Tositsa Foundation Dairy

Ο Evangelos Averof-Tositsas with the resources of the Baron Michael Tositsa Foundation, he completely changed his image Metsovo, which in the 1950s was heartbreaking. Along with dozens of other projects, he created a new cowshed and an exemplary cheese dairy, even sending young cheesemakers to learn cheese-making in Italy. Some of them are still making cheese in Metsovo today, while others run or work at the Foundation.

The Tositsa Foundation Dairy operating in Metsovo from 1955 Today it annually produces 170 tons of cheese from sheep, goat and cow milk, utilizing 1.700 tons of milk, which stand out for their quality.

Cheeses - that is hard to find and are produced in limited quantities as far as the local milk and the traditional way of production allow - these are: smoked Metsovone, semi-hard Metsovella, sweet Gruyères, hard-to-find Grana or Parmesan or Pipezo or Gidisio or Maisio or Batsisio type "Chevre".

Tositsa Foundation Dairy

The Metsovone is the most famous and at the same time widespread cheese produced by the Tositsa Foundation Cheese Factory, while at the same time it is one of the most special cheeses of Greece. The shape is due to the narrow molds and the part of the cheese mass that protrudes, so that it can be pulled and come out of the molds. Semi-hard to hard cheese, has a slightly salty and spicy taste and pleasant aroma. It has been designated as PDO product and is produced in the area of ​​Metsovo (Epirus), with cow's milk (90%) and the rest of goat or sheep or mixtures thereof. After the first phase of cheese-making, the cheese dries, is tied with string and waited for at least three months until it matures. After maturation it is smoked with natural tobacco from burning grass, leaves and herbs of the area, for 1-2 days, it is paraffinized, and it is ready for disposal.

Η Metsovela is a semi-hard cheese with a head size of 2-2,5 kg.

Η Γραβιέρα It is made only with sheep's milk and each head weighs 12-15 kg.

The Yiddish has a white color with diffuse black marks of thick pepper that is added to make it even more spicy. It weighs about 1,5 kg.

Η Parmesan It is made in a few heads (about 60) for the distinguished friends of the dairy and each weighs about 25 kilos.

Finally, the foundation produces a limited amount cow butter which is great.

The sale of the products at the Tositsa Foundation Dairy is only Friday from 12 to 14:00 but one of them can be found in the shops of Metsovo square.