TED Case Study I. Identification 1. The Issue: Feta cheese is the heart and soul of Greek cuisine. For centuries now Greeks have relied on cheese as their main source of proteins, and since sheep and goats were the main source of milk, feta was the cheese that covered such a need. It should come as no surprise then that Greeks are the number one cheese consumers in the European Union, and that their favorite cheese is feta. Unfortunately market forces have conspired against the cheese by producing bland imitations, this paper will seek to clarify the problem and reestablish the true origin of feta cheese. 2. Description: Brief History & Process of Cheese: Man discovered cheese accidentally while transporting milk in canteens made from young calf's or sheep's stomachs. Milk curdling enzymes which are present in the stomachs of an un-weaned animal, acted as the separating enzymes for the milk and created a form of cheese. The accidental discovery of cheese is a landmark in the cheese's history. This paper focuses on FETA a purely Greek cheese, so the history of cheese within Greece will be explored.

Aristotles and Dioskouridis, renown philosophers, talked about mixing milk from the leaves of a fig tree with goats milk and obtaining cheese. Others talked about making cheese by mixing fresh milk with lemon or vinegar, cheese is still made this way in the island of Crete. Greece is not the only country with peculiar cheese manufacturing techniques, in Spain and Portugal dried caper leaves were used as rennet in the manufacturing of their high quality cheese. A simple explanation on how cheese is made would be that the solids are separated from the liquids in milk by the addition of enzymes, which are most commonly known as rennet or rennin. The addition of enzymes produces whey, a thin layered whitish liquid, and curds, solid clumps. The curds are then concentrated and produce the soft white substance which we know as cheese. The texture, aroma and taste of each cheese is unique, varying with each step of the process. Throughout the process of producing cheese the qualities of its main component milk, are conserved. Thus cheese is very rich source of proteins, fats, vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as aminoacids, all of which are essential for a balanced and nutritional diet.

Cheese & the Greeks: Greek eating customs could be said that revolve around cheese. This is very different from the rest of Europe. This difference is also present when contrasted to the other south European countries, which share a similar climate and a great variety products with Greece. For the Greeks, cheese is not a food supplement, it is food. In Europe cheese is generally consumed after the main dish. In France for example cheese is eaten as dessert, one would never see a Frenchman eat his filet mignon with cheese. The French can not imagine eating cheese at any other moment during the day, not even spreading a soft cheese over their world famous croissants. On the other hand in Italy cheese is served as an appetizer, for example mozzarella al pesto or fresh parmesan cheese with rucula and olive oil. Cheese is not part of the Italians main dish, and if one is thinking about pizza, it should be clarified that the original pizzas from Naples and Sicily did not include cheese as an ingredient. Cheese, anchovies, jam, and all the other ingredients that are known to adorn pizza's were not added until much later when the standard of living increased and these ingredients became affordable.

Contrary to its European counterparts of France and Italy, Greeks consume cheese at all times. Cheese can be had for breakfast, lunch, dinner, alone or with other food. Anybody who has lived or been to Greece knows that the one food that can be eaten any time of the day is "tyropita"- cheese pie. Even though eating habits around the world have changed, especially since the advent of fast food restaurants, Greeks most common and favorite food is cheese. For breakfast Greeks generally prefer hard or semi-hard cheeses accompanied by a fresh loaf of bread. If they are ever hungry during the day, whether they are at the office, in the fields picking olives or at home, they will stop for a "tyropita" or a "culuri" (the Greek bagel) with cheese to quell their hunger. The first food that is brought to the table during lunch is a fresh slice of feta with olive oil and oregano. In the evening fresh fruit and a little bit of cheese is still the number one choice of a light dinner in Greece. The Greek's fascination with cheese can be explained through its economic history.

Greece was never a rich country, currently it has the lowest GNP per capita of the EU, so their every day diet was frugal. Meat was scarce and expensive, this limited the intake of animal protein to weekends and holidays. Greeks had to find a way to substitute those proteins with something nutritious and not as expensive. Cheese was the answer to the problem, partly due to Greece's limited urbanization. The vast majority of Greeks used to be farmers or have small plots of land-"perivoli". The milk that they got from their limited livestock was conserved by producing cheese with it. Cheese was thus always available to the Greeks who never failed to put it on the table when they sat down to eat. This habit has allowed Greeks to become the highest consumers of cheese within the European Union with an average consumption of 23 kg per person per year. The French with an annual per capita cheese consumption of 22 kg's, are just one kilo behind the Greeks. Of all the cheese consumed by the Greeks 60% of it is soft cheese, and 40% of all cheese consumed is feta.

