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Feta - Greek National Product - Greek Gastronomy Guide
June 13 2017

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The feta, the "white gold" of Greece, is one of its most important export products and perhaps the most recognized Greek food in the world.

Greek Gastronomy Guide tribute to feta:

  1. Feta in general
  2. History of feta
  3. From sheep and goat breeding to milk
  4. Mode of production
  5. Feta product PDO
  6. Feta as a PDO and international markets
  7. The present and the future of feta
  8. Tasting - Quality criteria
  9. Feta in Greek cuisine - Uses
  10. "Thematic Supporter" interview for the present and the future of feta

 

Feta in general

The feta, the "White gold" of Greece, is one of its most important export products and perhaps the most recognized Greek food in the world.

We find its roots thousands of years ago, in ancient Greece. It is the characteristic white brine cheese, soft to semi-hard, solid or with small holes, without skin. The taste of feta varies per production area, from mild, sweet, to acidic and rich, rich, and its aromas from aromas of herbs and wood to aromas of butter, milk and salt.

Feta - Greek National Product - Greek Gastronomy Guide

It is produced in many areas of Greece, matures and is preserved in wooden barrels or tins (tin cans) and according to data from the Hellenic Dairy Organization covers 50% of Greek cheese production.

 

History of Feta

Looking for its origin in ancient Greece, we see the first references in the Odyssey - in famous myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. Legend has it that Polyphemus was the first maker of feta and cheese in general. Carrying the sheep milk every day in animal shelters, he found, to his great surprise, that after a few days the milk coagulated and became solid, edible and easy to store.

Pastoral life - Livestock of Crete

According to Greek mythology, the art of cheese-making was given by the gods of Olympus as a gift to mortals. The ancient Greeks considered milk a sacred food, because Zeus - who was chased by Cronus' father - was hidden as a baby by Rhea's mother and he was fed by the milk of the holy goat Amalthea. And then Zeus, when he became the leader of the Twelve, in order to feed his son Hercules with divine milk, so that he would become immortal, caused the sky to be flooded with milk and thus filled the sky with Galaxies (both wonderful myths) . It is believed that in Byzantium feta was called "recently". Its current name is a Latin word and comes from a 17th century reference to this type of cheese that was sliced ​​to be placed in barrels.

Livestock of Kefalonia

For many centuries feta was known only in Greece and in the wider region of the Ottoman Empire (neighboring countries). During the 20the century, the mass migration of Greeks to Germany, USA, Canada and Australia, but also tourism in Greece, contributed to become world famous and sought after.

 

From sheep and goat breeding to milk

The main feature of feta is that it is produced from sheep and goat milk.

Greece has a long tradition in sheep and goat breeding, a fact that created a pastoral culture that in turn left important materials and intangible imprints.

The areas with the most developed livestock of sheep and goats are, from ancient times, Epirus, Thessaly and Crete (unfortunately from Crete, it is not called Feta PDO, but white cheese).

Feta - Greek National Product - Greek Gastronomy Guide

In Thessaly and Epirus, breeders traveled for a long time of their lives to graze their sheep and trade them, which determined the structures of their society and economy, their institutions and customs. While the Sarakatsani focused exclusively on livestock, the Vlachs were more concerned with the management of livestock products (wool, wool products, cheese-making), which in turn made them important traders. In our country, sheep and goat breeding is traditional, with not very high yields. It is well known that the quality of dairy products depends on the quality of the food that the animals receive. The diversity of the Greek flora contributes to the taste and high quality of milk and meat. The English lamb, for example, can not give the same taste and the same nutrients as the Cretan equivalent, since Great Britain has only 6 endemic herbs, while Crete has more than 160 species.

Livestock of Kefalonia

The most important Greek breeds of sheep and goats are: the breed of Zakynthos, with white and large sheep of Argos, with large sheep, white with black head, found throughout the plain Peloponnese; the Karagoun sheep, the most widespread breed in the country with 250.000 sheep · The breed of Chios, with large white sheep with black spots, which have been adapted to Halkidiki; the breed of Lesvos, with sheep of different colors, bred in Lesvos, Macedonia and Central Greece, the Sfakian sheep - its most productive Crete - which is suitable for inaccessible areas. Other well-known breeds are the butchiko, the Gianniotiko, the sheep of Gavdos, the "raska" of Ikaria, and the sheep and the goat of Elassona.

