Halloumi / Hellim

Χαλλούμι / Halloumi / Hellim is a Cypriot PDO cheese produced across the whole island of Cyprus. It is semi-hard and elastic, white to light-yellowish in colour, and is distinguished by its property of not melting at high temperatures. The specification requires heat treatment of the curds in whey at over 90 °C for at least 30 minutes and the addition of Cypriot mint.

About this designation

Registered under file number PDO-CY-01243, Χαλλούμι / Halloumi / Hellim received PDO protection on 17 July 2014 and is recorded in eAmbrosia under identifier EUGI00000015984. The geographical area is the whole island of Cyprus. Two types are recognised: fresh and mature. The product is semi-hard and elastic, folded or unfolded, rectangular or semi-circular in shape, and white to light-yellowish in colour. Its organoleptic characteristics include a strong smell of milk and whey, an aroma and taste of mint, a barnyard smell, and a pungent, salty taste. A defining step in the production process is the heat treatment of the curds in whey at a temperature of over 90 °C for at least 30 minutes, a requirement unique to this specification. Cypriot mint (Mentha viridis) is added during production. Pasteurisation of the milk is optional under the specification as amended. The product may remain in salted whey before packaging for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. After packaging, the product may undergo heat treatment whereby its core temperature exceeds 72 °C for a maximum of 3 minutes. The specification links the product's characteristics to Cyprus's Mediterranean climate, local endemic vegetation consumed by dairy animals, and the presence of the bacillus Lactobacillus cypricasei, isolated only from Cypriot Halloumi. The communicating authority is the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, Cyprus.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 17 July 2014 under file number PDO-CY-01243, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015984.
• The specification requires heat treatment of the curds in whey at over 90 °C for at least 30 minutes.
• The bacillus Lactobacillus cypricasei has been isolated only from Cypriot Halloumi, linking the product to the island's microflora.
• The oldest written reference found to date is from 1554, where the product appears as 'calumi' in a codex held at the Correr Museum in Venice.

HoReCa use

The specification states that Halloumi can be eaten not only as it is but also fried or grilled, owing to its property of not spreading or melting at high temperatures.