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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Cyprus, Akanthou village

Akanthou cheese (Akanthiotiko tyri)Ακανθιώτικο τυρί

Akanthou cheese was a raw goat-milk cheese from the village of Akanthou in Cyprus, made during the 50-day fast before Easter. The rennet curd was pressed by hand into baskets, heated twice in hot whey and salted over several days. Some was then dried over lentisk smoke or dipped in beeswax, and could keep for three to four years. Made in 7 steps over 3 years – 4 years. The longest step, smoke over lentisk or dip in beeswax, takes 3–4 years (Republic of Cyprus). Native flora of the raw goat milk does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step3–4 yearsReported[cy2025]Smoke over lentisk or dip in beeswax
Fully documentedCheese3 years – 4 yearsnone (traditional; historical)Family: Whey-cooked rennet curd family (halloumi type)More whey-cooked cheesesMore from Cyprus

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe sources give no amounts and no temperatures; the method was a village practice.
Raw goat milk · From goats grazing the area's aromatic plants[cy2022][cy2025]
Rennet[cy2025]
Salt[cy2025]
Lentisk wood smoke, or melted beeswax · For cheese meant to keep[cy2025]
Starter: none named

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 years – 4 years

Start
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Milk proteinGel (curd)

What changes: Rennet goes into goat milk warmed in a cauldron over the fire

Step 1 of 7
Heat the milk and add rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

The fire is put out once the rennet is in, so the milk can set. Output: rennet curd.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Like halloumi the curd is heated in hot whey, but here twice, and the cheese is then salted over several days and aired at night. For keeping, it was dried over lentisk smoke or sealed in beeswax.

Season
Made during the 50-day fast before Easter
Status
Akanthou is in the north of the island; the sources describe the cheese in the past tense

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fresh, for flaounaUsed after salting and airing, with no smoking.
  • SmokedDried on straw over burning lentisk.
  • Beeswax-coatedDipped in melted beeswax.

Safety

The sources give no temperatures, salt levels or other safety values for this cheese.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Archbishop Kyprianos praised the cheese of Akanthou in 1788, and in 1890 Sakellarios called it the best on the island. It was exported to neighbouring countries.

  1. [cy2022] Republic of Cyprus 2022, gastronomy map booklet (publications.gov.cy, publication 2022_040), item 34 'Akanthou cheese (Akanthiotiko tyri)'gov
  2. [cy2025] Republic of Cyprus, Gastronomy in Cyprus (publications.gov.cy, publication 2025_91), pp. 44–45, 'Akanthou cheese (Akanthiotiko tyri)'gov