Greek and Cypriot Cheeses

I think a Greek blog would be incomplete without introducing some of the Greek cheeses. I have written about some of these cheeses in the past but I thought that it would be a good idea to put them all in one post with some recipes.   In the future I shall be updating this post with more Greek cheeses.

According to Greek mythology cheese making was given to the mortals by God Aristaeus, son of Apollo and Cyrene, who was the God of farming and animal breeding.

Greeks have a long tradition in cheese making. There are references by Homer in Iliad and Odyssey (9^th century B.C.) where he mentions «αίγιον τυρόν», meaning goat cheese. In Odyssey, Homer describes in detail what Ulysses and his men saw in the Cave of Cyclop Polyphemus, where the cyclop would make his cheese and leave it to age.

In Greece most of the cheeses are made of ewes or goat milk or both and only a small part with cows’ milk. The biggest part of Greece (75%) is mountainous or semi-mountainous, so the breeding of sheep and goats was and is the best solution. Cattle are also breaded but in a smaller scale. Some decades ago, if they had cattle they were only breeded for the meat and whatever milk they collected from the cows they fed their dogs.  This is not something I have read but my SIL told me about this as she was raised in their village.

Consequently most of the Greek cheeses were manufactured with ewes and goat milk because of the morphology of the terrain and climate conditions. Sheep and goats graze freely in these regions with wild herbs and grass, far away from pollution and free of pesticides and fertilizers, thus making Greek cheeses organic.

What makes Greek cheeses differ from other cheeses is the quality of the milk. In Greece there are 6.000 different types of plants and herbs and that is what affects the quality and aroma of Greek milk.

Another factor is that the sheep and goats of Greece are from old breeds which are perfectly adjusted to the climate, they are strong with a very good yield of milk. The abundance of the flora of Greece allow them to freely breed throughout the year.

What makes cheeses different, apart from the source of the milk is the culture and aging process used in the cheese’s manufacture. That’s why sphella differs from halloumi, although both are semi-soft cheeses in brine, why halloumi and mozzarella are different, although the method they are produced is the same, kasseri, Metsovone and graviera are different although all of them are semi-hard cheeses made from ewe’s and goat milk, why San Michali, Kaskavalli, Caciocavalli and graviera Naxou/Tinou are not the same, although they are made from cows’ milk and why myzithra, anari or parmesan and ricotta are different.

Feta

Feta (Greek φέτα) is the most famous Greek cheese and well known around the world. It is a white semi-soft to Soft cheese, ripened and kept in brine for at least two months. Feta is manufactured from pure ewe’s milk or a mixture with goat milk.

It is consumed as table cheese, perfect for pies, in casseroles, in appetizers (mezedes), in dips, with fruit and of course a must in the Greek salad.

Recipes:

Mpiftekia (stuffed hamburgers)

Tiganopsomo

Fetatziki

Greek style oregano pesto

Katiki Domokou

Katiki (Greek Κατίκι Δομοκού) is a soft cream cheese made from goat and/or goat and ewe milk and salt (1%), with a low fat content (10 -14%).

It is named Katiki Domokou, from the region where it is manufactured. Domokos, is a Department of Fthiotida, Central Greece.

This type of soft cheese is eaten as a starter, in salads, in dips, in pies or on its own with bread and white wine or retsina (resinous wine).

Recipes:

Homemade spanakopita from scratch

Fajitas

Graviera

Graviera (Greek γραβιέρα) is one of the most popular cheeses in Greece. It is a hard cheese with a light yellow color, and has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. The Cretan graviera, which is my favourite, is made with sheep milk, or sheep milk with a small amount of goat milk. Graviera of Naxos is made with cow’s milk or mixtures with ewe’s and goat milk. It has a rich, sweet and buttery taste.

Graviera can be used in many dishes, in Greek pies, grated in pasta dishes, served as a table cheese or as a delicious snack along with bread and fruits.

Graviera Amphilohias

It is produced with sheep’s milk and has a wonderful rich and spicy flavour.    It is perfect on its own, as a meze with a glass of red wine, as saganaki or in pies.

They compare it to Gruyere cheese, but I cannot say as I have not tried it.

Recipes:

Kotopita me prassa (chicken and leek pie)

Halloumi-graviera pull-aparts

Savory Pepper Cake

Saganaki

Kefalotyri

Kefalotyri (or Kefalotiri) (Greek: κεφαλοτύρι) is a hard, salty yellow cheese made from sheep milk and/or goat’s milk in Greece and Cyprus (cow’s milk is not allowed in the Cypriot version), although, a similar cheese Kefalograviera, which is made with cow’s milk, or a mixture of sheep and cow is sometimes sold outside Greece and Cyprus as Kefalotyri. Depending on the mixture of milk used in the process the color can vary between yellow and white.

