It smells like… Cheese?
The Tennessee group had another adventure filming food made from scratch. We went back to the same village as the bread maker but this time, we watched how to make halloumi cheese by a skilled Cheese Maker and her assistant. The house was beautiful and her backyard was welcoming with her garden, the trees providing natural shade from the beaming sunlight. We set the cameras up and started filming in the Cheese Maker’s garage-like factory. She had two large silver pots beside one another, both heated ready to start the cheese-making technique.
The process of making cheese is different than I imagined. Being completely uneducated on the matter, it was interesting and a fun learning experience to appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into making the traditional cheese for the people of Cyprus. First, they add goat’s milk to the pot on the left and stir vigorously while adding substance forcing the cheese to form. After quite a bit of stirring, they allow the cheese to take its course in the hot milk. After about half an hour, they go right back to work by taking out buckets of cheese filled with milk. The two ladies worked together to drain the milk out of the cheese using a metal frame-like box and a linen sheet to put the cheese in. The milk rushes out and runs down their clever contraption to fall in a bucket. Nothing goes to waste; the milk that has drained from the cheese has special importance, as well! They pour the milk into the other large pot on the right and boil it. This milk will be making another type of cheese but it’s not as important as the halloumi to the Cypriots. As soon as they have six large blocks of cheese, they unwrap each and cut them into smaller pieces and place the cheese in plastic bags, tie them up and place them in the milk being boiled; this is how the cheese continues to cook. It has to sit for fifty-five minutes in the boiling milk. After the cheese is cooked, our graceful host took out a block and seasoned it with salt and mint and cut up several pieces for us to try.
The halloumi cheese is an important part of the meze. Luckily, this time, I was part of the film crew so I was able to stay and listen to her story of how she became a cheese maker, the history behind halloumi cheese, and what it means to Cypriots. The Cheese Maker wasn’t quite sure when halloumi cheese was first made but she knew it came to be because the country used to be very poor and they would experiment with different ways of making it. Allegedly, they made it with fig trees and cow’s milk. Since joining the EU (European Union), the regulations restrict and allow only goat’s milk to be used to make the cheese, probably for respective religious beliefs. The Cheese Maker grew up in a home where her mother made halloumi cheese; she explained to us, “I’ve always known how to make halloumi but I took a special course to learn the art of pressing the cheese.” About thirty years ago, she took a class to learn the art of making halloumi cheese and hasn’t stopped since. Much like the bread maker, her children did not want to follow her expertise for a living but they do help her occasionally.
Every morning, the Cheese Maker has to wait for the goat’s milk to be delivered, seeing as she doesn’t own any goats of her own. The time differs about every day and it can arrive anywhere between 5 to 11 am. She makes 150 loafs a week. The Cheese Maker does not leave her house in order to sell her product but rather, sells it right from her home. She is the only one in the area who still makes halloumi cheese in the traditional way.
The only con about our experience was the smell of the cheese being made. Sour milk is used in the process and as it heats and boils, the odor is anything but pleasant. I understand it’s part of the process but I had to breathe solely through my mouth during the last half of the filming and leave occasionally in order to stop my stomach from becoming too nauseated.
The Cheese Maker lives in a modest home in the middle of a neighborhood. Her children live right behind her and she has three grandchildren who kept us entertained. The middle grandchild, a girl about the age of six, was watching her grandmother drain the milk out of the cheese. Kendra, the talent for the documentary, asked if she was going to grow up and make cheese like her grandmother and the little girl replied, “No! It’s so boring.” I had a small kinship with the little girl; she was running around everywhere unable to stay still.
Naturally, Greeks feel the need to feed everyone they come in contact with. They are excellent hosts and yet again, we were spoiled by the food offered to us. She served a delicious juice consisting of several fruits. She also cut up cucumbers, a fresh loaf of sesame bread, olive bread, and, of course, halloumi cheese. In the book, “Eat Pray Love,” Elizabeth Gilbert reminds us, “We must take care of our families where-ever we find them.” This is the mindset of the Cypriots, our host made sure we were all fed and taken care of, we are welcomed into their homes as if we are part of the family.
After we left the Cheese Maker’s home, and thanked her relentlessly, we climbed back in the bus only to have a surprise stop at a beautiful church built in a mountain (literally). It was absolutely stunning, even with the construction on the side for renovations. We walked up several sets of stairs, most of us listening to the priest about the history behind the church; naturally, the scenery and taking pictures distracted me. I do know, however, the church’s establishment is unknown. They found elics from the 12th century along with tombs of monks, and one was wearing a cross dating back to like 200 AD. The symbol is priceless and resides in a nearby church and is only taken out during the month of August.
The beautiful church set inside a mountain. It was such an experience to go inside the church and walk through caves instead of hallways. There’s a beautiful fountain set in front and Catholic murals of the Virgin Mary and Jesus fill the mountainous walls.
Our adventure only took us about six hours. We’re excited about our footage and feel like we have a lot of information we can use in our documentary. The church was a blessing to be able to encounter such uniqueness. Today was a fantastic learning experience and days like these are what keep me on the edge of my seat in anticipation for the next adventure.