Greek Cheese: A Rich History and Cultural Significance

Greece has a long and storied history of cheesemaking, with the ancient Greeks considering cheese a food of the gods. This legacy continues to this day, with Greeks consuming more cheese per capita than any other nation. Traditional Greek cheese is made from the blended milk of sheep and goats, with the country’s 15 million sheep and goats producing milk primarily for cheese making.

Cheese in Greek Cuisine

Cheese is a significant part of Greek cuisine, important for local production and a source of pleasure. On average, Greeks consume around 25-26 kilos of cheese per capita per year, the highest amount in the world. A champion of Greek culinary heritage, Satirius Kitriakis, showcases the country’s diverse traditional foods, including authentic cheeses.

Traditional Cheesemaking Methods

In ancient Greece, cheese was made to preserve milk, and a lot of it was produced in cooler mountain areas. The most well-known Greek cheese, feta, is often used as a table cheese and in cooking. While most feta is now produced on a large scale, some traditional dairies still make it the old-fashioned way, maturing it in beechwood barrels. A traditional method of maturing young cheese in old beechwood barrels smeared with salty whey for at least 4 months produces a rich, creamy feta with a complex flavor.

Types of Greek Cheese

Greece produces dozens of different types of cheese, with each island having its own variation. Some traditional Greek cheeses include graviiera, midato, and caceri, a type of pasta filata cheese similar to Italian provolone. Manuri cheese is made using a similar method to other cheeses but with lower fat content due to the use of milk instead of cream. It’s scooped into log-shaped cotton bags, sealed, and hung to drain, resulting in a unique texture.

Cretan Cheese and Cuisine

The island of Crete has a special connection to cheese, being known as the birthplace of Zeus. A beautiful coastline and thriving food culture, including olives, olive oil, wine, and cheese, make Crete a popular tourist destination. Traditional Cretan dishes include a combination of ingredients, such as potatoes, tomato sauce, and squash, baked in a wood-fired oven, and small pies called kaluna, filled with mazithra and fresh mint, shallow-fried in olive oil.

Preserving Traditional Cheesemaking Methods

Some families, such as Panos Caracanos and his father Nikos, continue to make traditional cheese using a mixture of fresh goat and sheep’s milk, following a long family tradition that dates back to 1970. They coagulate the curd, cut it into large pieces, and then reheat and hand-stretch it, stirring until it becomes a unified mass. This traditional method ensures the production of high-quality, delicious cheese.

Conclusion

Greek cheese is a significant part of the country’s culinary heritage, with a rich history and cultural significance. From traditional feta to unique varieties like manuri and midato, Greece offers a wide range of cheeses, each with its own unique history and cultural significance. By preserving traditional cheesemaking methods and supporting local producers, we can ensure the continuation of this delicious and important part of Greek cuisine.

Key Vocabulary

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Cheesemaking	The process of making cheese from milk.	Greece has a long tradition of cheesemaking, with many families continuing to produce cheese using traditional methods.
Feta	A type of Greek cheese, often used as a table cheese and in cooking.	Feta is a key ingredient in many Greek dishes, including salads and pastries.
Pasta Filata	A type of cheese-making process that involves stretching and shaping the curd.	Caceri is a type of pasta filata cheese similar to Italian provolone.
Manuri	A type of Greek cheese made using a similar method to other cheeses but with lower fat content.	Manuri cheese is scooped into log-shaped cotton bags, sealed, and hung to drain, resulting in a unique texture.
Graviiera	A type of Greek cheese, often served as a table cheese or used in cooking.	Graviiera is a popular cheese in Greece, with a rich and creamy flavor.
Mazithra	A type of Greek cheese, often used in traditional Cretan dishes.	Mazithra is a key ingredient in kaluna, a type of small pie filled with cheese and fresh mint.
Curd	The solid parts of milk that separate from the liquid during the cheese-making process.	The curd is coagulated, cut into large pieces, and then reheated and hand-stretched to create a unified mass.
Coagulate	To cause the milk to separate into solid curds and liquid whey.	The milk is coagulated using rennet or other enzymes to start the cheese-making process.
Rennet	A natural enzyme used to coagulate milk during the cheese-making process.	Rennet is often used to coagulate the milk, causing it to separate into solid curds and liquid whey.
Culinary Heritage	The traditional foods and cooking methods of a particular culture or region.	Greek cheese is a significant part of the country’s culinary heritage, with a rich history and cultural significance.

Watch The Video

Feta: The Food of The Gods – Greece – Cheese Slices with Will Studd

Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word means ‘a food made from the proteins and fats in milk, often aged or processed’?

A) Olive oil
B) Pasta filata
C) Cheese
D) Whey

2. What is the term for ‘a method of making cheese where it is stretched and shaped by hand’?

A) Coagulation
B) Maturation
C) Pasta filata
D) Fermentation

3. Which Greek cheese is ‘made using a similar method to other cheeses but with lower fat content due to the use of milk instead of cream’?

A) Feta
B) Graviiera
C) Manuri
D) Caceri

4. What is the name of the ‘small pies filled with mazithra and fresh mint, shallow-fried in olive oil’?

A) Kalitsounia
B) Spanakopita
C) Kaluna
D) Tiropita

5. What is the term for ‘the process of allowing cheese to age and develop its flavor and texture’?

A) Production
B) Consumption
C) Maturation
D) Preservation

Answer Key:

1. C
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. C

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment. It is formed using the auxiliary verb “has/have” + “been” + the present participle of the main verb (e.g., “has been consuming”). In the context of the provided text, this tense can be used to describe ongoing actions related to Greek cheese production and consumption, such as “Greeks have been consuming cheese for centuries” or “The country has been producing high-quality cheese for decades.” For example, the sentence “Greece has been known for its rich cheesemaking history” illustrates how this tense is used to connect a past action to the present. The present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration of the action and its connection to the present moment, making it a useful grammar point for CEFR C1 level learners to express complex ideas and relationships between past and present actions.

Grammar Quiz:

1. By the time I arrived at the party, they ____________________ music for hours.

a) have been playing
b) play
c) were playing
d) had played

2. The Greek cheese industry ____________________ traditional methods for decades to produce high-quality cheese.

a) has used
b) uses
c) is using
d) has been using

3. If it ____________________ rain, we would have gone to the beach.

a) has not been
b) were not
c) had not been
d) is not

4. By next year, I ____________________ English for five years.

a) will have been studying
b) study
c) have studied
d) am studying

5. They ____________________ cheese in this village for generations.

a) make
b) have made
c) are making
d) have been making

Answer Key:

1. a) have been playing

2. d) has been using

3. c) had not been

4. a) will have been studying

5. d) have been making