Feta

Infobox Cheese
name = Feta


othernames =
country = Greece
regiontown = N/A
region =
town =
source = Sheep (≥70%) and goat per PDO;
similar cheeses may contain cow or buffalo milk
pasteurised = Depends on variety
texture = Depends on variety
fat =
protein =
dimensions =
weight =
aging = min. 3 months
certification = PDO, 2002

Feta ( _el. φέτα, also spelled fetta) is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece with goat's and sheep 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, or even be comprised of exclusively 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. [ [http://journ.ru.ac.za/photojourn/2003/avri/simon.html http://journ.ru.ac.za/photojourn/2003/avri/simon.html] ]

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.

nutritionalvalue | name=Feta (typical) | kJ=1103 | protein=14 g | fat=21 g | carbs=4 g | calcium_mg=493 | sodium_mg=1116 | zinc_mg=2.9 | riboflavin_mg=0.84 | pantothenic_mg=0.97 | vitB6_mg=0.42 | vitB12_ug=1.7 | vitA_iu=422 | source_usda=1 | right=1

History

Feta cheese is first recorded in the Byzantine Empire (which expanded over the East Mediterranean), 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. [Dalby, 1996, p. 190]

The Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word "fetta" ("slice") and that from Latin "offa" "bite, morsel". [Court of Justice of the European Communities, Communique 25 Oct 2005 [http://curia.europa.eu/el/actu/communiques/cp05/aff/cp050092el.pdf] ] 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.

Certification

After a long legal battle with Denmark, ["The Feta Legend drawing to a close, Press release by the Danish Dairy Board 4th March 2005" [http://www.mejeri.dk/smcms/danishdairyboard_dk/Policies/Danish_Dairy_Brief/ddb205/Index.htm?ID=5969] Accessed 12 December 2006] 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. ["Feta battle won, but terms must be obeyed, Kathimerini newspaper archived article 16 Oct 2002" [http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=22062] Accessed 12 December 2006.] [Protected Designation of Origin entry on the European Commission website. [http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/qual/en/1210_en.htm] ] 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. [Gooch, Ellen, "Truth, Lies, and Feta", "Epikouria Magazine", Spring/Summer 2006 ] Because of the decision by the European Union, Denmark changed the name of their product to "apetina". [ [http://www.arlafoods.dk/APPL/HJ/HJ201AFD/HJ201D01.NSF/O/F5E1287B21EE63D1C12570A5003E870F Apetina skal markedsføres som feta-mærke] ]

Similar cheeses around the world

Similar cheeses are common in Albania (djath), Bulgaria (sirene сирене), 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 " 'sheep's cheese' ") , 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.

See also

*List of cheeses
*Greek cuisine
*Greek food products

Bibliography

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

References

External links

* [http://www.hhlaw.com/files/Publication/d38ff12e-f5be-45eb-a3b3-4283c22f18cc/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/164ccb19-5800-45fb-a49d-4533a49ce36f/2245_EUFoodUpdate_28Nov05.pdf Feta registered as Protected Designation of Origin]
* [http://www.feta.gr Fetamania] - Feta's history, production and conservation methods, and recipes