About Taiba Cheese
Quadri and Sahar emigrated to New Zealand in 1994 in search of a better life for their family of three kids. They are both of Palestinian heritage, and were brought up in Kuwait where they met. Quadri was an electronics engineer at the time, and Sahar then a fresh medical lab graduate. Years later, their professions were to prove vital for keen cheese-lovers in New Zealand!
Loving their new life on the other side of the planet from their native home, they did however miss some of the delicious elements of Middle Eastern cuisine. White cheeses of a myriad of flavors and textures are a staple in any Arab household, and these were difficult to find here in New Zealand, or were simply just not the same!
Sahar, with her background in microbiology and her passion for science and learning, started to research the traditional white cheese-making techniques, in order to recreate them at home with Quadri. They decided to take a cheese-making course together and began the painstaking journey to deliciousness. Many early hours spent poring over books, and through trial and error over five years (to the great delight of their family and friends, the official taste testers), they reached a Halloumi of perfection! All the taste testers agreed that this scrumptious concoction needed to be shared with wider New Zealand. The idea of Taiba Cheese was born.
