How it all started…
Don Antonio Ranch started as a family business in 1980.
Since then we have been continuously improving our machinery, equipment and cattle.
Cattle breed has been improved to the cattle breed from Holland, Holstein Friesian, they are known as the world’s highest-production dairy animals, which are able to reach 8,000 liters of milk per cow per year.
…where we are now.
Our group of companies including but not limited to Don Antonio Ranch is one of the biggest dairy and livestock producers in Cyprus.
- With:
- 8800 sqm of land
- 250 bulls and cows
- 5500+ liters of milk per month
Products produced from our farm milk
Halloumi is undoubtedly Cyprus’ most well-known product, having a following that extends throughout Europe and the Middle East. The delicacy, distinguished by its mild salty flavor and rubbery texture, has become a favorite among chefs worldwide, appearing in dishes as different as lamb roast and halloumi fries. The cheese is made by blending goat’s and sheep’s milk before being set with rennet. This is a unique approach because there are no acid-producing bacteria present in any step of the process, which is standard for most dairy products. Because of its high melting point, halloumi can be cooked, grilled, or eaten cold with freshly sliced watermelon. In 2021 the European Commission registered Halloumi as a protected designation of origin (PDO). Only halloumi produced in Cyprus in accordance with product specifications is now permitted to use the registered trademark, providing significant economic benefits to the island. To ensure that producers in the Turkish Cypriot community reap the full benefits of the protection, the Commission enacted a regulation permitting the PDO product to cross the Green Line as long as the cheese and milk from which it was created met all EU animal and public health criteria.
Halloumi
Trahanas
Trahana is perhaps the world’s oldest fast food and, without a doubt, one of the world’s oldest comfort foods. According to some historians, it evolved from the gruel that fed Greek and Roman foot soldiers as they conquered the world. Apicius, a 1st century Roman cookbook author, cites something similar to trahana called tractae, which is a type of dense gruel used to thicken a variety of dishes. Its origins could be traced back to Persia, the birthplace of many Mediterranean dishes. Trahana is a dry food ingredient made from fermented grain and yoghurt or fermented milk. Trahana is always created at the end of summer, when there is enough breeze and heat to quickly dry the morsels. Dry trahana has a coarse, uneven texture and is typically turned into a thick soup with water, stock, or milk; it is typical to add bits of halloumi to the soup after it’s finished cooking, which softens the cheese and makes it more chewier.
Anari is a mild whey cheese made in Cyprus. Although it is less well-known than other Cypriot cheeses, it has grown in popularity as a result of media attention. The whey used is typically a byproduct of the making of other harder cheeses, most notably halloumi. In a large frying basin, the whey is gradually cooked to 65 °C. At this temperature, a tiny amount of goat or sheep milk (5–10% fat) can be added to improve the end product quality. The temperature is then raised to boiling point while the mixture is being mixed. Small crumbly curds of anari begin to develop around 80–85 °C and are skimmed off the surface with a slotted spoon or a colander. They are placed in a container that allows for further drainage before being cut into 10 cm cubes. In its most basic form, anari has a chalk-white appearance and an extremely soft consistency, similar to mizithra cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta. To create a very hard variety, salt is frequently added, and the result is dried through moderate heating and maturation.
Anari
