Roumy

Roumy (also known as gebna romi or gebna turki or Romy or Rumi) is an Egyptian cheese made from whole cream cow's milk or a mixture of cow and buffalo milk. It is a hard cheese derived from the Greek kefalotyri cheese. The cheese is believed to belong to the same family as Pecorino Romano and Manchego.

The taste and texture of Roumy differ according to the ageing period. It has a slightly strong, salty, sharp, pungent flavour with peppercorns added to enhance the taste. The crumbly cheese is available at various stages in the market.

• New Roumy cheese is sold in the market unaged in slices and ready-to-use packages.
• Medium Roumy cheese is aged for three years for enhanced taste and texture.
• Exotic Old-aged Roumy cheese is aged for nearly 8-12 years to create maximum flavours. 

Egyptians enjoy the distinctive smell of Roumy with whole wheat pita bread or Baladi bread. In Egypt, slices of Roumy are served at the breakfast table.