That is to say that for every 10 kg's of cheese that are eaten, 4 kg's are feta cheese. Greece's economic prosperity has not limited its cheese consumption in the least. Today the combined intake of meat and cheese proteins has turned into a hazard for the average Greek. This combined intake of proteins has led to a significant rise in the level of cholesterol and fat within the Greek population, but as the Greeks say "it is easier to loose your sole than your habit". FETA Cheese & The GREEKS : Feta cheese is as old as Greece itself. Homer in one of his memorable works, the Odyssey, describes how the giant sheppard Polythimos, made his cheese. The process described by Homer thousands of years ago, closely resembles the process by which feta cheese is still elaborated in Greece. Despite the fact that thousands of years seperate modern Greece from the Ancient Greece in which Homer lived, the process of making feta remains very similar. Up until 1898 feta was produced and consumed locally in Greece. That same year the first commercialization of feta is registered in the island of Syros, Greece.

Until then feta could not be traded commercially due to the lack of a preservative. When brime was introduced as a preservative, the Greek flavour of feta cheese was able to propagate across the world. The history of Greek cheese does not end with feta. Even though Greece has a mountainous landscape that is ideal for sheep and goats to prosper in, cows have also been a part of Greek cheese history. The availability of sheep and goats allowed for the creation of cheeses based on their milk more easily, but it is a renowned fact that Greece has always had cows as well. Through Greek mythology we learn that cows were used as sacrifice for the Gods, but more specifically we know about cows through myths about Hercules. Hercules was in charge of cleaning the stables of King Angean, who had a herd of 3,000 oxen whose stable had not been cleaned for more than thirty years. In the myth cows were used for their meat and the oxen were used in the fields for ploughing and for carrying heavy loads. Despite the fact that cows were available for milking in Greece hundreds of years ago, only in the early 20th century did Greece start producing fresh cow's milk.

There is one exception though, and that is the islands of the Cyclades. In these islands, cow milk had been used for producing cheese before mainland Greece ever started producing it and using it for the production of cheese. The puzzling question is how did the cows get there? The Venetianï¿½s and the Italianï¿½s repeatedly conquered the islands of the Cyclades, therefore becoming protectorates and ducats of these European states for hundreds of years. The conquerors generally brought with them Catholic priests and monks in their effort to convert the predominantly Orthodox population. Catholic monks are renowned for their strong working habits. So not only did they bring their customs and their utensils, they also brought with them their animals which included cows. This is how the islands of Tinos, Naxos and Syros were able to produce their renowned cheeses from cow's milk. FETA CHEESE- The Process: Feta is a soft white cheese full of uneven small holes, it does not have an outer layer as some cheese's do. Feta in Greek means slice, the name comes from the cutting of the curd into pieces after elaboration. It used to be called 'barrel' cheese or 'tsadila' cheese.

The names came to be because 'tsadila' is the cloth that is used in the process of draining the curd, and 'barrel' because it is usually conserved in barrels or tins full of brime. Feta cheese is stored in rectangular pieces of 1 to 2 kilos, preserved in brime in barrels or tins of 25 to 50 kilos. In the super markets it is sold in indivudual prepackaged pieces, or can be bought from the deli directly from the barrel. Tasty mature feta has the following chemical breakdown: humidity 52%, fat 25-26%, proteins 17%, and salt 1.8-2.75%. Feta cheese matures after a period of 2 months in the brime, and should be conserved in the fridge at 2ï¿½-5ï¿½ celsius. Feta cheese is traditionally made from unpasteurized milk, but can also be produced with pasteurized milk. During curdling no heat is used and the temperature must remain between 24ï¿½-36ï¿½ degrees celcius during the process.

The milk used has to be natural or processed sheep's milk, and in some cases even sheep yogurt may be used. After the curdling in complete, the whey is removed and the curd is cut into large pieces and placed in molds to drain., once fully drained it is salted and left to repose in low temperatures. It is then placed in barrels or tins which are filled with brime and is left to mature for no less than 60 days. The production of feta is still a traditional a traditional skill as the salt content, temperature at which the enzymes are added, acidity, way of straining are determined by each cheese maker to give a distinct character to his own particular product. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) & its Specifications for Cheese: The European Union (EU) with its open borders and common currency has united 15 very different countries politically and economically. Socially however the EU will never be able to blend its current or eventual members in one big 'melting pot' like the United States is. Each country, in spite of this union, maintains its individuality with its customs, religion, local tradition and products.

