When it comes to cheese, many people will immediately think of France or Italy with their rich, fatty and fragrant dishes such as croissants, pizza, camembert... However, there is a country that also produces and consumes cheese in quantities no less than its "neighbors", namely Greece.
Greek cheese is equally rich with hundreds of different names, of all kinds of salty, sweet, neutral and of extremely diverse animal milk origin. However, in general, Greek cheese has the outstanding characteristic of being usually white and processed from goat milk, sheep milk, which are the animals that are raised here.
The most popular and well-known cheese is Feta cheese, made from full-fat sheep's milk (or goat's milk), with a distinctive salty and slightly fatty taste. This cheese is available in supermarkets and is almost everywhere. As a Mediterranean cheese, Feta goes well with vegetables typical of this region's cuisine such as eggplant, olives (and olive oil), basil...
Kasseri is a light yellow cheese, also made from sheep or goat milk. With a smooth texture and delicious flavor, this cheese can be eaten on its own, with bread or combined with some other Greek dishes.
In Greece, Kefalotyri is another typical and popular cheese. Kefalotyri cheese has a salty taste, suitable for main dishes but is often used as a topping for spaghetti.
Another popular cheese that also belongs to the salty cheese family is Graviera. It originates from the island of Crete. Graviera with 80 – 90% whole goat milk (in Fetalà 100%), has a light yellow color, attractive flavor, suitable for pasta and pizza.
Kefalograviera is a cross between Kefalotyri (salty) and Graviera (less salty). It is used to make one of the most popular dishes in Greece, Saganaki – fried cheese slices, considered the Greek version of french fries.
Myzithra has a light creamy yellow color with a slightly fatty, milky aroma. This is a specialty from the island of Crete, shaped like an egg. Another special thing about Mizythra is that it is completely salt-free. Greeks love to eat Mizythra with honey or in mixed salads as an appetizer before the main meal, and it is the ingredient that makes the famous cheesecake around the world with many versions.
