Beware the Greeks bearing cheese gifts
Some of the best Greek cheeses
Feta is traditionally made from goat or sheep's milk and is stored in barrels of brine. Most feta comes from mountainous areas. Greeks eat feta in different ways. It is used in salads (greek salad - horiatiki), baked in pies, crumbled on omelettes or even stuffed into fish. Probably the most favourite way to eat feta is to lay a thick slab on a plate, pour some olive oil and a pinch of oregano on top.
This is a mild - sharp tasting cheese (depending on variety). It is faint yellow in color, oily in texture and usually eaten on it's own. It is made from sheep's milk. It is good as a table cheese
Mizithra (Mitzithra) is made from sheep's or goat's milk and comes in two forms. The fresh, ricotta-lke Mizithra is unsalted. The dried version is salted, aged until hard and is good for grating and cooking. Like Ricotta and cottage cheese, Mizithra is more often used for sweet pies.
KEFALOTIRI is a cheese typical of the Greek islands, it takes its name from the Greek hat called a "kefalo" whose shape it resembles. Its curd is hard, yellow, piquant, very salty with a flavour milder than Parmesan, but saltier . It is made with a combination of sheep and goat's milk. Salty and sharp tasting, it's similar to Regato and Parmesan and is used for grating over spaghetti. Also used for frying. It is ripened for at least three months and so acquires a sharp aroma and a rich salty, tangy taste. It is 40% fat and can be used like Parmesan in salads.
KOPANISTI is a specialty of the
LADOTYRI is sheep's and goat's milk cheese. It is made in the shape of small spheres and so is sometimes called kefalaki (little head). Its proper name refers to olive oil, in which it is aged. It can spend as much as a year in this state and emerge richer and tastier to the point of decadence.
KEFALOGRAVIERA is a cross between Kefalotiri and Graviera, this cheese is made from cow's milk. It's a hard cheese, pale yellow in color with a sharp taste and smell. Used as a table cheese, for grating or frying.
MANOURI, like Mizithra, Ricotta and Cottage cheese, is soft in texture and unsalted. It is made from full fat sheep's milk and is mainly used for sweet pies. In
TOULOUMOTIRI is a moist, snow-white cheese. It is sweeter and stored by hanging in goatskin or sheepskin bags.
KAPNISTO METSOVONE is one of the few smoked cheeses of
For more interesting facts on Greek cheeses, check out this site.