Out of all these the one that needed protection from such an all encompassing union were each country's unique products. For this purpose in 1992 the EU past the regulation 1208, which explicitly clarified under which conditions a product may be determined as a PDO for either its name or its geographic origin. This regulation was established in order to defend the position of a product within its particular market. The importance of having a product labeled as PDO is that it serves as a guarantee of quality and tradition. In the feta case it would guarantee that the consumer is getting feta cheese made from sheep's and goats milk not partially skimmed cow's milk. Currently only 15% of the consumers within the EU know what PDO stands for.(Mamalakis, 35) The designation of PDO for a product is not limited only to cheese. Sweets, sausages, a kind of meat produced in a certain area, the water from a particular spring, a fruit, olives, olive oil, and many other products may be PDO. Champagne, Cognac, Roquefort are only some examples of products that enjoy a PDO.

The conditions needed for a cheese to become a Protected Designation of Origin are: A) The cheese must be produced and matured in a specific geographical region. The animals that whose milk is used in making the cheese have to adhere to the predetermined species and they must live, graze and be milked in the same area. B) The use of chemical substances for the maturing and coloring of the cheese is prohibited. The milk must not contain any antibiotics. C) It must be produced in the traditional manner.(Mamalakis, 35) The specifications are quite clear as to what constitutes a cheese under the label of PDO. Greece has submitted several products to be considered as PDO, amongst them feta cheese. Feta cheese due to its popularity and prominence within the cheese category has encountered several barriers which impede its categorization as a PDO. Greece has managed to protect 20 other cheeses, out of a total of 126 cheeses which are protected as PDO by EU regulation. If a product is classified as PDO it means that no one in the same country but different area, or abroad may produce the product and give it the protected designation of origin name.

When a product is labeled as a PDO both the consumer and the producer are protected and the traditional production and taste of the product is promoted. Judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ): To obtain the necessary data needed for a possible registration of the name "feta" as a protected designation of origin-"PDO"-or its inclusion in the list of generic names, as demanded by a majority of other Member States, the European Commission arranged for a Eurobarometer survey to be carried out, questioning 12,800 nationals of the twelve member States then making up the European Community. It was concluded from the survey, that the name "feta" had not become the common name of the product, and that it continued to evoke a Greek origin. The name "feta" was thus registered as a PDO to cover Feta produced in Greece. Denmark, Germany and France contested the decision, on the basis that feta cheese has been produced and legally marketed under the name "feta" since 1963 in Denmark, 1981 in the Netherlands and 1985 in Germany, for example.

Greece also contests the process, since sheep and/or goats milk should be used, and certain countries use cow's milk in the process. The ECJ concluded that the Commission had played down the situation existant in the Member States other than the state of origin. The Commission whilst conducting the survey back in 1996 did not take into account all the factors at play. In order to decide whether a name has become generic or not, the situation existing in the Member State in which the name originates and in areas of consumption, together with the relevant national or Community legislation, must all be taken into account. Particularly the Commission should have taken into account the existence of similar products legally on the market. The procedure the Commission followed to determine whether the name "feta" had become generic or not was found void, hence the ECJ anulled the regulation which registered "feta" as a protected designation of origin for "feta" cheese produced in Greece. The World Trade Organization & The Feta Cheese Legal Struggle : The World Trade Organization has a similar take on intellectual property as the ECJ with regard to naming a product after its geographic origin.

The WTO under the Treaty on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement states that "the use of a place to describe a product in this way -a "geographical indication"- usually identifies both its geographical origin and its characteristics". It also states that exceptions are allowed if the name is a trademark or if it has become the generic name of the product. The ECJ reversed its decision based on the fact that 'feta' had become the generic name of that particular type of cheese. Both the WTO and the European Union (EU), who abides by the rules and rulings of the ECJ, have the same position on the issue. Greece could in theory pursue this case within the realm of the WTO once its legal possibilities within the EU are exhausted. This would allow for the case to gain more international exposure and both sides would have to resubmit their positions leaving room for an interpretation which would favor Greece once again. Whether one views this case from the WTO or the EU perspective on intellectual property with regards to geographical origin of products or foodstuffs it makes no major difference.

