Name - Origin
This is the liquid that is left over after draining off and separating the curd in the form of halloumi and anari, it's the whey (Mavrokordatos 2003, 314).
Xenophon P. Farmacidis in his Glossary notes that norothi is the whey, i.e. the milky liquid in which the halloumi is preserved (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry νορρόθη,η, 83). The same is mentioned by Eugenia Petrou-Poetou, that noros is the whey of milk, in which they immerse the halloumi in order to preserve it (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Νορός, 101).
ETYM. ancient orós, Homer. P225 (Yangoullis 2009, entry νορ(ρ)ός,ο - νορόθ(θ)η - νερόθ(θ)η - ορόθη,η, 308; PetrouPoeitou 2013, entry Νορός, 101).
George Loukas in his Glossary lists the following variants of the word: norothi, nerothi, orothi, noros and oros, tyrogalon. He notes that the arctic n came from the n of the accusative of the prepositional article ton, tin (Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry νορόθη, νερόθη, ορόθη,η, νορός και ορός,ο, τυρόγαλον,το, 331).
In Cyprus, whey is known as norothi and norros. In Pissouri village it is called orrofi (par. verb: (or)rofkiazei) and in Karpasia it is called tyroalos ((Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry ορρόφη,η, 484 and entryτυρόαλος,ο, 501). 84).
Petrou-Poeitou points out that whey is also called nerogalon (water + milk) (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Νερόγαλο,101).
The phrase "i didn't eat milk and i will eat orofi?" is said of snobbish people (Petrou-Poietu 2013, entry Νορός, 101).
Additional information and bibliography
Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Θησαυρός Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου. Ερμηνευτικό, Ετυμολογικό, Φρασεολογικό και Ονοματολογικό Λεξικό της Μεσαιωνικής και Νεότερης Κυπριακής Διαλέκτου, Βιβλιοθήκη Κυπρίων Λαϊκών Ποιητών, 70, Theopress Publications, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1979 [2002²]), Υλικά διά την σύνταξιν ιστορικού λεξικού της κυπριακής διαλέκτου, Μέρος Α΄, Γλωσσάριον Γεωργίου Λουκά, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XLI, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1983 [2003²]), Υλικά διά την σύνταξιν ιστορικού λεξικού της κυπριακής διαλέκτου, Μέρος Β΄, Γλωσσάριον Ξενοφώντος Π. Φαρμακίδου, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, IX, Nicosia.
Mavrokordatos G. I. (2003), Δίκωμο: Το χθες και το σήμερα, Nicosia.
Petrou-Poeitou E. (2013), Από πού κρατάει η σκούφια τους. Λέξεις και ιστορίες από τον κόσμο της γεύσης, Epiphaniou Publications, Nicosia.
Stalo Lazarou, Savvas Polyviou, Argyro Xenophontos
Foods
Halloumi
Halloumi is a white Cypriot cheese made from sheep or goat milk or a mixture of the two with or without cow milk, consumed fresh or semi-mature. Halloumi is registered as a PDO since 13/04/2021