
Traditionally a sheep’s milk cheese, it has been a staple of Greece and the Balkans for centuries. Attempting to safeguard their own commercial production of the cheese, Denmark, France, Germany, and the UK argued that the term feta described nothing more than a brined cheese but Greece fought back and in October of 2005 the EU granted Greece Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), meaning that all European countries producing feta had to rename their cheese. What this means for the consumer is any Greek feta must be produced using traditional methods, only in certain parts of the country, and using primarily sheep’s milk, although 30% goat’s milk is acceptable. Commercially produced feta is most commonly made with cow’s milk, but traditionally it is a shepherd’s cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Feta means slice and takes its name from the slices that are cut and packed in a brine for curing. It is sometimes called a picked cheese because it is a curd cheese matured in a salt brine for a week to several months, resulting in some who think it tastes no better than salty water. A good feta ranges from mild and creamy to semi-hard and sharp in taste. Feta should not be overpowered by the presence of the brine, but a quick soak in cold water or milk can help in ridding the cheese of excessive saltiness. Feta has a fat content anywhere from 35 – 60%.














