halloumi

American  

[huh-loo-mee] / həˈlu mi /

Or haloumi

noun

1. a salty cheese originating in Cyprus and made from sheep’s or goat’s milk: often grilled or fried because it melts very slowly.

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halloumi British  

/ həˈluːmɪ /

noun

1. a salty white sheep's-milk cheese from Greece or Turkey, usually eaten grilled

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Etymology

Origin of halloumi

From Egyptian Arabic, from Arabic ḥalūm, probably from ḥaluma “to be mild”

Explanation

Halloumi is a kind of cheese made in Cyprus from a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk. Unlike many cheeses, halloumi keeps its shape when you cook it on a grill. People describe halloumi as a "squeaky" cheese, because its texture is a bit spongy, not quite hard or soft, and it makes a little squeak between your teeth when you bite into it. Its firmness helps it hold up to heat, and halloumi is delicious after it's grilled. Cheese can only be called halloumi if it's produced in Cyprus. Halloumi comes from the Modern Greek khalloúmi and the Cypriot Arabic xallúm.

Example Sentences

After the hummus and seven vegetable salads, the meal unfolded with sweet-and-salty pistachio-dusted halloumi baklava, tender beef shashlik over creamy black-garlic toum, and a guava sorbet sundae.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

"Today on the menu we have kitchari - a mix of daal and rice, with tomato chutney, halloumi and salad," the school cook says, as she serves the students.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

Now, cheese has been my favorite food forever and always—I will drone on about this to anyone who’ll listen—but I was late to discovering my love for halloumi.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2025

Cyprus’ halloumi pitta: Stuff mini pittas with fried halloumi, cucumber, mint and tomato.

From BBC • May 10, 2023

Luma stocked up on groceries—pita bread, hummus, and halloumi, a salty sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese that was one of her favorites—then went home to make herself a meal like her grandmother might have made.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John