Originally from Cyprus, halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese traditionally made from sheep or goat's cheese or a mixture of both and is now often made from cow's milk too. It is firm with a rubbery/squeaky texture and has a salty, slightly tangy flavour. It has a high melting point so is excellent for cooking and can also be eaten raw.

Halloumi is a traditional cheese in Cyprus and was relied on by farmers as a source of protein. It was originally made from sheep and goat's milk because there weren't many cows on the island until the 20th century. However, due to high demand halloumi is now produced using cow's milk too because it is easier and cheaper to buy. Cypriots traditionally eat halloumi for breakfast, as part of a light meal or a side dish. They would often eat halloumi with watermelon in summer.

It is very high in protein and calcium and contains zinc, selenium, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins. It is also quite high in fat and salt.

Sometimes halloumi is packed with mint because it is believed that mint helps it to stay fresh and flavourful.

Halloumi can be eaten sliced or cubed then grilled, fried, baked or barbecued. It can also be sliced or grated and eaten raw.

Ways to eat halloumi:

• cubed or sliced, grilled or fried and added to a curry
• cubed, put on a skewer for kebabs and then grilled or barbecued
• sliced and used as a pizza topping
• sliced, grilled and added to salads
• sliced, grilled and put into a sandwich or burger
• sliced and added to a tomato and vegetable bake
• grated and added to fritter mixture
• cut into sticks and deep fried
• sliced, grilled or fried and eaten as a side to meals as a meat alternative

Moore Wilson's stock halloumi from Food Snob, Whitestone Cheese, Zany Zeus and more.

Mozzarella originates from Italy where it was first made using buffalo milk using the pasta filata method. It is a stretched curd cheese that can be eaten raw and cooked.

The name mozzarella comes from the Italian verb 'mozzare' which means to separate. This refers to the way the curd is hand stretched in strips and then cut and shaped into balls.

Mozzarella is a semi-soft fresh curd cheese stored in brine. It has has a smooth, shiny surface, a very thin skin and is white in colour. It is mild with a milky flavour and a tender, soft, creamy texture. It is typically eaten within hours to a few days of production.

Originally made with buffalo milk, it is now more commonly made with cows milk and is sometimes made with sheep and goats milk too. Because buffalo produce less milk than cows and less buffalo are farmed than cows, cows milk mozzarella is easier to produce in large quantities and can keep up with the high demand.

Mozzarella is also available in blocks and can also come pre-grated. This type is low-moisture, containing part skim milk and is often used in the food service industry for cooking and melting properties.

Ways to use mozzarella:

• Sliced and eaten with fresh tomatoes and basil in a caprese salad
• Sliced and served on toast with tomatoes and pesto
• Torn and mixed through pasta
• Torn and added to pizza toppings
• Torn and scattered over bakes - pasta, vegetables, meatballs, parmigiana
• Sliced and melted over toast toppings - mushrooms, tomatoes, sliced deli meats
• Sliced and put into a sandwich with salad leaves, sliced tomatoes, olives and roasted capsicum
• Torn and scattered over frittata and quiche

Moore Wilson's stock mozzarella from Massimo's, Alpine and more.

Masimo's Italian Cheeses

Massimo and his wife started Massimo's Italian Cheeses in 2010 after moving here from Puglia and they realised there was a gap in the New Zealand market for fresh Italian cheese. They started selling their cheese at La Cigale market in Auckland and have since grown to sell their products in supermarkets and grocers nationwide.

They have won multiple awards for their hand crafted cheeses. Their range includes buffalo mozzarella, cows milk mozzarella, bocconcini, cherry bocconcini, burrata, stracciatella, ricotta, tvorog and some rare varieties such as caciocavallo.

Find a wide range of these cheeses in store at Moore Wilson's.

Whitestone Cheese

Whitestone Cheese was founded in 1987 as a diversification during the 1980’s rural downturn and a series of crippling droughts. Bob’s experience in livestock trading was quickly applied to cheese trading. The original factory was set up in Oamaru in a converted garage with milk sourced from local farms and one variety, Whitestone Farmhouse was launched. The business slowly grew as an extension of the farming operation until todays purpose built factory was commissioned in 1998. Son Simon joined the business bringing a new set of skills and the farm was sold to concentrate on growing the exciting family enterprise.

Whitestone Cheese source their milk locally where possible. The fresh cow’s milk comes from North Otago Fonterra dairy farms and goat’s milk is sourced directly from a single Washdyke farm just north of Oamaru. All of their milk is delivered fresh and raw to be pasteurised at the factory to produce export certified cheese.

They utilise traditional cheese making methods which is true to the heritage of cheese, the process is natural as are all ingredients. Their range of award winning cheese includes, blue, soft, semi soft, feta and vintage cheese.

