What was this mystery cheese??

[BertieBotts]

I went to a garden party type thing the other day where people brought food to share. I ate part of a salad which had whole cherry tomatoes and chunks of what looked like fried croissant (I thought they were some kind of crouton ) Only to realise it had a totally un-bread-like texture and a very slight cheesy taste.

I'm slightly intolerant to cheese (it makes me sick) so I found the person who had brought that salad and just asked casually. She said yes it's cheese, and was then mortified that I'd eaten it. I told her please not to worry because I should have checked first, anyway, and I'd probably be fine as it was a small amount.

Anyway a few days later, no reaction, so I asked her what kind of cheese it was, because it's useful to know if there is a kind of cheese I can eat without it making me ill. She didn't know but promised to check when she was next in the supermarket. She hasn't got back to me and I am now afraid it has been too long and she won't remember, and I'm too embarrassed to remind her!

So, perhaps you can help me? It didn't taste very strong at all, the texture was sort of rubbery and sort of similar to meat or fish in the way that it separated in flakes or strings. I think it was grilled, possibly, because the outside was golden brown but it had remained in this square shape. I wondered if it was perhaps goat's or sheep's cheese?

Oh, and she would have bought it in France, if that makes any difference at all.

[BertieBotts]

Because she lives there. Not because I have friends who regularly jet over to France for a bit of grocery shopping (Am on the German border)

[Weebirdie]

Sounds like it may have been Halloumi.

[Maria33]

Halloumi?

[LaurieFairyCake]

Sounds like halloumi

Very bland and inoffensive but lush grilled

[OttiliaVonBCup]

That's what I would have thought.

Never seen it in France though.

[TheFutureSupremeRulersMum]

Sounds like halloumi to me with a rubbery texture. It's really nice grilled.

[ItsAllGoodMan]

Was it really salty?

[TommyandGina]

I love Halloumi

[penny13610]

What weebirdie says
Also may have been made with sheep's milk. My some is slightly dairy intolerant and copes with sheep's milk fine.

[Elledouble]

I've roasted feta before which has gone a bit like you describe - looks like croutons.

[inmyheadimthequeen]

Yep, halloumi would be my guess. It's sometimes made with goat's milk I think, or sheep's milk, maybe. Not cow's milk anyway, that's possibly why you didn't have a reaction to it.

[Weebirdie]

Try Carrefour in the cheese chiller.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

I don't really miss it when in France, there's so many other things eat.

[BertieBotts]

No, it didn't taste that salty, it didn't taste of anything much. I thought feta was normally crumbly and smaller?

Yes I have been told I might be okay with sheeps'/goat's cheese before, but never tried any.

Well anyway it seems pretty unanimous that it's probably one of those two! Thanks :)

[LittleMiss77]

Halloumi or Saganaki (Greek version of Halloumi)

[SirNiallDementia]

Halloumi, it's made from sheep milk so that's probably why you didn't react.