White Brined Cheese Production

What is a white brined cheese?

A white brined cheese is a rennet- (and sometimes acid-) coagulated cheese that is salted and then ripened and stored submerged in a salt brine, typically between about 6% and 18% sodium chloride depending on the variety and the stage of ripening. The cheeses are usually rindless, close-textured and white, with a salty, mildly acidic and sometimes piquant flavour. The brine both seasons the cheese and preserves it, which is why the style developed in hot climates long before refrigeration.

The family includes Feta (Greece), Halloumi (Cyprus), Domiati (Egypt), Beyaz peynir (Turkey), Akkawi (the Levant), Telemea (Romania), Brinza/Brynza (Eastern Europe), Nabulsi (Palestine), Iranian white cheese and the Balkan whites such as Sirene. Cow's-milk feta-style cheese is made in large volumes outside the Mediterranean too — Denmark is the largest producer of cow's-milk feta-type cheese, followed by Germany.

The white-brined process, step by step

1. Standardise and pasteurise the milk (sheep, goat, cow, buffalo or a blend, by variety).
2. Add starter and rennet — most white cheeses use a starter to acidify; the milk is then renneted and left to coagulate.
3. Cut the coagulum into cubes and allow it to firm; most white cheeses are gently stirred but, unlike hard cheeses, are not heavily scalded — Halloumi is the major exception.
4. Drain the whey and ladle or transfer the curd to moulds or draining tables.
5. Mould and lightly press to knit the curd, then cut into the characteristic blocks.
6. Salt — either by dry-salting the surfaces or by placing the blocks straight into brine.
7. Ripen and store in brine (6–18% salt) under controlled temperature; the cheese matures and is sold submerged.

What distinguishes one white cheese from another is the detail: the milk type, the coagulation time and temperature, whether the curd is cooked, the draining pressure, the curd shape and size, and the salting method.

Feta — the benchmark

Feta is a Greek Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese. It is made from sheep's milk, with up to 30% goat's milk permitted; under EU law a cheese made wholly or partly from cow's milk cannot be sold as “Feta”. Authentic PDO Feta is whiter, more acidic and saltier than cow's-milk white cheese: published figures put Feta at around pH 4.45 and 3.66% salt, against roughly pH 4.64 and 2.92% salt for a comparable cow's-milk white cheese. Moisture is typically in the region of 48–56 g/100 g and tends to rise during cold brine storage. The cheese is dry-salted and then ripened and stored in brine.

Halloumi — the cooked-curd brined cheese

Halloumi is a Cypriot PDO cheese; the name was registered by the European Commission on 12 April 2021, with protection taking effect on 1 October 2021, under the names Halloumi / Hellim. Within the EU, only cheese made on the island of Cyprus to the traditional recipe may carry the name. Its process is unlike the other white cheeses:

1. Milk is warmed (around 32°C) and renneted; the curd is cut and pressed into blocks.
2. The blocks are cut and cooked in hot whey at about 90°C until the pieces float.
3. While still hot, each piece is salted, sprinkled with dried mint and folded.
4. The cheese is cooled and stored in salted whey or brine; mature Halloumi is held 40 days or more.

Halloumi uses no starter culture. It is made from sheep's, goat's and cow's milk; under the PDO specification the combined sheep and goat milk must exceed the cow's milk. The second cooking is what gives Halloumi its high melting point, so it can be grilled or fried without melting. Reported retail sales of Halloumi reached about €266.5 million in 2020.

Domiati, Akkawi and the wider family

Domiati, the traditional white cheese of Egypt and the second-largest brined cheese after Feta, is distinctive in that salt is added to the milk before renneting, which shapes its texture and keeping quality. Akkawi (the Levant) is a mild cow's-milk white cheese, often desalted before eating. Beyaz peynir (Turkey), Telemea (Romania), Nabulsi (boiled in brine), Brinza and the various Balkan and Iranian whites all follow the same broad coagulate–drain–salt–brine principle with local variation in milk, salt and ripening.

The science of brining

Brining is where a white cheese gets much of its character. Salt moves into the cheese and water moves out of (or into) it until the salt concentration in the cheese moisture reaches equilibrium with the brine. The brine concentration sets the direction of water movement: at a low brine concentration (around 7%) water transfers into the cheese, raising its weight and moisture, whereas at a higher concentration (around 13%) the cheese loses water. Brining temperature has the greatest single influence on finished composition and weight: cold brining (around 3°C) limits the fall in pH and tends to keep moisture higher, while warm brining (around 22°C) drives a larger pH fall. Salt level, residual acidity, calcium loss and storage temperature then govern softening, body and shelf life.

Composition & comparison

Plant & equipment for white-brined cheese

A white-cheese line is built around coagulation vats or enclosed coagulators, curd cutting and gentle stirring, draining tables or moulds, light pressing, block cutting and — central to the style — brine tanks and brine management: control of concentration, temperature and hygiene, plus brine turnover and pasteurisation to prevent spoilage and cross-contamination. Dry-salting stations, packing in brine (tubs, cans or vacuum) and controlled-temperature maturation complete the line. A Halloumi line adds a whey cooking vat (around 90°C) and a folding and mint station. The Gulf and wider MENA region is one of the largest markets for white cheese, and lines are frequently designed around that demand.

Protected names

Feta is a PDO of Greece and Halloumi / Hellim is a PDO of Cyprus (registered 2021). Many other white cheeses — “white cheese”, Beyaz peynir, Akkawi and so on — are generic names that can be made anywhere, although some regional versions hold their own geographical-indication status. A feta-style cheese made outside the PDO area must be sold under a different name within the EU and several other markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a white brined cheese?

A rennet- or acid-coagulated cheese that is salted and then ripened and stored submerged in a salt brine of roughly 6 to 18% sodium chloride. Feta, Halloumi, Domiati and Beyaz peynir are examples. The brine both seasons and preserves the cheese.

What is the difference between Feta and Halloumi?

Feta is a soft, acidic Greek PDO cheese made mainly from sheep's milk and ripened in brine, with a starter culture. Halloumi is a Cypriot PDO cheese whose curd is cooked in hot whey at about 90C, folded with dried mint and made with no starter; the second cooking gives it a high melting point so it can be grilled or fried without melting.

Why does Halloumi not melt?

Because the curd is cooked a second time in hot whey at around 90C. This further denatures and knits the protein, raising the melting point so the cheese holds its shape when grilled or fried.

What brine concentration is used for white cheese?

Typically between about 6% and 18% salt depending on the variety and stage. The concentration also sets water movement: at around 7% water moves into the cheese, while at around 13% the cheese loses water. Brining temperature has the largest effect on the final composition.

Can any white cheese be called Feta?

No. Feta is a Protected Designation of Origin of Greece, made from sheep's milk with up to 30% goat's milk. A cheese containing cow's milk, or made outside the defined area, cannot be sold as Feta in the EU and must use a different name.

Is Halloumi a protected name?

Yes. Halloumi / Hellim was registered as a Cypriot PDO by the European Commission on 12 April 2021, effective 1 October 2021. Within the EU only cheese made in Cyprus to the traditional recipe may use the name.

Further reading: John Watson publishes articles on dairy industry topics on LinkedIn. Browse all articles by John Watson on LinkedIn →