Feta Cheese

Guide Note

Feta Cheese is a Greek cheese traditionally made from sheep's milk. It is salted and cured in brine in large blocks for months to achieve optimum flavor.

It is a white cheese with a salty flavor that can be mild or sharp and a texture that ranges from semi-hard to soft. It typically has a milk fat content of 45%.

The name is protected by the European Union, which requires feta to contain at least 70% sheep's milk and the remainder to be goat's milk.

Feta is used in salads, sandwiches, pastries, and phyllo-based Greek dishes such as spanakopita.

Scientists have recently discovered that a strain of the bacteria enterococci, found in feta cheese, may fight against food poisoning.

Fast Facts

1. Imitations made from cow and goat milk
2. First recorded in Byzantine times
3. Comes from Italian word fetta meaning "slice"