 

Mode of production

In general, the method of feta production is as follows:

The sheep and goat milk is collected by the breeders in the areas that have their flocks and from there it is placed in special ice basins (cauldrons with cooling mechanism). When it arrives at the dairy with similar tanks, the milk is checked and filtered.

Feta - Greek National Product - Greek Gastronomy Guide

It is then dropped into cauldrons, stirred and heated to pasteurize or pasteurized in a pasteurizer. After pasteurization it is cooled and then placed in special cauldrons, the so-called jars, where a culture of microorganisms and rennet are added to thicken the milk. After about 20 minutes the milk coagulates, creating the curd which is "cut" by the cheesemaker with special knives. A sufficient amount of whey is then released from the curd and the curd is put into molds, where it is allowed to drain naturally.

During the natural drainage and when the curd has stabilized, it is subjected to surface salting with coarse salt and placed in wooden (barrel) or metal containers, to which brine (salt solution) is added. By law, feta matures for at least 2 months. The maturation takes place in two stages, the first lasts up to 15 days and the second the remaining period up to 2 months. The first stage of ripening takes place in special areas with a temperature of up to 18 ° C, while then the feta is transferred to a constant temperature of 2-4 ° C. The relative humidity in both stages of ripening must be maintained at least 85%. During the production of feta, the use of any preservative or artificial color is not allowed.

Η barrel feta it becomes more spicy and harder. The cheese interacts with the wood and takes on the above characteristics. Special care is required in the cleaning and disinfection of wooden barrels, due to the friendliness of the wood to various microorganisms, including some harmful ones. The Peloponnese, Central Greece and mountainous Thessaly have a long tradition of barrel feta.

Η container slice with a milder taste, a softer aroma and often a softer texture, it is considered a more elaborate product and is preferred, for the most part, for exports to third countries.

 

Feta product PDO

In order for a white cheese to be called feta, it must meet the following conditions:

  1. To be made from good quality sheep's milk or mεsheep mixture with goat (up to 30% goat in the mixture).
  2. Milk must be produced from animals of local breeds of sheep and goats that are traditionally fed and their diet is based on the local flora.
  3. The production of milk and cheese, as well as the maturation, to be done in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus, Central Greece, Peloponnese and the prefecture of Lesvos.
  4. It is forbidden to add milk powder or protein, milk concentrate, caseinates, dyes and preservatives to the milk to be made.
  5. Have a minimum dry fat of 43% and a maximum humidity of 56%.
  6. To mature for at least 2 months in wooden barrels or in tin cans (tins).

Feta is a cheese product that has undergone lactic fermentation and has a great ability of "self-protection". This is due to its high acidity which makes it a safe and tasty product.

The feta matures in brine for two months. Once removed from the brine, the feta loses some of its fluid and becomes more compact. The feta is white and is usually stored in large square pieces. The hardness of the feta varies from hard to very soft. Its taste differs accordingly. It has a different taste depending on the area where it is produced, and this is due to the fact that the herds feed on different species of flora, as they graze freely.

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand - Greek Gastronomy Guide

The consumer must be careful when buying feta, to be supplied either packaged or by trusted suppliers, because there is no shortage of violations and counterfeits, with the addition of cow's milk, powders and vegetable fats, but also with aroma and flavor enhancers.

From a nutritional point of view, feta is an excellent and digestible food, with valuable ingredients (calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B12) and proteins of high biological value.

 

Feta as a PDO and international markets

The name "feta", as a PDO product, can not be used in cheeses of similar composition that are prepared outside the areas mentioned above, let alone outside Greece and by a different procedure than the traditional one. The entry of feta in the list of PDO products. provoked many and strong reactions from European Community countries that until then produced large quantities of white brine cheeses, such as Denmark, France and Germany. Disputes with these countries began in the 1980s and culminated in February 1994, when it was submitted to the EU. the Greek application file for feta. After a twenty-year struggle, only in 2005, on October 25, the European Court of Justice issued a decision justifying the European Commission and ratifying the final registration of feta in the Community Register as Greek PDO cheese.

Feta - Greek National Product - Greek Gastronomy Guide

And where the war in the context of the EU. had happily ended, the new war had opened with the so-called third countries, and especially with America and Canada. Here things are complicated and difficult (European protection does not apply), because huge financial interests are at stake, as the demand for "feta" cheese (this designation for European courts is illegal) worldwide exceeds 500.000 tonnes (in European Union 150.000 tons and in America, Canada, Australia, Russia, Ukraine 350.000).