The TRIPS clause defines geographical origin as a good originating in the territory of a member, or a region or lacality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. This definition is very similar to that put forth by the European Court of Justice. The WTO's enforcement of intellectual property rights seeks to protect the creator of a particular good by allowing him to be the only one that can produce that particular type of good. In doing so it also protects the consumer by guaranteeing the process and ingredients of the product he/she is buying. The EU with its appointment of products as PDO seeks to achieve the same goal within its economic community. Many products enjoy such protection, and in many cases it serves as an indication of quality. If 'feta' cheese were categorized as a PDO the consumer would also be protected from similar products which offer in certain cases a very different taste to the traditional Greek taste of 'feta'. Such is the case with cheese labeled as 'feta' in the US which is made from cow's milk. This can only resemble the original product and in no way follows the conditions put forth by the Greek government's parameters for the labeling of a cheese as 'feta'.

This allows for a tremendous discrepancy of quality and content of the same product. When one buys 'blue cheese' he expects to get a taste similar to that of 'Roquefort' cheese produced in France, but is aware that he is not getting the true traditional product but rather an imitation. With 'feta' cheese it is the same just that when the consumer buys the product he is not aware that he is purchasing a different version of the traditional 'feta' cheese. The traditional production and taste of the product is not promoted so both the producer and consumer loose, it is a no win situation. 3. Related Cases: A point should be made with regard to the categorization of this particular case. It could be categorized in the 'water, food and drink' category or in the 'intellectual property' category. Because of its lack of clarity finding related cases was complicated. In total I found four cases which are directly related to mine, these are: basmati, cassis, chocolat, and pisco. Of these four relevant cases only two are in western Europe, cassis and chocolat, and neither of them are categorized under intellectual property.

Three of the cases are categorized under the environmental problem of 'general habitat loss' (chocolat, basmati, and pisco), the remaining case, cassis, is categorized under 'indigenous rights'. The only two cases categorized under 'intellectual property' as the scope are basmati and pisco. TABLES: #1)Western Europe cases in the TED Database: health 1 1 My case qualifies under a legal perspective which is not environmental but rather an 'intellectual property' casewithin the food realm. The fact that it involves a legal battle automatically includes the EU and its relevant institutions, in this case, the European Court of Justice (ECJ). There are two relevant cases in this particular table of the TED database, these are: cassis and chocolat. Both cases involve the ECJ in a legal battle to determine how much chocolate chocolate has to have(chocolat), whilst the other one regards minimum alcohol levels in alcoholic drinks (cassis). Not only is it relevant that these cases involve food products and their components, it is important to notice that the countries involved are the same ones which are battling Greece over the 'FETA' cheese name and components.

In the Cassis case both France and Germany battle over the level of alcohol in the cassis alcoholic drink. The battle is a matter of national minimum standards in Germany and how they clash against French minimum alcohol standards. These two countries are now battling Greece about 'FETA' cheese, which is as Greek as the Acropolis is. The legal framework of the EU allows countries with such discrepancies to sort it out in the ECJ. This case clearly falls within the context of existing cases because of its legal struggle within the context of the European Union. Two cases are directly relevant, and the others are clear examples of how EU regulations have come to cover every aspect of Europe, whether one agrees with it or not. #2) Intellectual Property cases in the TED Database: defor 1 1 This table offers a different perspective to my project. The TED case studies basmati and pisco, are within the context of my project because of the issue at hand. Unlike the other two cases mentioned above, these cases have to do with the name of the product. The previous two cases were relevant because of their context, the European Union and in particular the European Court of Justice, and how countries are able to battle out clashes of internal laws at an international level.

In the basmati case study the United States and India battle over the name of a particular form of rice, while in the pisco case study Chile and Peru battle over the name of an alcoholic beverage. In this case Greece battles Denmark, Germany, adn France over the name of a particular kind of cheese. These cases are directly related to each other even though they range from four distinct and far from each other continents. Feta is as Greek as pisco liquor is Peruvian and basmati rice is Indian. These three products elaboration dates back thousands of years so they have become national symbols. Just like in Greece, where a meal is not complete until feta cheese is at the table, in Peru a meal is not complete unless there is pisco sour on the table. Basmati rice is a slender, aromatic long grain rice with a nutty taste delicate texture that grows best in the valleys of Punjab in the Himalayan mountains (Adewumi). Only Peru has the soil, the climate, and the tradition in making pisco that gives [this] drink a special taste, and which allows [it] to be called pisco (Oakes).

