Greek Desserts
Anari me Meli Recipe (Cypriot Fresh Cheese with Honey)
Ανάρι με μέλι ah-NAH-ree meh meh-LEE · Anari me meli
Photo: Anari Limassol.jpg by Zlerman, CC BY-SA 3.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Anari me meli is fresh anari, a soft Cypriot whey cheese similar to ricotta, served simply in slices or spoonfuls with honey drizzled over and crushed walnuts scattered on top. It is one of the simplest and oldest desserts on the island.
Some of the best things on a Cypriot table need no recipe at all, and anari me meli is exactly that: fresh anari cheese, honey, walnuts, done. It belongs to that small category of dishes that exist to showcase one genuinely good ingredient rather than to demonstrate technique.
Anari is a fresh whey cheese, made as a byproduct of halloumi production in the same way ricotta comes from the whey left over from other cheesemaking, and it has a similarly soft, faintly sweet, milky character. Fresh anari, unsalted and uncured, is what this dish wants, not the dried, salted version used for grating over pasta.
If you cannot find genuine anari, fresh ricotta is the closest and most sensible substitute, and the dish works just as well with it, even if it loses a little of its specifically Cypriot character.
Key preparation steps
- Slice or spoon fresh anari onto a plate.
- Drizzle generously with good honey.
- Scatter over crushed walnuts.
- Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Fresh anari versus dried anari
Anari comes in two quite different forms. Fresh anari is soft, moist and mild, similar in texture to ricotta, and it is this version the dish wants. Dried anari has been salted and left to firm up and dry, becoming a harder, more pungent cheese used mainly for grating over pasta dishes, closer in role to a Cypriot parmesan.
Make sure you are buying or asking for the fresh version specifically. A Greek or Cypriot delicatessen will know the distinction even if it is not always obvious from packaging alone.
The honey, and why it matters here
With only three ingredients on the plate, the quality of the honey carries real weight. A good Cypriot or Greek thyme honey, with some depth and a slightly resinous edge, works far better here than a bland, mass-produced clear honey.
Warm the honey very gently, just enough to loosen it, if it has crystallised, so it drizzles properly rather than sitting in a stubborn lump on top of the cheese.
Serving
Serve at room temperature rather than fridge-cold, which lets both the cheese and the honey show their full flavour. Slice the anari if it is firm enough to hold a shape, or simply spoon it if it is very soft.
A few fresh mint leaves are a common and welcome addition, and cinnamon is sometimes dusted over instead of, or alongside, the walnuts. Nothing here should be treated as fixed, since the whole point is letting three good ingredients speak for themselves.
Tips from my kitchen
Fresh, not dried anari
Dried anari is salted and firm, meant for grating over pasta. This dish specifically wants the soft, fresh, unsalted version.
Good honey matters more than usual
With three ingredients on the plate, a characterful thyme honey does far more work than a bland one.
Room temperature, not fridge cold
Both the cheese and the honey taste better once they have lost the chill.
Anari me Meli Recipe (Cypriot Fresh Cheese with Honey)
Ανάρι με μέλι · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 5m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 5m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Take the anari out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving so it is closer to room temperature.
- Slice or spoon the anari onto four small plates.
- If the honey has crystallised, warm it very gently until it loosens, then drizzle generously over each portion.
- Scatter the crushed walnuts over the top.
- Finish with a few mint leaves if using, and serve at once.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Sat fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Anari me meli
What is anari cheese?
A soft, fresh Cypriot whey cheese made as a byproduct of halloumi production, similar in texture to ricotta. It also exists in a dried, salted form used for grating, but this dish wants the fresh version.
Can you use ricotta instead of anari?
Yes, fresh ricotta is the closest and most workable substitute if genuine anari is not available, though the flavour is slightly different and less specifically Cypriot.
Is anari the same as mizithra?
They are closely related, both being fresh whey cheeses from Greek and Cypriot cheesemaking, with mizithra being the Greek mainland and island equivalent. They can generally be used interchangeably in a dish like this.
