What would we be without our tradition?
Through this article, we will “feast on tradition.” We will feast on halloumi, anari, and trachanas—three traditional delicacies that are worth studying!
Our beloved halloumi is a white semi-hard cheese that can be found fresh or in its matured form. Fresh halloumi is made from curd produced by coagulating milk with rennet. Traditionally, goat and sheep milk are used, but usually, it’s a mixture of goat, sheep, and cow’s milk. It is cooked and shaped into its characteristic rectangular or semicircular form. Matured halloumi is left to age in salted whey for at least 40 days.
By-product of halloumi is anari — a soft white cheese made after the curd for halloumi is removed and the whey is reheated.
Authentic Cypriot trachanas is made from wheat (konari) kneaded together with soured sheep or goat milk. Traditionally, it was prepared during the summer months so it could be sun-dried.
How I enjoy tradition:
- Anari with carob syrup or honey, cinnamon, and crushed nuts
- Halloumi in pita with grilled vegetables and balsamic vinegar
And now let’s take a look at the nutritional value of these products:
(Values from the State General Laboratory. A range of samples was used.)
| Halloumi (100g) | Fresh Anari (100g) | Trachanas (100g) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 300–375 | 136–335 | 369–386 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | trace–2.3 | trace–5.3 | 59.8–67.6 |
| Protein (g) | 19.7–25.2 | 9.0–16.3 | 12.4–16.4 |
| Fat (g) | 22.0–30.0 | 7.0–39.5 | 5.4–10.1 |
| Calcium (mg) | 727–822 | 97–372 | 185–362 |
| Sodium (mg) | 908–1779 | 37–467 | 394–1110 |
Some observations:
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Anari can be found with as little as 7g fat per 100g, while halloumi has a minimum of 22g fat per 100g.
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Trachanas, and especially halloumi, have high sodium (salt) content.
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Halloumi has the highest calcium content among the three.
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