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[00:00.67] But there is a dispute within Cyprus about what makes true Halloumi cheese.

[00:09.43] Should it be made from cow’s milk which has a mellower taste?

[00:15.01] Or should it be made from goat and ewe milk, as traditionalists argue?

[00:23.51] Panteli started making Halloumi with guidance from a family member.

[00:29.62] "It was all trial and error with a small pot, then a bigger pot - and just like Steve Jobs - in our garage," he said.

[00:41.57] He uses ewe’s milk to make his Halloumi.

[00:46.09] He cooks the milk in rennet which thickens the liquid to a solid form called a curdle.

[00:54.85] After resting, curdles are cut and reheated.

[01:00.17] Panteli adds salt and puts them in a solution called brine for a few hours.

[01:08.93] Then, they are done and he prepares for market.

[01:13.98] Panteli only has a permit to sell directly to consumers.

[01:19.82] And he is limited to producing 150 liters of milk a day.

[01:27.26] But his product is popular.

[01:32.57] He makes videos on TikTok and the social media service X to let people know where to find him.

[01:40.28] He usually sells all his cheese within two hours of opening sales.

[01:47.98] "Nobody is making the real thing anymore, and that is our aim," Panteli said.

[01:55.95] He spoke to the Reuters news agency while standing near about 300 noisy sheep at his farm west of Nicosia.

[02:07.63] But some farmers on the Mediterranean island say that Panteli’s method is not workable for all.

[02:16.67] Nicos Papakyriakou is head of the organization that represents cow farmers.

[02:24.63] 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.

[02:40.57] He says the mellow taste of cows' milk has permitted Halloumi to capture overseas markets.

[02:50.13] "The PDO says it should smell like a farm," he said.

[02:55.45] He questioned if people would buy it if it smelled “like goats!”