Halloumi

Halloumi is the cheese Cyprus is known for, and its trick is chemical: the curd is heated so that the proteins set in a way that survives a grill pan, so it browns and crisps rather than melting, squeaking against the teeth as you eat it. Traditionally it is made from sheep and goat milk, folded in half with a sprig of dried mint between the layers and stored in brine, which is why the best of it is markedly saltier and more complex than the industrial cow's-milk blocks exported abroad. It appears at every meal, grilled with watermelon in summer, fried with eggs, in the meze, or raw and young from a village dairy. Its name and method now carry protected status, and village dairies in the foothills still make it in copper vats.

What you actually see

• Village dairy halloumi - sheep and goat cheese made in copper vats.
• The mint fold - the sprig laid between the folded layers before brining.
• Grilled with watermelon - the classic Cypriot summer combination.
• Halloumi in the meze - among the two dozen dishes of a full table.

When to go

Year-round; village dairies work in the mornings and some in the Troodos foothills receive visitors, which is worth arranging ahead. Summer is when the watermelon pairing makes sense. Markets in every town sell fresh and matured halloumi by weight.

Honest expectations

Exported industrial halloumi made from cow's milk is a different and much duller product than the village sheep-and-goat version, so judge it here rather than at home. It is very salty, and young cheese is milder than matured. Vegetarians should note that traditional halloumi uses animal rennet, though vegetarian versions exist.

Nearby

The Troodos foothill villages and any town market; Nicosia's old town has good cheese shops.