List of Greek Protected Designations of Origin cheeses explained

In 1996, 19 cheeses from Greece were awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status defining their areas of origin and methods of production. Feta received the same status in 2002 and Xygalo Sitias in 2008. The designated cheeses are made from fresh milk by traditional methods. They contain predominantly sheep or sheep and goat's milk.

The use of cow's milk is not traditional in Greece as the nature of much of the terrain favours the farming of sheep and goats. Such cow's milk as is produced is mainly destined for drinking or the production of processed cheese. The Greek cheeses containing cow's milk that have PDO status are Graviera Naxou, San Michali^[1] and Metsovone (which also contains sheep's milk).

Cow's milk cheeses

• Graviera Naxou (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Γραβιέρα Νάξου)

Sheep's milk cheeses

• Kasseri (Κασέρι)
• Graviera Kritis (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Γραβιέρα Κρήτης) (may include some goat's milk)
• Kalathaki Limnou (Καλαθάκι Λήμνου), a brine cheese produced on the island of Limnos
• Formaela Arachovas Parnassou Greek, Modern (1453-);: (Φορμαέλλα Αράχωβας)

Mixed milk cheeses

Cow/Sheep

• Metsovone (Μετσοβόνε), a semi-hard smoked cheese
• Graviera Agrafon (Γραβιέρα Αγράφων)

Sheep/Goat

• Feta (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Φέτα), the most popular of Greek cheeses
• Kefalograviera (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Κεφαλογραβιέρα)
• Kopanisti (Κοπανιστή), a pink, spicy cheese that owes its hotness to fungal growth; from Mykonos island and the surrounding Cyclades
• Manouri (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Μανούρι), a semi-soft fresh whey cheese
• Xynomizithra
• Anevato (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Ανεβατό), a spreadable, creamy cheese
• Galotyri (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Γαλοτύρι), a soft, creamy cheese produced in Epirus and Thessaly
• Katiki Domokou (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Κατίκι Δομοκού), a spreadable, moist, slightly spicy white cheese; from Domokos, Thessaly
• Ladotyri Mytilinis (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Λαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης), a sharp, salty cheese that matures immersed in jars of olive oil; from Mytilini Island
• Batzos (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Μπάτζος), a salty, semi-hard to hard cheese which matures and is preserved in brine
• Pichtogalo Chanion (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Πηχτόγαλο Χανίων), a white table cheese produced in the prefecture of Chania, Crete
• Sfela (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Σφέλα), also referred to as "Fire Feta", a mildly spicy soft white cheese from Messenia, Peloponnese
• Xygalo Siteias (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Ξύγαλο Σητείας), a soft cheese produced in the easternmost portion of the island of Crete

Goat's milk cheese

There are several types of cheese made solely from goat's milk in Greece, but no applications have been submitted for PDO status, yet.

See also

• Cuisine of Greece

Sources

• Book: Donnelly . Catherine . The Oxford Companion to Cheese . 25 October 2016 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-933090-4 . en.

External links

• Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food

Notes and References

1. Web site: Discover the unique Greek PDO cheeses . Ambrosia Magazine . 4 March 2023 . 26 August 2019.