How do you define a middle class food? It’s a question pondered by many before a dinner party, at the self-service checkout, or having lunch at work. Will my colleagues think I’m a Tory if I buy a San Pellegrino? Should I hide the truffle oil before my mate comes round? Would pheasant egg on toast be a bit much for a Tuesday?Well, the quest for this truth is over. Readers of British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail have confirmed that it is indeed, halloumi, that is the most middle class food, after responding to a news story about the Cypriot cheese running out.“Halloumi shortage in Britain leaves shoppers heartbroken as farmers in Cyprus struggle to meet high demand,” read the Mail’s headline, explaining that supermarkets across the UK were selling out of the cheeses “as soon as they hit the shelf.” The article said that as there were specific requirements for halloumi to contain at least 20 percent Cypriot milk, farmers were struggling to meet British demand.
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However, it seems that many readers of the Daily Mail couldn’t really give a shit about the halloumi crisis. Numerous people commented on the article, saying that they had never heard of the cheese. “This must be a London thing,” one user wrote, “never heard of it.”“What is halloumi?” said another reader. “I prefer egg and chips.”Can’t argue with that.