Know your cheeses

Feta Cheese Calories and Nutrition per Serving (1 Serving=1 Serving/30g)
Calories	79
Protein	4.9
Carbohydrate	0.3
Fat	6.4
Fibre	0
Alcohol	0

Greece
The ancient Greeks regarded cheese as the food of the Gods, as an aphrodisiac, and as essential sustenance for mere mortals! There are countless references to cheese in ancient Greek literature. Homer referred to cheese as early as 700BC, in The Odyssey, in which he described the monster Cyclops Polyphemus making cheese. The Cyclops used a rush basket for draining his cheeses, called a formoi. This word led later to the French word for cheese, fromage, and the Italian word, formaggio.

Feta
Feta is one of the simplest cheeses, originally made by nomadic shepherds to preserve the milk of their herds. The Greek herb-scented hillsides are inhospitable to all but the hardiest sheep and goats, so cheese rather than meat is used for sustenance. The Greeks eat more cheese per head than even the French! Feta cheese is the essential ingredient in the ever-popular Greek Salad made with sun-ripened tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, olive oil, which is eaten as lunch, or to accompany the evening meal.

Feta is the most famous traditional Greek cheese, dating back to the Homeric ages. It is a white soft cheese, ripened and kept in brine for at least two months. It has been and still remains a significant part of Greek diet and its name is often connected with the Greek history and tradition. The average (per capita) annual consumption of Feta in Greece is more than 12 Kg, out of a total cheese consumption of 25 Kg, which is the highest in the world. Feta is a cheese with Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) manufactured from pure ewe's milk or a mixture with up to 30% of goat's milk in the regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessalia, Sterea Hellas, Peloponissos and Mitilini island. It has salty, slightly acid taste, natural white colour and pleasant organoleptic characteristics. Feta is manufactured mainly in mountainous and semi- mountainous regions of Greece where the use of any harmful substances (fertilisers, pesticides etc.) is very scarce. It is distributed to the market in barrels, in tin boxes or in the form of plastic-wrapped pieces and is consumed as table cheese, in the famous Greek salad. in cheese-pastries and quite often as saganaki (shallow-fried cheese). The average composition of Feta is: moisture 52.9%, fat 26.2%, proteins 16,7%, salt 2.9% and pH 4.4.

Feta cheese is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. A sheep’s milk cheese, varying amounts of goats’ milk may be added, as long as this milk makes up less than 30% of the total mixture. Since 2005, feta has been a protected designation of origin product in the European Union. Outside of the EU, cheeses sold as 'feta' may include cow's milk, or even be composed exclusively of 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") and combined with olive oil and vegetables.

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 flavour that can range from mild to sharp. The cured cheese easily crumbles.

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.

Historical origins
Feta cheese has been produced and enjoyed throughout the countries of the eastern Mediterranean since antiquity. According to legend, feta is the world's oldest type of cheese and originated at the dawn of civilization in Ancient Iraq.

Feta cheese is recorded in the historic Byzantine Empire (which expanded over the East Mediterranean, called Vizantio), and was associated specifically with Crete. An Italian visitor to Candia in 1494 describes its storage in brine clearly.

The Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice") and that from Latin offa "bite, morsel". It was introduced into the Greek language 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.

Certification
Feta cheese, a traditional product, is usually sliced in small cubes. After a long legal battle with Denmark, 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. 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 flavour.

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. Because of the decision by the European Union, Denmark changed the name of their product to apetina.

What is Feta?
Feta is a pure white cheese, traditionally made from sheep or goat’s milk, though many commercial producers now use cow’s milk or a combination of milks. With tiny holes, its texture ranges from soft to semi-firm, depending on how long it’s aged. Because it’s cured and stored in its own salty whey brine (the liquid that separates from the solid curds in the cheese making process), Feta is often referred to as a “pickled cheese.” Rich and tangy, the cheese is prized for its sharp, salty taste and ease of use in recipes. Crumbly and rindless, Feta adds zest to salads and melts beautifully in hot dishes. And though it’s been a staple in the Mediterranean region for centuries, in more recent years, Feta has become a favored ingredient among top chefs around the world.

Origins
The name “Feta” comes from the modern Greek “tyri pheta,” meaning “cheese slice.” It’s an appropriate name for a cheese that’s made in various sizes, but most often pressed into cubes or square cakes. Still made by shepherds in the Greek mountains, the classic cheese is also prepared in small, family-run dairies using traditional methods. In fact, aside from advances in automation and packaging, the process of making Feta has changed very little over the centuries. Even commercial producers pay homage and respect to the basic Feta principles.

While the cheese is originally from Greece, it is made in many countries today, with some slight variations in taste and texture. You’ll find versions in Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Romania, Russia, and Turkey. And despite a long battle with Denmark, a country that once produced a similar cheese of the same name, Feta is now a PDO (protected designation of origin) cheese. In the European Union, the term “Feta” is limited to cheeses produced in Greece.

How Many Calories in Feta Cheese