Hi friends! Feta is one of those cheeses almost everyone has in the fridge. It goes into Greek salads, savory pies, and weeknight pasta, and it adds a salty, tangy kick to just about anything. Yet it’s easy to buy the wrong kind, because the feta in the cooler can vary a lot from one package to the next.
So let’s start from the beginning. What is feta cheese, where does it come from, and how do you get the most out of it in your kitchen? We’ll also show you how to pick a good block, and how to keep it fresh once it’s home.
What Is Feta Cheese?
Feta is a white, brined cheese from Greece. It’s made from sheep’s milk, or from a mix of sheep’s and goat’s milk, and it’s cured in a salty brine. The result is a cheese that’s tangy, salty, and crumbly, and it can be creamy or dry depending on how long it has aged. The name comes from a Greek word meaning “sliced.”
Sheep’s Milk, Goat’s Milk
In Greece, real feta must be made from sheep’s milk only, or from sheep’s milk with up to 30% goat’s milk. That’s why it’s so rich, because sheep’s milk has almost twice the fat of cow’s milk. A feta made only from sheep’s milk tends to be more yellow, fattier, and richer. A feta with more goat’s milk is whiter and crumblier.
How It’s Made
The process is simple, but it takes time:
- Curdle and drain: the milk is coagulated, and the curd is placed in molds to drain naturally.
- Salt: once the curd is firm, its surface is dry-salted.
- Brine: the cheese goes into wooden or metal vessels with a salty brine.
- Ripen: it ripens for about 15 days in a warmer room, then in the cold. In total, ripening takes at least two months.
Where Does It Come From?
Feta is a Greek cheese, and the name is legally protected. Only feta made in certain parts of Greece can use it: Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, and the island of Lesbos.
Feta PDO
PDO stands for Protected Designation of Origin, a European label that protects a product’s name and method. Feta’s story with the label was a long one. The EU first registered it in 1996, but other European producers objected, and the registration was annulled in 1999. In 2002 it was reinstated, and in 2005 the European Court of Justice ruled that feta wasn’t a generic name. As a result, producers in other EU countries who used the name were given three years to relabel their cheese.
The label on a genuine package says “FETA cheese PDO,” and it also carries an inspection code and the production date.
Feta Around the World
Of course, many other countries make cheeses called feta, and they’re quite different:
| Style | Milk | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Sheep, or sheep and goat | Salty and tangy, with a dry, crumbly texture |
| Bulgarian | Usually sheep and goat | Briny, creamy, and very tangy |
| French | Often sheep (Lacaune) | Less salty, and much creamier |
| Danish | Cow | Milder and creamier, and not the same as Greek feta |
| US grocery store | Cow | Often drier, with less of the briny, creamy bite |
Keep in mind that outside the EU, the name isn’t always protected, so a package that says “feta” doesn’t guarantee that it’s Greek.
What Does It Taste Like?
All feta is tangy, salty, and briny, and it gets saltier and sharper with age. At its best, it’s also creamy and rich. It tastes like a mix of fresh cheese and the sea.
Barrel, Basket, or Tin?
The way feta is aged also changes its character:
- Barrel-aged: often considered the best, and a dying art. It’s less salty than other feta, and with a little oaky sweetness.
- Basket-aged: saltier than barrel-aged, and a little less rich.
- Tin-aged: firmer and more crumbly.
How to Use It in Cooking
Feta is wonderfully versatile. You can eat it raw or cooked, and it works in sweet and savory dishes. Here are our favorite ideas.
The Classic: Greek Salad
A real Greek salad has no lettuce. Instead, combine tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion. Then dress it with red wine vinegar and olive oil, and top it with a thick slice of feta. Plain feta is also lovely served on its own at room temperature, with olive oil, oregano, olives, and bread.
Baked Feta
Baked feta is easy and impressive. Place a block on a baking dish, and bake it at 400°F for about 8 minutes, until the edges are golden. For a savory version, bake it with tomatoes, olives, and herbs. For a sweet one, drizzle it with honey. Serve it with warm pita. Keep in mind that feta softens when it’s heated, but it doesn’t fully melt.
More Ideas
- Tomato toast: layer ripe tomatoes, crumbled feta, and fresh herbs on toasted bread, and finish with olive oil.
- Spanakopita and other pies: feta is the classic filling for savory pastries, especially with spinach.
- Watermelon salad: combine cubed watermelon, feta, mint, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Burgers and meatballs: mix feta into ground meat, especially lamb, with herbs and breadcrumbs.
- Eggs: stir it into scrambled eggs, omelets, or a frittata.
- Pasta and grain salads: crumble it over hot pasta or beans.
- Soup: use it as a garnish, but go easy on the salt in the soup.
Tame the Salt
Feta is high in sodium, mostly because of the brine. If you’d like it milder, rinse the cheese, or soak it in cold water for several hours. Just be aware that soaking also affects the flavor.
What Can You Substitute?
Nothing is quite the same as real feta, but these come close:
- Goat cheese: it’s creamier and milder, so add a pinch of salt.
- Ricotta salata: it’s firm and salty, and it crumbles well.
- Cow’s milk feta-style cheese: a fine choice for cooked dishes, but expect a milder, drier result.
How to Store It
Store feta submerged in brine in the fridge. If you buy a block in brine, keep it in the original liquid. If there’s no brine, make your own by dissolving 2 teaspoons of kosher salt in 1 cup of water, and cover the cheese completely. It should keep for several weeks.
Without any brine, wrap the cheese in a damp paper towel in a container, and use it within 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze crumbled feta for up to 3 months, although thawed feta is best in cooked dishes, not salads. Finally, if the cheese smells sour, turns slimy, or grows mold, throw it away.
Choose a block in brine rather than pre-crumbled feta if you can. Crumbles tend to dry out, and a block is usually cheaper, too.
