Feta cheese - Definition and Overview

Feta is a classic curd cheese in brine whose tradition dates back to Greece thousands of years ago. It is made exclusively from goat's and sheep's milk.

It is salted and cured in a brine solution (which can be either water or whey) for 3 to several months. Feta dries out rapidly when removed from the brine. Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp. Its fat content can range from 30 to 60 percent; most is around 45 percent milk fat.

Feta cheese is covered by a protected designation of origin.

History

What we nowadays call feta cheese was known to ancient Greeks, at least since Homer's era, as there were several references to it in the Odyssey. The myth has it that the Cyclops Polyphemus was the first cheese manufacturer. Carrying the milk that he collected from his sheep in animal-skin bags, he realised, to his great surprise, that days later the milk had become a solid, savory and preservable mass.

The name Feta (slice) dates back to the 17th century, and it likely refers to the method of cutting the cheese in slices to put it in barrels.

See also

• List of cheeses
• Cuisine of Greece
• Feta registered as Protected Designation of Origin (http://www.dodonicheese.com/Home/Products/General/POP.xml.aspx?Language=2)