The above descriptions emphasize the importance of a products geographical origin, Greece is battling to achieve such recognition for its 'feta' cheese. The name of a product is fundamental to its economic success, if this were not so these cases and several other similar cases would not be occurring. What should be pointed out is that in both the basmati case and the feta case, there is more at stake than just a name. Both India and Greece are economic midgets compared to the countries they are battling. The economy of these two countries will feel the slap if the product can originate from a different source other than the original countries. If this were not true why did France fight till the end to protect the name 'champagne' and 'cognac'? France is a country which its economy does not rely on these exports, India has at stake 10 percent of the total basmati exports. It is also a matter of protecting the products image, no matter how well other countries try to imitate the product, the conditions can never be fully replicated. The issue of these two case studies is identical to mine, which offers the reader a perspective with regards to the many legal battles like these that occur in all corners of the world.

Hyper-links to Related Cases b. Geographic Site: Western Europe c. Geographic Impact: Greece; 'Feta' is no longer considered a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) 10. Sub-National Factors: No 11. Type of Habitat: Temperate Greece has mild, wet winters and hot dry summers. Its terrain is mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands. Sheep & Goats-The essence of feta: When the Greek government set the paramaters which have to be met in order to be able to label a cheese as feta, it clearly stated that it had to be produced from sheep's milk. A combination of sheep and goats milk may also be used in the process as long as the goat's milk does not constitute more than 30% of the milk used. This clear cut specification allows the consumer to destinguish feta from other cheese and get a specialized product, but since feta is not a PDO one can buy feta produced with partially skimmed cow's milk. Using cow's milk may produce something similar to feta cheese but it is clearly not feta cheese and has a different taste altogether.

The sheep or goat's milk used in the production of feta must be obtained from animals that live and graze in the following predetermined areas: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia, Epiros, Sterea Hellas, Peloponese, and the island of Lesvos. All these areas are in Greece, so any other milk used, even if sheep or goats milk, that does not come from these areas does not qualify under the terms set forth by the Greek government so it can not be called feta. Greece has over 2,500 native plants and shrubs which are consumed by its sheep and goats. The different plants and shrubs consumed by the animals while grazing in the predetermined areas, allows for the milk they produce to acquire a variety of flavour and aromas and are embodied in the Greek feta cheese only.

Sheep & Goat Milk Production FAO Yearbook Sheep Milk 1996 MT ï¿½000 Goat Milk 1996 MT ï¿½000 Sheep Milk 1997 MTï¿½000 Goat Milk 1997 MT ï¿½000 Greece 667460 650460 France 237430 220430 Germany N/A25 N/A25 Feta in essence is sheep milk cheese. The name comes from the Italian word 'feta' which stands for 'slice'. The cheese was named that way because that was the way it was cut after elaboration and sold in the market. The graph above highlights the fact that Greece is one of the largest producers of sheepï¿½s milk, essential to the elaboration of feta. The United States, Germany and Denmark do not produce sheepï¿½s milk. This technically speaking would not allow them to produce feta cheese, since it is supposed to be made from sheepï¿½s milk.

France is the only country that produces sheepï¿½s milk and if compared to the quantity produced in Greece the production levels are quite low. Greece in 1997 produced 650,000 metric tons of sheepï¿½s milk, while France only produced 220,000 metric tons. Greece even produces more goatsï¿½ milk than France, a country that is renowned for its goat cheese. In 1997 Greece produced 460,000 metric tons of goats milk, while France produced 430,000. The difference is not large, but it further highlights Greece's competitive advantage in producing feta, which is made from sheepï¿½s or sheep and goat's milk. Animals and animal production in Greece constitutes about 30 percent of the total value of the country's agricultural output. Sheep and goats are the largest components of Greeceï¿½s animal population amounting to an estimated total of about 14 million heads. The meat and milk of sheep and goats provides 6.2 and 6.6 percent, respectively, of the agricultural total.

The countryï¿½s very limited export of animalsï¿½ products is limited mainly to cheese, whose export value in 1997 was of US$ 80 million. IV. Trade Cluster 12. Type of Measure: Intellectual Property Rights Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): Geographical indication or name of a product either agricultural or foodstuffs which are protected by European Union law #1208. 13. Direct v. Indirect Impacts: Direct 14. Relation of Trade Measure to Environmental Impact a. Directly Related to Product: Yes, Feta cheese b. Indirectly Related to Product: No c. Not Related to Product: No d. Related to Process: Yes, according to the Greek government 'feta' cheese is a salted white cheese traditionally produced in Greece from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. 15. Trade Product Identification: Feta cheese 16.