In taste it vaguely resembles Gruyere, except it is harder and quite saltier. Being a very hard cheese, Kefalotyri is consumed as is, fried in olive oil for a dish called saganaki, or added to foods such as spaghetti, meat, or cooked vegetables, and is especially suited for grating. This is a popular and well-known cheese, establishing its roots in Greece during the Byzantine era. It can be found in some gourmet or specialty stores in the U.S. and other non-Greek countries. Young cheeses from two to three months to ripen. An aged kefalotyri, a year old or more, is drier and stronger flavored, and may be eaten as a meze with ouzo, or grated on food.

Recipes:

Saganaki

Sphella

Sphella, (Greek Σφέλλα) is a hard white cheese from Lakonia (Taygettus region).  It is siilar to feta or rather something between feta and kefalotyri but more piquant made from ewes and goat milk.

Recipes:

Kokoras Badouniotikos

Xynomyzithra

Xynomyzithra (Greek Ξυνομυζήθρα) is a cheese indigenous to Chania, Crete. It is a low fat cheese, similar to soft myzithra and anthotyro in texture. It is made from sheep’s and/or goat milk, yeast and salt. It is left 24 hours at room temperature and it gets this slightly sour taste.

It is ideal for pites (pies) and in savory dishes.

It can hold for 2- 3 days in the fridge but for a long period of time in the deep freezer.

Recipes:

Kalamata Olives and Cheese Muffins

Tyrokafteri

Anthotyros, (Anari in Cyprus) Myzithra – Manouri

Anthotyros (Greek ανθότυρος) – myzithra (μυζήθρα, anari (αναρή), are traditional cheeses which are manufactured from ewe’s milk – and/or goat-milk whey. After making hard cheeses such as kefalotyri, graviera, halloumi etc., goat or sheep’s milk is added respectively to the whey and these cheeses are produced. Manouri (Μανούρι) is made after the manufacturing of feta and is a cheese with more fat content, as heavy cream is added to the whey.

There are two forms of these cheeses. When fresh they are soft, snow-white, creamy, and granular; They are usually used as a table cheese, in savory pies (pites) but also in desserts, eaten alone with honey and cinnamon or other desserts, such as tarts, cheesecakes etc. They go well with fruit such as figs, pears, and apples.  They are preserved in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 day.

Dried Myzithra

To preserve myzithra for a long period, it is salted and then  dried.  It then  becomes hard with a creamy, salty, sharp flavour.  It is perfect  for grating on top of pasta.

Recipes:

Fresh type:

Bourekia with fresh anari

Anarotourta

Moustokouloura with anthotyro

Stuffed courgette flowers

Anthotyros and Fig Muffins

Dried type:

Mac and Cheese

Kaskavalli

Kaskavalli (Greek Κασκαβάλλι) is a Cypriot table cheese, which I would describe to be similar to kefalograviera. It is a hard, yellow cheese and it is characteristic from the many holes it has, when it is cut.

Its origin is from Italy but I don’t know when they started making this cheese in Cyprus, probably during the Venetian occupancy of the island.

The Italian name of this cheese is cacio cavallo, which means «horse cheese» as it was believed that it was made of mare’s milk but there is no historical evidence of this. Nowadays this Southern Italian provolone cheese is made with cow’s milk. It is more likely that it was named cacio cavallo because they usually tie two balls of cheese at a time, with one string and then hang them from a beam «a cavallo» to dry, as though astride a horse.

Halloumi

Halloumi (Greek χαλλούμι), is a Cheese, indigenous to Cyprus, well known for its unique taste. It is manufactured from a mixture of goat’s and sheep milk. It has a high melting point, and so can easily be fried or grilled.

The cheese is white, with a distinctive layered texture and has a creamy, salty flavour. It has also the taste of mint. Halloumi is formed into a round flat disc, then mint is inserted into the middle and halloumi is folded into a semi-circle. The mint adds to its distinct flavour but originally it was inserted for its natural anti-bacterial action that was traditionally helpful to increase the life of the cheese.

Aged halloumi becomes harder and saltier and is perfect not only as a table cheese but also for grating on pasta.

Halloumi is the only cheese you can eat fresh as a table cheese, fried, grilled, barbecued, boiled in soups, broiled… perfect in salads or with fruit.

Recipes:

How to make Halloumi and Anari

Tyropita

Easter Flaounes

Halloumi with dried fruit and honey

Cypriot Tyropita

Ravioles (Cypriot ravioli)

Tyropita me maratho and Watermelon Salad with Halloumi

Other useful links:

History of Greek Cheeses

Greek Mountain Flora

Cheese.com

Fage: Greek cheeses

List of European Cheese

Wikipedia Kefalotyri

Tags: Anari, Anthotyros, Cypriot cheese, Feta, graviera, Greek cheese, halloumi, kaskavalli, Katiki Domokou, kefalotyri, Manouri, Myzithra, Sphella, Xynomyzithra