Feta Cheese: A Greek Staple

In Greece, one of the most well-known cheeses is Feta. It’s a soft, white, brined cheese that offers great nutritional value, like calcium. Feta cheese is used throughout Mediterranean cuisine in all types of dishes from appetizers to desserts. Check out some feta facts and how you can enjoy this favorite cheese. 

All about Feta Cheese

Don’t settle for just any cheese; feta is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product. This means that only certain areas of Greece can produce true “feta” cheese. In these special regions, professionals make feta with milk from sheep and goats that were raised on local grass. This environment gives the cheese its unique characteristics.

This brined cheese is shaped into cubes, then stored in salted water and matured for two months. Feta has a tangy and sharp flavor when it was made from sheep’s milk. It’s milder when it’s combined with goat’s milk. Cheese makers produce feta in blocks, and it becomes firm to the touch. However, it crumbles when cut and is creamy when chewed. 

Feta cheese is a low-calorie, low-fat cheese. You can enjoy its nutritional value, as it’s a good source of B vitamins, protein, calcium, and phosphorus, which support bone health. 

In addition, feta cheese contains friendly bacteria that have been shown to promote immune and intestinal health, in addition to having anti-inflammatory effects. Feta cheese contains good amounts of Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which may improve body composition and help prevent diabetes and cancer.

Feta’s flavor and texture make it a great addition to your meals. Many Greeks even keep it on the table, so their guests can freely add feta to their dishes. Check out some fun ways to add this cheese to your meals:

• Top some bread with feta, drizzle on some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on your salad.
• Throw some feta on the grill, then drizzle it with olive oil, and season with pepper.
• Create a fruit salad with watermelon, feta, and mint. 
• Sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese on your tacos.
• Ramp up your pizza by adding crumbled feta, tomatoes, peppers, and olives. 
• Make an omelet with eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and feta. 
• Add feta to your pasta dish, along with artichokes, tomatoes, olives, capers, and parsley.
• Try feta on baked or mashed potatoes.

Try a Feta Cheese Dish at Paymon’s

We all love feta’s characteristic flavor and aroma. It makes it an excellent addition to many meals. A very popular dish is Paymon’s Greek Chicken Scaloppini which is a spin on the traditional Italian dish adding Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. Being a Greek staple, you’ll find feta in many of our traditional dishes at Paymon’s.