be officially granted at the end of April and come into force next October.

Petrou Bros General Manager George Petrou said the decision reaffirmed the dream of industry and the country for many years, regarding the status of halloumi.

He said the halloumi was Cyprus, with long production history, around the beginning of 1500.

"Unfortunately in recent years many countries have tried to emulate us so that the registration will be very helpful, that other countries will not produce halloumi or the like that mislead consumers," said the man whose business controls 25 percent of Cyprus dairy products exports.

Official data shows halloumi is now the second valuable export commodity in Cyprus, after medicines, with a growth of between 20 percent and 22 percent per year over the past five years.

Baked halloumi. (Wikimedia Commons/Kgbo)

Reflecting on this, the Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture is currently directing its view to penetrate the Chinese market. However, there are obstacles that must be faced to secure the status of PDO that has been achieved.

This includes the ratio of the composition of goat's milk, sheep's milk, and cow's milk in the recipe. Until 2024, the ratio will be determined by decision, and after that, at least 50 percent will consist of sheep and goat's milk, and the rest is supplemented with cow's milk.

Although recipes for halloumi abound online, for locals, enjoyment in the form of the simplest multipurpose cheese, thrown in a frying pan or over a barbecue, eaten raw with melon in the summer, or diced and tossed to the boil with trahana, smashed oats and yogurt soup eaten in winter, is more fitting.

"Many tourists come here to look for it. Some just knew his name, so they came to give it a try. And from what I've seen, they love it," said Evroulla Ioannou, who serves grilled halloumi at his popular restaurant in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.

A milestone day for #Halloumi/#Hellim and our country. The EU has registered it as #PDO. A shield of protection is now in place. Significant prospects for increasing exports of our national product, to the benefit of all Cypriot producers, Greek and Turkish.

— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) March 29, 2021