Feta

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For other uses, see FETA (disambiguation).
Feta
Country of origin Greece
Region, town N/A
Source of milk Sheep (≥70%) and goat per PDO;
cow or buffalo milk also used
Pasteurised Depends on variety
Texture Depends on variety
Aging time min. 3 months
Certification PDO, 2002

In Greek cuisine, Feta (Greek: φέτα) is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece with ewe's and goat's milk. Since 2005, feta has been a protected designation of origin in the European Union, and defined as having at least 70% sheep's milk, with the remainder being goat’s milk. Outside the EU, cheeses sold as 'feta' may include cow's milk.

Feta is an aged cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads, pastries and in baking, notably in the popular phyllo-based dishes spanakopita ("spinach pie") and tyropita ("cheese pie").

Similar white brined cheeses (often called 'white cheese' in the various languages) are found in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea.

Feta is salted and cured in a brine solution (based on water or whey) for several months. Feta dries out rapidly when removed from the brine. Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp. The cured cheese easily crumbles. Its fat content can range from 30 to 60 percent; most is around 45 percent milk fat. Most feta cheese has a pH of 4.4 to 4.9.[1]

Feta is also an important ingredient of Greek salad. Feta, like most cheeses, can also be served cooked; it is sometimes grilled as part of a sandwich or as a salty alternative to other cheeses in a variety of dishes.

Feta (typical)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 260 kcal   1100 kJ
Carbohydrates     4 g
Fat 21 g
Protein 14 g
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.84 mg   56%
Pantothenic acid (B5)  0.97 mg  19%
Vitamin B6  0.42 mg 32%
Vitamin B12  1.7 μg   71%
Calcium  493 mg 49%
Sodium  1116 mg 74%
Zinc  2.9 mg 29%
Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database

Contents

[edit] History

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.[2]

The Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice") and that from Latin offa "bite, morsel".[3] It was introduced in Greek in the 17th century, likely referring to the method of cutting the cheese in thin slices to serve on a plate.

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. It is also used for banitsa.

[edit] Certification

Greek salad. Feta cheese, a traditional ingredient, is usually sliced in small cubic pieces.
Greek salad. Feta cheese, a traditional ingredient, is usually sliced in small cubic pieces.

After a long legal battle with Denmark,[4] which produced a cheese under the same name using artificially blanched cow's milk, the term "feta" is since July 2002 a protected designation of origin (PDO), which limits the term within the European Union to feta made exclusively of sheep's/goat's milk in Greece.[5] [6] 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.[7]

[edit] Similar cheeses around the world

Similar cheeses are common in Albania (djath), Bulgaria (sirene сирене), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (бело сирење, belo sirenje; 'white cheese'), Serbia (sir сир), Israel (gvina bulgarit Bulgarian cheese), Turkey (beyaz peynir 'white cheese'), Egypt (domiati), and Sudan (gibna beyda), Romania (brânză telemea), Russia (brynza, брынза), Ukraine (brynza, бринза), Iran (panir liqvan), Malta (Ġbejna tan- nagħaġ) , and other countries. In some of these countries, the name "feta" is used interchangeably with the native, while in others "feta" is not used at all or refers to other (mainly imported) types of cheese.

[edit] See also

[edit] Bibliography

  • Andrew Dalby, Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece, Routledge, 1996. ISBN 0-415-11620-1.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://journ.ru.ac.za/photojourn/2003/avri/simon.html
  2. ^ Dalby, 1996, p. 190
  3. ^ Court of Justice of the European Communities, Communique 25 Oct 2005[1]
  4. ^ The Feta Legend drawing to a close, Press release by the Danish Dairy Board 4th March 2005 [2] Accessed 12 December 2006
  5. ^ Feta battle won, but terms must be obeyed, Kathimerini newspaper archived article 16 Oct 2002 [3] Accessed 12 December 2006.
  6. ^ Protected Designation of Origin entry on the European Commission website. [4]
  7. ^ Gooch, Ellen, "Truth, Lies, and Feta", Epikouria Magazine, Spring/Summer 2006

[edit] External links