Niotiko Cheese Factory

I remember like now, more than 15 years have passed, when the mayor of the island, George Pousaios, was making a lot of dreams Cooperative Cheese Factory of .Ου and we were surprised to taste two excellent cheeses, the emotional and the improbable scotch. The times passed, after 20 years of service and a huge project, the mayor left the island and the Cooperative took the downhill. Fortunately a way was found, it was privatized and now it is in good hands. The name Niotiko Cheese Factory. The cheeses after a belly found themselves again and took off.

The cheese factory of Ios is located on the site Dieselia, above Agia Theodoti which is not far from the paths where the herds graze freely and so from the reception to the cheese-making do not pass more than 24 hours.

The big cheese dairy of Ios, with the firm Niotiko, within 4 years - after the Zakhaios family received the cooperative dairy of the island - has grown significantly and has penetrated most of the commercial networks of the country factor excellent cheeses, such as gruyere, kefalotyri and the soft sour, skotyri and mizithra.

Let's get to know them better:

• Myzithra. Soft cheese, fresh, fluffy and relatively unsalted, made from whey and tenderly placed on salads and used for pies.
• Sour. Oily, with a slightly sour taste, it pleasantly accompanies tomatoes and capers, in salads and dakos, sought after in Santorini in the summer for meletini.
• Kefalotyri. Slightly salty, greasy and rich, either sheep or goat that goes well with fruit and wine.
• Γραβιέρα, soft and buttery from sheep's and goat's milk.
• Scotyri. It takes its name from the word bag (made of goat skin), where it is placed to mature. But before it enters the goat's womb for fermentation, its mass is molded with thrombus from where it gets its characteristic aroma.
• Finally the famous Homer trilogy - gruyere from sheep, goat and cow milk - which is the best seller of the dairy.

Despite its short course in organized production, the Niotiko Cheese Factory has noted discrimination remarkable. In 2013, skotyri was judged as the top cheese by more than 2000 visitors of the delicious festival Greece, Festival, Tastes. Abroad, he has been distinguished twice in Italy: at the Slow Food movement's Cheese exhibition and at Bra and the Salone Del Gusto in Turin.

Niotiko Cheese Factory participates in many food fairs in Greece starring Elena Zakhaiou - High school student - who is the youngest and most active young cheesemaker in the country. We wish her good luck.