Moore Wilson's stocks a wide range of all types of White Stone Cheese.

Kingsmeade Artisan Cheese

On the outskirts of Masterton in the Wairarapa, Miles and Janet King have been making ewe and cow's milk cheeses since 1998 and have since won many awards.

Kingsmeade makes 14 different varieties of cheese, half from ewes' milk and half from cows'. All are uniquely hand crafted, ranging from the aged hard varieties to the deliciously soft.

Miles is heavily involved in all aspects of the farming and cheesemaking with daily milking, cutting and packaging. Each batch of cheese is hand made in the factory on the farm, right next to the family home. Janet runs the Kingsmeade shop and dispatches orders all across New Zealand.

They have 200 East Friesian sheep. Traditionally, this breed of sheep have been used as milking sheep mostly in Europe. They are known as friendly, clever, robust, highly fertile (they usually have twins or triplets) and are good milkers. Sheep's milk is extremely high in nutrients compared to other kinds of commercially available milk. In many cases, it is more readily digestible to people who suffer from lactose intolerance. Evidence suggests it can also help people with eczema and other allergies.

Here at Moore Wilson's we stock a range of Kingsmeade cheese:

• Castlepoint Feta
• Mt Bruce Havarti
• Ngawi Brie
• Opaki Manchego
• Sunset Blue
• Tinui Blue
• Wairarapa Jack
• Woodside Emmental

Over The Moon

Based in Putaruru, South Waikato, Over The Moon is a boutique cheese factory making a wide range of specialty cheeses from locally sourced goat, cow, sheep and buffalo milk. They have been producing cheese since 2007 and have since won many awards world-wide. They make around 24,000 kilograms of cheese each year and are committed to developing and promoting New Zealand dairy using international research, development and innovation.

Their cheese making is done using traditional processes, paying homage to the great time-honoured methods of cheesemaking internationally. Their cheese range includes traditional hard cheeses like Cheshire and Romano through to the soft cheeses, blues, halloumi and washed rind.

Here at Moore Wilson's we stock a range of Over The Moon cheese:

• Aroha Camembert
• Black Truffle Brie
• Camembert Goats Milk
• Creamy Blue
• Double Delight Brie
• Galactic Gold
• Goat Camembert
• OMG Triple Cream Brie
• Ricotta

Buffalo milk has been consumed for centuries. India, Pakistan, China and Italy produce the majority of the worlds buffalo milk and it is used to produce dairy products, including cheese, yoghurt, butter and ice cream.

Buffalo milk cheeses are often used in Italian and Asian cuisine, including mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella in Italy, paneer and khoa in India, dali ni horbo and dangke in Indonesia and nguri in China.

Buffalo milk is higher in calcium, protein and phosphate, and is lower in cholesterol than cows milk. It is high in vitamin A and is A2. Some people find it easier to digest than cows milk and can be a good alternative. It also has a higher fat content than cows milk so it is very creamy in texture and flavourful with a sweeter and cleaner taste than cows milk.

Some cheese makers have delved into making other cheeses with buffalo milk that traditionally use cows, sheeps and goats milk, such as gouda, feta and ricotta.

New Zealand has two main buffalo milk producers making cheese, Clevedon Buffalo and Wairiri Buffalo. Moore Wilson's stock a wide range from Clevedon Buffalo, including their milk, mozzarella, bocconcini, marinated cheese, ricotta, oaxa, tartinade and yoghurt.

You can use these buffalo cheeses to make delicious meals such as salads, toast toppings, on pizza, in pasta and in dips.

Clevedon Buffalo

Just south of Auckland on the shores of the Hauraki Gulf is where Richard and Helen Dorresteyn run their family business, owning and operating 200 head of Riverine water buffalo. They produce multiple award-winning fresh buffalo mozzarella, bocconcini, ricotta, yoghurt and marinated buffalo cheese from their fresh buffalo milk.

Clevedon Buffalo started when Richard and Helen decided they needed a cheese producer to sell fresh cheese at their weekly farmers market so in 2007 they started the first New Zealand buffalo farm. They are involved in the whole process from farming to making, testing and tasting each product to ensure their cheese is of high standard.

Buffalo milk has a sweeter, cleaner taste than cows milk. It is A2 and contains significantly more protein and calcium than cow’s milk. It has roughly half the cholesterol of cow’s milk. Those who are intolerant to other dairy products often find buffalo milk readily digestible.

Here at Moore Wilson's we stock a range of their products, including:

• mozzarella and bocconcini
• marinated cheese
• ricotta
• oaxaca (Mexican style string cheese)
• tartinade (cheese spreads)
• yoghurt

Recipe - Savoury French Toast with Tartinade and Mushrooms

Serves 4

Find more recipes using Clevedon Buffalo fresh cheese on their website here.