Feta

Feta
Country of origin	Byzantine Empire
Source of milk	Sheep (≥70%) and goat per PDO; similar cheeses may contain cow or buffalo milk
Pasteurised	Depends on variety
Texture	Depends on variety
Aging time	min. 3 months
Certification	PDO, 2002

Feta (Greek: φέτα) is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. Since 2002, feta has been a protected designation of origin product. According to the relevant EU legislation, only those cheeses produced in a traditional way in some areas of Greece (mainland and the island of Lesvos), and made from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep's and goats’ milk (up to 30%) of the same area, may bear the name "feta".^[1]

However, similar white brined cheeses (often called 'white cheese' in various languages) are found in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea. Similar white cheeses produced outside the EU are often made partly or wholly of cow's milk, and they are sometimes called 'feta'.

Feta is an aged crumbly cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads (e.g the Greek salad), pastries and in baking, notably in the popular phyllo-based dishes spanakopita ("spinach pie") and tyropita ("cheese pie") and combined with olive oil and vegetables. It can also be served cooked or grilled, as part of a sandwich or as a salty alternative to other cheeses in a variety of dishes.

Description

Feta is a white cheese with small holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Being soft or sometimes semi-hard, feta is usually formed into square cakes. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. Its maximum moisture is 56%, its minimum fat content in dry matter is 43%, and its pH usually ranges from 4.4 to 4.6.^[2]

Production

Feta is salted and cured in a brine solution (based on water or whey) for several months. When removed from the brine, it dries out rapidly.

Historical origins

Feta cheese is first recorded in the Byzantine Empire under the name πρόσφατος (prósphatos, "recent", i.e. fresh), and was associated specifically with Crete. An Italian visitor to Candia in 1494 describes its storage in brine clearly.^[3]

The Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice").^[4][5] It was introduced into the Greek language in the 17th century. Opinions vary whether it refers to the method of cutting the cheese in slices to serve on a plate or because of the practice of slicing it to place in barrels.

Traditionally, feta has been made by peasants in the lower Balkan peninsula from sheep's milk, although goat's milk has been used in more recent times.

Certification

After a long legal battle with Denmark,^[6] which produced a cheese under the same name using artificially blanched cow's milk, the term "feta" has been a protected designation of origin (PDO) since July 2002, which limits the term within the European Union to feta made exclusively of sheep's/goat's milk in Greece.^[7][8] According to the Commission, the biodiversity of the land coupled with the special breeds of sheep and goats used for milk is what gives feta cheese a specific aroma and flavor.

When needed to describe an imitation to feta, names such as "salad cheese" and "Greek-style cheese" are used. The European Commission gave other nations five years to find a new name for their "feta" cheese, or to stop production.^[9] Because of the decision by the European Union, Danish dairy company Arla Foods changed the name of their product to apetina.^[10]

Greek salad. Feta cheese, a traditional product, is usually sliced in small cubes or crumbled.

Similar cheeses around the world

Similar cheeses can be found in:

• Albania (djath);
• Bulgaria (сирене, sirene);
• Egypt (domiati); Sudan (gibna beyda);
• Finland (salaattijuusto, salad cheese);
• Georgia (ყველი, kveli, lit. cheese);
• Iran (panir lighvan);
• Israel (gvina bulgarit, lit. Bulgarian cheese);
• Republic of Macedonia (бело сирење, belo sirenje, lit. white cheese);
• Malta (Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ lit. sheep's cheese);
• Romania (brânză telemea);
• Russia (брынза, brynza);
• Serbia (сир, sir);
• Turkey (beyaz peynir, lit. white cheese);
• Ukraine (бринза, brynza).

See also

• List of cheeses
• Greek cuisine
• Greek food products

References

Further reading

• Dalby, Andrew (1997). Siren feasts: a history of food and gastronomy in Greece. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-11620-1. OCLC 150826555. 

External links

• Feta registered as Protected Designation of Origin
• Fetamania - Feta's history, production and conservation methods, and recipes