Anari cheese facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anari
Country of origin	Cyprus
Region, town	Islandwide
Source of milk	Goat or sheep milk
Texture	Very soft to very hard
Aging time	None
Certification	N/A
Named after	Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Anari (pronounced ah-NAH-ree) is a special kind of fresh, mild cheese from Cyprus. It's a whey cheese, which means it's made from the liquid left over after making other cheeses. Even though it's not as famous as halloumi, another Cypriot cheese, Anari has become more popular recently. A company from Cyprus even won a silver medal for their Anari at the 2005 World Cheese Awards in the UK. Now, you can find it in many supermarkets there!

How Anari is Made

Anari is made from whey, which is the watery part of milk left after making harder cheeses like halloumi or kefalotyri.

• First, the whey is slowly heated in a big cooking pot.
• When it reaches about 65 degrees Celsius (149°F), a small amount of goat or sheep milk can be added. This makes the cheese even better.
• The mixture is then heated until it boils.
• As the temperature goes up to 80-85 degrees Celsius (176-185°F), small, crumbly pieces of Anari start to form on the surface.
• These pieces are carefully scooped off using a slotted spoon or a colander.
• They are then placed in a container to let any extra liquid drain away.
• Finally, the cheese is cut into cubes, usually about 10 cm (4 inches) on each side. The whole process takes about an hour.

Different Kinds of Anari

Anari comes in a few forms:

• Fresh Anari: This is the most common type. It looks chalk-white and is very soft. It's a lot like cottage cheese or ricotta.
• Hard Anari: To make this, salt is often added to the fresh Anari. Then, it's gently heated or left in the sun to dry out. This process makes it very hard.

How to Enjoy Anari

Anari is a tasty cheese used in many ways:

• Fresh Anari: Since it's very soft and goes bad quickly, fresh Anari should be eaten soon after it's made. Many people in Cyprus enjoy it for breakfast. They mix it with sweet syrups, often made from carob, or with honey.
• Bourekia: This is a traditional Cypriot pastry. It's filled with different Anari mixtures, which can be either sweet or savory.
• Cheesecakes: These are similar to bourekia, but they use a special thin pastry called filo instead.
• Dry Anari: Because it's so hard, dry Anari can't be cut easily. Instead, it's usually grated. People use it to sprinkle on top of pasta dishes or to make sauces thicker. It's also a key ingredient in Flaounes, a traditional pastry made for Orthodox Easter.

Anari's Nutrition Facts

Here's what you can typically find in 100 grams of fresh Anari cheese:

Other Fun Facts About Anari

In Cyprus, fresh Anari is sometimes called analati anari (pronounced ah-nah-LAH-tee ah-nah-REE). This means "unsalted Anari," because the regular fresh Anari usually has some salt added.

Anari is also important in Cypriot culture. It's even mentioned in a traditional fairy tale called Spanos and the Forty Dragons!

See also

In Spanish: Anari (queso) para niños