Following the approval by the European Parliament of the EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement, the so-called CETA, a Canadian company, which had started making cheese called "feta" before 2013, can continue its production for the market. of Canada, but not to export it to Europe. Of course, Greek companies that produce genuine feta will be able to export to Canada.

 

The present and the future of feta

Greece annually produces around 120.000 tons of feta - while the total domestic production of sheep and goat milk is about 1.100.000 tons - of which about 40.000 tons are exported, generating revenues of over 200.000.000 euros. Feta production, in addition to the jobs it creates in cheese-making, enables more than 300.000 workers to work on 100.000 family-run livestock farms, while another 50.000 farmers produce complementary feed for sheep and goats.

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand - Greek Gastronomy Guide

In Greece there are about 600 legal dairies that have a relevant feta production license. The major forces in standard feta are (in alphabetical order) Dodoni, Epirus, Kolios, MEVGAL, Minerva. An important part of feta production is made by small dairies, scattered throughout Greece, which supply supermarket chains that have a private label, while at the same time some other producers chose to promote their own brand name. Among them the Arvanitis cheese factory in Thessaloniki, the Roussas cheese factory in Almyros, Magnesia, the Elatos cheese factory in Schinochori of Argos, the Arcadia cheese factory in the prefecture of Arcadia, the Christakis cheese factory in Edessa, the Exarchos, Bizios, Vigas, Vigla and Vigla the mainland Karalis, Delphi from Messolonghi, and Costarelos from Attica, while the feta of the Cooperative of Kalavrita stands out from the cooperatives due to its quality and quantity.

 

Kefalonia Barrel Cheese - Kefalonia Feta

Feta of Kefalonia

However, it is characteristic that feta, the most recognizable and commercial PDO. The country's product, despite all the international name patents it has gained, but also the great international demand, has not used its potential, as there is still no coordinating body that would formulate a national export policy, which is made by entrepreneurs autonomously and based on competition at the lowest price.

 

Tasting - Quality criteria

The decalogue of good feta

  1. The name feta is recognized as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
  2. The color of the feta must be pure white.
  3. Its texture must be solid in the cut, that is, it must not be rubbed, it must have few slits and not at all as few holes.
  4. Feta when eaten, should melt nicely in the mouth, leaving a characteristic pleasant, slightly acidic taste.
  5. Its aroma must be rich.
  6. At points of sale, feta should be refrigerated at a temperature of 2-6 ° C.
  7. Be very careful when the feta is sold at a price below the market average. Remember that in food the price depends on the quality.
  8. When buying packaged feta, make sure it is airtight.
  9. Like all cheeses, feta, when opened, retains its quality for a short time in the refrigerator (4-5 days). That is why it is better to supply smaller quantities and maybe more often, so that you always have as much as you need.
  10. You always ask for the feta with its name, branded, as this alone ensures the quality guarantee of the producer.

 

Feta in Greek cuisine - Uses

Feta is widely known around the world as the main ingredient of the Greek village salad. Except from the Greek salad, is the main ingredient of cheese pie, spinach pie and many other dishes that make up the Greek cuisine.

It is mainly associated with Mediterranean cuisine and is a landmark around the world. Feta is the favorite cheese of the Greek, who consumes about 10 kilos per year, but also of many foreigners who met her in our country and are looking for it in their homelands.

It is no coincidence that feta is one of the first three export agricultural products of our country.

In Greek cuisine, feta is eaten as follows:

  • Feta with olive oil and oregano plain or on hot or toasted bread.
  • Grilled feta with oil, pepper and oregano.
  • In the classic village salad, feta is the protagonist, with tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, oregano, olive oil and, as the case may be, pepper or capers.
  • The famous and popular Greek cheese pie has emerged thanks to the feta it contains, while most of the time the feta participates in the creation of the spinach pie (spinach cheese pie).

  • A delicious appetizer is the batter, but also the hot cheese made from feta and pepper.
  • Ladera, -this section of libidinal summer delicacies (beans, okra, peas, briam) which is one of the most characteristic Greek flavors- is often accompanied by feta, as it is a combination that the Greek likes.
  • Feta is also sought after for stuffing, especially stuffed tomatoes, as well as imam aubergines.
  • Feta is used in the preparation of kayana and strapatsada (omelette with eggs, tomato, feta and herbs).
  • The flirtation of feta with the tomato finds the culmination in the sauce that the two of them create accompanying the saganaki shrimp!
Saganaki mussels - Panorama Restaurant - Poros - Greek Gastronomy Guide

Saganaki mussels - Panorama Restaurant - Poros

  • The fried mussels are also made with feta and quenched with wine or ouzo.
  • Feta is used for stuffing with rice, stuffed squid, but also stuffed zucchini flowers.
  • The feta, finally, creates a peculiar taste combination as a dessert with fresh watermelon and melon; a taste that reminds more than anything else of the Greek summer.

