Feta Cheese from Greece
Feta Cheese
The earliest references to cheese production in Greece date from the 8th century BC: the technology to make cheese from sheep's or goat's milk described in Homer's Odyssey.
Feta cheese specifically is first recorded in the Byzantine Empire and was produced by the Cretans and the Vlachs of Thessaly.
Note: Thessaly lies in northern Greece and borders the regions of Macedonia on the north, Epirus on the west, Central Greece on the south and the Aegean Sea on the east.
The Thessaly region also includes the Sporades islands, a total of 24 islands (Alonnisos, Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros, are permanently inhabited). The capital of the region is Larissa.
The Greek word feta (φέτα)
comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice"), which in turn is derived from the Latin word offa ("a morsel", "piece"). It was introduced into the Greek language in the 17th century.
EU legislation
Since 2002, feta has been a protected designation of origin product in the European Union. According to the relevant EU legislation, only those cheeses produced in a traditional way in particular areas of Greece,
which are made from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep's and up to 30% of goat's milk from the same area, can be called feta.
In October 2002—which limits "feta" within the European Union to mean brined cheese made exclusively of sheep or sheep's and goat's milk in the following regions of Greece:
Peloponnese, Central Greece, Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia, Thrace, and the islands of Lesvos and Cephalonia.
Mediterranean Diet
Like most of us, I always remember Feta cheese with Greek Salad. Later in life, I started to include Feta cheese in other dishes.
The simple Greek combination of feta and bread can make a meal, there is even a word for it: psomo-tyri, which translates to bread-cheese.
Add a few olives and some tomato and you have a complete meal
This text is from a website, Olive Tomato
I came across some time ago by Elena Paravantes an award-winning Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist and Writer specializing in the Mediterranean Diet. I am sure you will enjoy Olive Tomato as much as I do.
