Feta
Feta, a white table cheese produced using traditional methods, is the most popular Greek cheese. It is made exclusively from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk, where goat’s milk cannot exceed more than 30% of the total product. All milk comes from breeds traditionally reared in the regions of production: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, Peloponnese and Lesbos Prefecture.
It is a clean white colour, it is soft and has no skin, has small holes and is compact to touch with few cuts. It is recognised by its pleasant, lightly acidic flavour and has a rich aroma. It has a very high nutritional value.
Feta’s reputation is long-standing. It has been produced in Greece since ancient times (since the time of Homer) and today has a worldwide reputation.
Method of production
After coagulation of the milk, the cheese curd is placed in special moulds for natural draining. When the curd has stabilised its surface is dry salted. It is at this stage that the desired thin mould develops on the cheese curd. The cheese is then placed in wooden or metal vessels with added brine.
The vessels are first taken to ripening rooms for 15 days where the temperature is kept at 18ºC and the relative humidity at not less than 85%. After that period, and for at least 2 months, ripening continues in other rooms where the temperature is kept at between 2-4ºC and the relative humidity at not less than 85%.