 

Interview of "Thematic Supporter" Stefanos Panteliadis, of the company Epirus SA, about the present and the future of feta.

 Feta is unquestionably the queen of cheese for Greeks around the world. A traditional product, loved and embraced by every new generation, thus maintaining its timelessness. In addition, it is clearly a Greek product, whose tradition is lost over time.

Since it was registered as a Product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Greek feta has been enjoying relative protection in the European Union. But the various companies that produce imitations, in Germany, Denmark, France, etc., use various tricks to confuse the consumer. The most common is to show Greek symbols, such as capitals, tsoliades and windmills on their packaging, or to use Greek words as the brand name. What many consumers (especially abroad) do not know is that the PDO. ensures the strict observance of certain rules, which protect the quality of the cheese and the safety of the consumer. Nevertheless, the Greek, genuine feta remains dominant, and is one of the main exportable goods of our country.

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand - Greek Gastronomy Guide

In general, in the rest of the world (except Greece), a large amount of cheese is produced that wants to be called "feta". Greece produces only 25% of the world production of feta cheese, but also feta cheese. Greek feta, however, is recognized as the best feta in the world.

The industry has many problems. The fragmentation of production in many small dairies creates great difficulty in the control of production by - as a rule - understaffed government services. Thus, the controls are limited to the large and well-known companies in the industry, while the smaller dairies operate, to some extent, uncontrollably.

This lack of controls in small and medium-sized dairies, combined with the pursuit of easy profit, leads many to engage in various irregular practices, sometimes less and sometimes more dangerous. A classic case is the use of imported sheep's milk, which is "christened" Greek and, in combination with protein powders, is used to produce feta. Another case (quite common in Northern Greece) is that sheep cheeses are imported from Bulgaria and Romania and sold as Greek feta.

The great danger for the consumer in these cases is that the producers who are illegal in this way, act completely uncontrollably and no one knows if the rules of hygiene and food safety are followed, even basic ones. And of course, violating the PDO is like falsifying a huge national capital and a genuine Greek tradition.

(Mr. Pantelis Panteliadis with executives of the EPIRUS factory)

We at EPIRUS try to stay true to our vision, which is to be the best producer of cheese in Greece, and our products to be recognized by consumers around the world, as the most delicious, quality and safe Greek cheeses.

We combine the tradition and values ​​of our place with modern technology and innovation. The consumer today has different needs and priorities than ten or twenty years ago. So we develop products such as EPIRUS LIGHT, with reduced fat, or FETA EPIRUS with 40% less salt, to meet modern nutritional needs. However, we also develop products such as EPIRUS MALAKI, or GIDOTYRI EPIRUS, to satisfy the most γ specialized tastes.

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand - Greek Gastronomy Guide

(Mr. Pantelis Panteliadis with an executive of the EPIRUS factory tests the final product)

Feta production is a complex job, which, if you want to do it right, requires scientific and technical knowledge, great patience, constant effort to improve and very much passion and love. The team of EPIRUS has all this and the results are visible.

Holding the first place in packaged cheeses in Greece and the second in bulk, with ever-increasing exports and presence already in 25 countries worldwide, EPIRUS is a healthy company that managed, during the crisis, to grow. In recent difficult years, we have not stopped investing in our people, in machinery and in safety systems for milk and finished products. The results justify us, as every year we break the records of the previous one and are distinguished in international and national tasting competitions - already the feta EPIRUS counts 16 such distinctions, more than any other slice.

feta (PDO) EPIRUS

At the same time, EPIRUS is investing in the creation of a state-of-the-art model farm, which will have, in full development, 2.000 dairy sheep. The goal is not to make the milk we need ourselves, since this - very large for the Greek data - farm will cover less than 3% of our needs. The farm will be used for the continuous training of the breeders of Epirus, as well as for the design of the best practices of hygiene and animal nutrition. It will be a contribution of EPIRUS to the livestock of the whole country.

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand - Greek Gastronomy Guide

Epirus SA Cheese - Arta Sand

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