MARIETTA, Ga. — Country: Cyprus
Dish: Halloumi
Location: Marietta
Stop #33
Get ready, cheese lovers.
Skewers may feature a menu of flavors from around the world, but it’s the small island of Cyprus that is home for Chef Jean-Louis Constantinides. On that small island? The bragging rights for the home of halloumi.
“Cyprus has the exclusive rights to the cheese,” Constantinides said. “Halloumi is a Cyprus cheese, made from shepherd’s milk, goat milk. Believe it or not, it is one of the few items in the world that cannot be produced without the consent of the Cyprus government. It’s basically our national cheese."
Ready to try the specialty of Cyprus? Customers can find deep-fried halloumi at Skewers with fresh tomatoes or even accompanied by watermelon in the summertime. The cheese can also be presented as a dessert drizzled with honey, the cheese in its many forms a nod to the island's history, according to Constantinides
“How does this dish represent Cyprus?”
“[Cyprus is] a Greek island in the south of the Mediterranean. [Haloumi] represents everything about Cyprus,” he explained. “It’s a shepherd’s island, basically.”
“How does this dish represent Atlanta?”
“Most of our customers have never heard of Cyprus. When I say Cyprus, they go, ‘Oh, Florida?’" Constantinides said.
The restaurant and dishes like halloumi help put the small country on the map for metro customers unaware of Cyprus, though chef touts an international menu full of his personal favorites, ranging from samosa to bulgogi marinated Korean steak.
“Because of my past and travels around the world, we decided to put the menu together of all the foods we like,” Constantinides said. “A lot of people will try some items, including the haloumi. They will come back for it, immediately.”
At the Table is a digital series produced by 11Alive's Matt Pearl and Liza Lucas. Metro Atlanta features the food of dozens of nations. We want to eat through them all! Follow us on Facebook and share your favorite food stories.