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Dairy and Cheese

Feta

Φέτα · Feta

A block of Greek feta cheese in brine
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Feta has held Protected Designation of Origin status within the European Union since 2002, meaning that legally, only cheese made in specific regions of Greece, from at least 70 percent sheep's milk with the remainder goat's milk, can be sold under the name within the EU. Cow's milk feta-style cheeses exist elsewhere but are, by this legal standard, a different product wearing a borrowed name.

It is brined rather than aged in the way a hard cheese like kefalotyri is, kept in barrels or tins of salted whey or brine that both preserves it and keeps its texture crumbly and moist rather than dense. That brine is not incidental packaging: feta stored dry dries out and turns unpleasantly chalky within days, so a block should stay submerged in liquid, its own or a fresh batch of lightly salted water, right up until it is used.

It appears in more Greek dishes than any other single ingredient, crumbled over a horiatiki salad, baked into spanakopita and tiropita, whipped into tirokafteri, and simply served in a slab with olive oil and oregano as its own meze. Quality varies enormously between brands, and a firmer, tangier, well-aged feta is worth seeking out over a soft, bland, mass-produced one.

Recipes with feta

38 recipes on the site use it. Here are 36 of them.

A Greek village salad with tomato wedges, cucumber, red onion and a whole slab of feta topped with oreganoGreek SaladHoriatiki salata Χωριάτικη σαλάταSalads · 12m · serves 4A tray of spanakopita cut into squares showing green spinach filling under crisp golden phylloSpanakopitaSpanakopita ΣπανακόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 8A barley rusk topped with grated tomato, crumbled white cheese, olives and oreganoCretan DakosDakos ΝτάκοςSalads · 12m · serves 4A square of Greek cheese pie with crisp layered phyllo and a pale creamy fillingTiropitaTiropita ΤυρόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 15m · serves 8Prawns baked in tomato sauce with melting feta and parsley in a small panPrawns with Feta and TomatoGarides saganaki Γαρίδες σαγανάκιMain Courses · 37m · serves 4Greek scrambled eggs with tomato and crumbled feta in a pan with breadScrambled Eggs with Tomato and FetaStrapatsada ΣτραπατσάδαBreakfast Recipes · 23m · serves 3Golden Greek courgette fritters piled on a plate with tzatziki and lemonCourgette Fritters with FetaKolokithokeftedes ΚολοκυθοκεφτέδεςMeze and Appetisers · 55m · serves 6A bowl of Greek tirokafteri spicy whipped feta dip with roasted pepperSpicy Whipped Feta DipTirokafteri ΤυροκαυτερήDips and Sauces · 10m · serves 6A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta insideBiftekiBifteki ΜπιφτέκιMain Courses · 40m · serves 4Stuffed Florina PeppersPiperies Florinis gemistes Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης γεμιστέςMeze and Appetisers · 55m · serves 6Hand-Rolled Courgette PieKolokithopita Epirou Κολοκυθόπιτα ΗπείρουBreads and Pies · 1h 55m · serves 8A Pontic Greek peinirli boat-shaped cheese bread fresh from the ovenPontic Boat-Shaped Cheese BreadPeinirli ΠεϊνιρλίBreads and Pies · 2h · serves 4Santorini ntomatokeftedes tomato fritters, golden and crispSantorini Tomato FrittersNtomatokeftedes Santorinis Ντοματοκεφτέδες ΣαντορίνηςMeze and Appetisers · 40m · serves 6Naxos Cheese and Onion PieKalathouna Naxou Καλαθούνα ΝάξουBreads and Pies · 1h 15m · serves 6A bowl of Mykonos kopanisti spicy whipped cheeseMykonos Spicy Whipped CheeseKopanisti Mykonou Κοπανιστή ΜυκόνουDips and Sauces · 15m · serves 8Kalymnos Honey-Soaked Cheese PancakesKatimeria Kalymnou Κατιμέρια ΚαλύμνουDesserts · 1h 15m · serves 8Greek melitzanes me feta baked aubergine with tomato and melted fetaBaked Aubergine with Feta and TomatoMelitzanes me feta Μελιτζάνες με φέταMain Courses · 1h 5m · serves 4Raw Grated Courgette SaladKolokithosalata ΚολοκυθοσαλάταSalads · 15m · serves 4A slice of Epirus tyropita cheese pie showing a thick custardy fillingEpirus Hand-Rolled Cheese PieTyropita Ipirou Τυρόπιτα ΗπείρουBreads and Pies · 1h 45m · serves 8A slice of Greek prasopita leek and feta pie showing layered phylloLeek PiePrasopita ΠρασόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 8A tray of golden Greek tiropitakia trigona cheese triangle pastriesCheese Triangle PastriesTiropitakia trigona Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωναMeze and Appetisers · 1h 10m · serves 8A slice of Greek spanakotyropita spinach and cheese pieSpinach and Cheese PieSpanakotyropita ΣπανακοτυρόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 25m · serves 8A slice of Greek hortopita wild greens pieWild Greens PieHortopita ΧορτόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 25m · serves 8A slice of Greek melitzanopita aubergine and feta phyllo pieAubergine and Feta PieMelitzanopita ΜελιτζανόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 35m · serves 8A bowl of Greek kritharosalata orzo pasta salad with tomato, feta and olivesOrzo Pasta SaladKritharosalata ΚριθαρόσαλαταSalads · 32m · serves 6Baked feta with honey, sesame seeds and chilli flakesBaked Feta with Honey and SesameFeta psiti me meli Φέτα ψητή με μέλιMeze and Appetisers · 17m · serves 4Greek kolokithoanthoi gemisti stuffed courgette flowersStuffed Courgette FlowersKolokithoanthoi gemistoi Κολοκυθοανθοί γεμιστοίMeze and Appetisers · 1h 10m · serves 6Karpathos Hand PiesPougia Karpathou Πουγιά ΚαρπάθουMeze and Appetisers · 1h 10m · serves 8Lamb and Cheese Baked in ParcelsExohiko ΕξοχικόMain Courses · 1h 40m · serves 4Golden fried Greek patatokeftedes potato frittersPotato FrittersPatatokeftedes ΠατατοκεφτέδεςSide Dishes · 50m · serves 6A pan of Greek mydia saganaki mussels in tomato and feta sauceMussels in Tomato and Feta SauceMydia saganaki Μύδια σαγανάκιMeze and Appetisers · 40m · serves 4A bowl of Cretan xinohondros sour trahanas porridgeCretan Sour TrahanasXinohondros ΞινόχοντροςBreakfast Recipes · 4h 20m · serves 8A dish of Greek feta psiti me ntomata baked feta with tomatoBaked Feta with TomatoFeta psiti me ntomata Φέτα ψητή με ντομάταMeze and Appetisers · 35m · serves 4Ionian riganada, barley rusks topped with grated tomato, oregano and olive oilIonian Rusk with Tomato and OreganoRiganada ΡιγανάδαSalads · 10m · serves 4Kalymnos Barley Rusk SaladMermizeli ΜερμιζέλιSalads · 20m · serves 4Zagori Batter Pie with FetaAlevropita ΑλευρόπιταBreads and Pies · 45m · serves 6

More dairy and cheese

HalloumiGreek YogurtGravieraAnariAnthotyroButterKasseriKefalotyriManouriMetsovoneMilkMizithra