In Cyprus, Former Pilot Makes Halloumi Cheese the Old Ways
2024-03-02
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1On a recent cold winter night in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, long lines of people began to form in a public parking area.
2The crowd was gathering for the arrival of cheesemaker Pantelis Panteli and the load of Halloumi he had for sale.
3Panteli is a relative newcomer to the tradition of Halloumi-making.
4He had a career as a pilot with Cyprus Airways until 2013, He lost the job as the former company started closing down.
5Panteli decided to try a very different line of work: cheese-making.
6The man had found his new career.
7But, now the newcomer has become an unlikely defender of traditional cheese-making for Cyprus's prized Halloumi.
8The European Union named Halloumi a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 2021.
9That means that only approved producers from Cyprus can market the cheese under that name.
10In exchange for the PDO, Cyprus agreed to increase the quantity of ewe or goat milk to just over 50 percent by July 2024.
11But Cypriot farmers are protesting the agreement over a dispute about the ingredients.
12Industry stakeholders say ewe and goat's milk is highly seasonal, and could therefore affect production levels.
13Cheese makers had threatened to shut their operations because there was not enough milk.
14And cattle-raising farmers were angered at the threat to the milk cow market.
15So Cyprus officials now plan to delay the agreement to 2029.
16Soft, rubbery Halloumi can be eaten raw.
17There are also many ways to cook it --- over a fire or heated in liquid or oil.
18The cheese keeps its shape well in cooking.
19It is a popular food and the island's second largest export. Medicines are first.
20But there is a dispute within Cyprus about what makes true Halloumi cheese.
21Should it be made from cow's milk which has a mellower taste?
22Or should it be made from goat and ewe milk, as traditionalists argue?
23Panteli started making Halloumi with guidance from a family member.
24"It was all trial and error with a small pot, then a bigger pot - and just like Steve Jobs - in our garage," he said.
25He uses ewe's milk to make his Halloumi.
26He cooks the milk in rennet which thickens the liquid to a solid form called a curdle.
27After resting, curdles are cut and reheated.
28Panteli adds salt and puts them in a solution called brine for a few hours.
29Then, they are done and he prepares for market.
30Panteli only has a permit to sell directly to consumers.
31And he is limited to producing 150 liters of milk a day.
32But his product is popular.
33He makes videos on TikTok and the social media service X to let people know where to find him.
34He usually sells all his cheese within two hours of opening sales.
35"Nobody is making the real thing anymore, and that is our aim," Panteli said.
36He spoke to the Reuters news agency while standing near about 300 noisy sheep at his farm west of Nicosia.
37But some farmers on the Mediterranean island say that Panteli's method is not workable for all.
38Nicos Papakyriakou is head of the organization that represents cow farmers.
39He said that based on an older 1985 trade agreement, Halloumi cheese is made out of not only goat and ewes' milk but cows' milk as well.
40He says the mellow taste of cows' milk has permitted Halloumi to capture overseas markets.
41"The PDO says it should smell like a farm," he said.
42He questioned if people would buy it if it smelled "like goats!"
43I'm Caty Weaver.
1On a recent cold winter night in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, long lines of people began to form in a public parking area. The crowd was gathering for the arrival of cheesemaker Pantelis Panteli and the load of Halloumi he had for sale. 2Panteli is a relative newcomer to the tradition of Halloumi-making. He had a career as a pilot with Cyprus Airways until 2013, He lost the job as the former company started closing down. Panteli decided to try a very different line of work: cheese-making. The man had found his new career. 3But, now the newcomer has become an unlikely defender of traditional cheese-making for Cyprus's prized Halloumi. 4The European Union named Halloumi a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 2021. That means that only approved producers from Cyprus can market the cheese under that name. In exchange for the PDO, Cyprus agreed to increase the quantity of ewe or goat milk to just over 50 percent by July 2024. 5But Cypriot farmers are protesting the agreement over a dispute about the ingredients. Industry stakeholders say ewe and goat's milk is highly seasonal, and could therefore affect production levels. Cheese makers had threatened to shut their operations because there was not enough milk. And cattle-raising farmers were angered at the threat to the milk cow market. 6So Cyprus officials now plan to delay the agreement to 2029. 7Halloumi debate 8Soft, rubbery Halloumi can be eaten raw. There are also many ways to cook it --- over a fire or heated in liquid or oil. The cheese keeps its shape well in cooking. It is a popular food and the island's second largest export. Medicines are first. 9But there is a dispute within Cyprus about what makes true Halloumi cheese. Should it be made from cow's milk which has a mellower taste? Or should it be made from goat and ewe milk, as traditionalists argue? 10Panteli started making Halloumi with guidance from a family member. "It was all trial and error with a small pot, then a bigger pot - and just like Steve Jobs - in our garage," he said. 11He uses ewe's milk to make his Halloumi. He cooks the milk in rennet which thickens the liquid to a solid form called a curdle. After resting, curdles are cut and reheated. Panteli adds salt and puts them in a solution called brine for a few hours. Then, they are done and he prepares for market. 12Panteli only has a permit to sell directly to consumers. And he is limited to producing 150 liters of milk a day. 13But his product is popular. He makes videos on TikTok and the social media service X to let people know where to find him. He usually sells all his cheese within two hours of opening sales. 14"Nobody is making the real thing anymore, and that is our aim," Panteli said. He spoke to the Reuters news agency while standing near about 300 noisy sheep at his farm west of Nicosia. 15But some farmers on the Mediterranean island say that Panteli's method is not workable for all. 16Nicos Papakyriakou is head of the organization that represents cow farmers. He said that based on an older 1985 trade agreement, Halloumi cheese is made out of not only goat and ewes' milk but cows' milk as well. 17He says the mellow taste of cows' milk has permitted Halloumi to capture overseas markets. "The PDO says it should smell like a farm," he said. He questioned if people would buy it if it smelled "like goats!" 18I'm Caty Weaver. 19Michelle Kambas reported this story for Reuters. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. 20____________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22ingredient - n. things that are used to make a food product 23stakeholder - n. person or business that invests money in something 24mellow - adj. having a pleasing flavor 25garage - n. part of a building in which a car is kept 26rennet - n. a substance used in cheese-making to separate milk into curdles 27consumer - n. a person who buys goods and services