Halloumi gets high praise in village of Pissouri

A sculpture honouring one of the island’s most iconic traditional foods, halloumi, has been unveiled on Friday in the village of Pissouri, overlooking the House of Halloumi Museum, set to open in December.

“The structure depicts the traditional halloumi of the area, folded into a semi-circular shape rather than the more common rectangular folds, highlighting the village’s unique tradition and history,” said Pissouri community leader Panayiotis Mavroudes.

The sculpture was created from fiberglass and gifted to Pissouri by two Swedish residents, father and son Paul and Christian.

The House of Halloumi is located in a building perched high on the village’s hills and will focus on the history of the traditional cheese and its cultural importance.

Offering an alternative museum experience, it was created to offer a fun day out, which is “not your normal boring museum, as you can see by the humongous halloumi outside,” showing passersby the way to the museum, its interior designer Lia Anastasiou told the Cyprus Mail.

The stone building gazes out across the bay, making it both photogenic and culturally authentic. Visitors will be able to taste different varieties of halloumi from the region, play interactive games that reveal the secrets of cheesemaking, or follow hands-on workshops – rolling out pastries or even crafting a simple flute.

As of December, visitors will be able to take part in an experience which is playful, sensory and rooted in everyday life, designed to allow both locals and tourists to explore the area’s authentic, historically rich character.

“Designing this space made me realise that halloumi here is so much more than cheese. It is history, pride, livelihood and love of life,” Anastasiou said.

“The House of Halloumi is also a gateway to the wider charms of Pissouri,” she added, highlighting the “nature trails along the dramatic cliffs of Cape Aspro, wine tastings that begin in the square, coffee under the shade of carob trees, and recipes to take home so the taste of Pissouri Halloumi lingers long after your trip.”