Rumi cheese
🥚 VegetarianRumi is one of Egypt's main hard cheeses, made from cow's milk, buffalo milk, or a blend of both. It grows sharper with age and is an everyday cheese in the country.
History
Its Arabic name, rumi, literally means "Roman," and tradition links it to the Greek cheese kefalotyri, from which it is considered to derive. It belongs to the same family as pecorino romano and manchego.
It is made without a starter culture, using natural milk with full cream, and peppercorns are sometimes added. After three or four months it develops an open texture and a strong, peppery flavour. It is sold in discs or as vacuum-packed slices.
In Alexandria it is also known as gebna torki, and in the United Arab Emirates as Ras cheese. Food researchers have tested lipase enzymes to improve the flavour of related cheeses such as ras and domiati, and in 1985 an experimental ras was made with soy milk, which had less fat and a slightly altered flavour.
Culture
Rumi is one of the cheeses most present on the Egyptian table, often grated over dishes and served at breakfast. Its salty, pronounced taste makes it valued in popular cooking.
It also serves as a reference for other products. Mish, a traditional fermented cheese, is made from areesh, and its commercial versions can be made with ras or domiati.
Legend and fact
Its name means "Roman," which might suggest an origin in Rome. However, it is an Egyptian cheese, and there is no documentation supporting a Roman origin; the link that is preserved is with the Greek kefalotyri.