Why does halloumi, but not other cheese, “squeak” against your teeth? (2024)

Why does halloumi cheese “squeak” against your teeth when you bite into it? I don’t know of any other food that does this, including other cheeses.

David Muir Edinburgh, UK

Cheese curds, sometimes eaten as a snack, have a springy, rubbery texture rather like halloumi. They also have a tendency to squeak when bitten, so in places where they are eaten, they are often called squeaky cheese. The fresher the curd, the better the squeak. Undercooked green beans are another squeaky-bite food.

The explanation for the squeak is the alternate “stick and give” of the food’s elastic surface against the…