VOA文化艺术2024--In Cyprus, Former Pilot Makes Halloumi Cheese the Old Ways

In Cyprus, Former Pilot Makes Halloumi Cheese the Old Ways

　　On 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 gathering¹ for the arrival of cheesemaker Pantelis Panteli and the load of Halloumi he had for sale.

　　Panteli is a relative newcomer to the tradition of Halloumi-making. He had a career as a pilot with Cyprus Airways² until 2013, He lost the job as the former company started closing down. Panteli decided³ to try a very different line of work: cheese-making. The man had found his new career.

　　But, now the newcomer has become an unlikely defender⁴ of traditional cheese-making for Cyprus's prized Halloumi.

　　The 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.

　　But Cypriot farmers are protesting the agreement over a dispute about the ingredients. Industry stakeholders say ewe and goat's milk is highly seasonal⁵, and could therefore affect production levels. Cheese makers⁶ 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.

　　So Cyprus officials now plan to delay the agreement to 2029.

　　Halloumi debate

　　Soft, 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.

　　But there is a dispute within Cyprus about what makes true Halloumi cheese. Should it be made from cow's milk which has a mellower⁸ taste? Or should it be made from goat and ewe milk, as traditionalists argue?

　　Panteli 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.

　　He uses ewe's milk to make his Halloumi. He cooks the milk in rennet which thickens the liquid to a solid form called a curdle⁹. After resting, curdles¹⁰ 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.

　　Panteli only has a permit to sell directly to consumers. And he is limited to producing 150 liters of milk a day.

　　But 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.

　　"Nobody is making the real thing anymore, and that is our aim," Panteli said. He spoke¹¹ to the Reuters news agency while standing¹² near about 300 noisy sheep at his farm west of Nicosia.

　　But some farmers on the Mediterranean¹³ island say that Panteli's method is not workable for all.

　　Nicos 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.

　　He says the mellow⁷ 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!"

　　Words in This Story

　　ingredient - n. things that are used to make a food product

　　stakeholder - n. person or business that invests money in something

　　mellow - adj. having a pleasing flavor

　　garage - n. part of a building in which a car is kept

　　rennet - n. a substance used in cheese-making to separate milk into curdles

　　consumer - n. a person who buys goods and services

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

5 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

6 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mellow   

adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟

参考例句：

• These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节，苹果就熟透了。
• The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时，色彩变得柔和了。

8 mellower   

成熟的( mellow的比较级 )； （水果）熟透的； （颜色或声音）柔和的； 高兴的

参考例句：

• He's got mellower as he's got older. 随着年龄的增长，他变得更成熟了。
• Mellow She used to have a fierce temper, but she's got mellower as she's got older. 她以前脾气暴躁，但随着年龄的增长，她变得较为成熟了。

9 curdle   

v.使凝结，变稠

参考例句：

• The sauce should not boil or the egg yolk will curdle.调味汁不能煮沸，不然蛋黄会凝结的。
• The sight made my blood curdle.那景象使我不寒而栗。

10 curdles   

v.（使）凝结( curdle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everything curdles when you touch it. 什么事情只要自己一沾手，就会毛病百出。 来自辞典例句
• Milk curdles when kept too long. 牛奶放置太久会凝结。 来自辞典例句

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。