Here's Why Greek Feta is Better (Hint: it's All About What it's Made Of) | America's Test Kitchen

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It’s not just folklore that Greeks make great feta cheese. Tradition—and Protected Designation of Origin requirements—ensure cheese that is rich and uniquely flavorful.

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MOSTLY SHEEP’S MILK
Greek feta must be at least 70 percent sheep’s milk (which has twice as much fat as cow’s milk), with any remainder made up of goat’s milk. Both sheep’s and goat’s milks contain fatty acids that give them slightly gamy, savory flavors not found in cow’s milk.

FLAVORED BY GREEK FLORA
Greek sheep (and goats) eat a uniquely diverse diet—at least 6,000 different types of plants, including many that grow only in Greece. Since flavor compounds in feed make it into milk, that translates into milk with uniquely complex flavor.

DRY-SALTED
Unlike commercial producers of feta in the United States, Greek manufacturers dry-salt their cheese (cut first into blocks) before brining it, a step that allows flavorful bacteria to grow on its surface, which the cheese readily absorbs.

RIPENED IN BRINE
After salting, the feta is brined for at least two months, which allows time for enzymes from the bacteria, the rennet, and the milk itself to create additional flavor molecules. U.S.-made feta is typically brined in its packaging and for only as long as it takes to arrive at stores and be sold.

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