Economic Data: FAO Yearbook Value US$ 1996 ï¿½000 Volume MT 1996 ï¿½000 Value US$ 1997 ï¿½000 Volume MT 1997 ï¿½000 Germany 2315800458261 2110809476361 France 724159151238 633586153718 United States 623772N/A 584210N/A Greece 23134250747 24152568059 Denmark 10243031067 9737533879 This table more than anything else highlights the Greek's people fascination with cheese. Greece is currently the 10th largest importer of cheese in the world, this says allot for a population of only 10 million.

As stated earlier the Greek diet revolves around cheese, thus making it the largest consumer of cheese per capita in the European Union with 23 kilos per year. France, with a population of approximately 60 million, is a close second with 22 kilos of cheese per capita a year. 17. Impact of Trade Restriction: High 18. Industry Sector: Food 20. Environmental Problem Type: Culture 21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species: Goats & Sheep 22. Resource Impact and Effect: High and Regulatory 23. Urgency and Lifetime: Low and Hundreds of Years 24. Substitutes: The lack of substitutes is the main problem in this case. The Greek government argues that the 'feta' produced outside Greece is an imitation which is produced wrongly. Feta cheese according to the Greek government has to be produced from sheep's or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk, originating from animals that live and graze in predetermined areas, all of which are in Greece. Countries which are currently producing feta are utilizing cow's milk in its production, this creates a cheese similar to feta, but it is definitely not 'feta'.

Since the cheese technically does not resemble feta, it should not be labeled as such. Consumers have become accustomed to the name 'feta' so coming up with an alternate name will be a marketing blow for the other countries. If the protected designation of origin rules and regulations are to be applied fairly throughout all products, 'feta' should be one of the products under that category. What exactly is feta cheese? | Cookthink Watermelon, Tomato And Feta Salad What exactly is feta cheese? Feta cheese is the most famous Greek invention since democracy. Traditionally made from sheep's (or goat's) milk, commercial producers now also use cow's milk to make the bright white, rindless cheese. Feta is cured and stored in a salty whey brine and has a distinct tangy taste and crumbly texture. Feta is made by draining curdled milk in molds or cloth bags. It is then cut into slices, salted, and these days, packed in whey brine-filled barrels or plastic tubs, although the best feta is salted and aged rather than drowned in brine. The flavor and level of moisture in the cheese depends on the cheesemaker.

Feta-like cheese is now made in many parts of the world. In Europe the cheese is produced from Bulgaria to Denmark and France. But authentic Greek feta is now protected in Europe with an AOC designation of origin label, like Champagne or Bordeaux. Real feta must contain at least 70 percent sheep's milk and be made using traditional methods and in just seven regions of Greece. Feta cheese sold in the U.S. does not have to comply with these rules. The other Greek cheeses: Feta is best known, but the variety is endless The other Greek cheeses: Feta is best known, but the variety is endless July 16, 2009 8:00 AM Aris Messins/AFP/Getty Images Although feta is popular worldwide, it's surprising that other Greek cheeses are rather unknown outside Greece. Andy Starnes/Post-Gazette Cheeses from Greece, clockwise from left: Feta, kefalotiri and graviera with oil-cured olives, all from Salonika Imports in Lawrenceville. By Lauren Wadowsky ATHENS -- On a trip to Greece three years ago, my host proudly told me that Greeks ate more cheese than any other nation in the European Union.

He was right; in 2005 Greeks ate 58.7 pounds of cheese per capita, just above the French. Who knew? I must admit that one of my favorite Greek foods is cheese, and not just feta. Whether it's kasseri fried golden and sprinkled with lemon juice, ricotta-like manouri atop fresh salad greens, or mint-spiked halloumi, Greek cheese's variety and versatility never fail to stoke my amazement -- or my appetite. This is no exaggeration: Greece has hundreds of cheeses; nearly every village produces its own fresco tiri (fresh cheese) or hard sheep's milk cheese. They're great with cold cuts for a light lunch, but when combined with meat dishes or grated in pasta, their flavors improve 10-fold. With feta's popularity worldwide, it's surprising that other Greek cheeses are rather unknown outside Greece. Actually, there are many Greek cheeses besides feta available at Giant Eagle stores around Pittsburgh, at Costco and at Stamoolis Brothers, a Greek food importer in the Strip District. I think it's time we take a cue from the world's most enthusiastic cheese lovers and include some of their favorites into our cooking repertoires.

Unlike most Western cheeses, Greek cheeses are made from goat's or sheep's milk or a combination. Cow's milk cheeses are rare since historically, Greece's hilly topography made raising large cattle herds difficult. Today, shepherds' herds still wander country hillsides, freely nibbling wild grasses. The uncultivated greens are largely responsible for Greek cheese's diversity in flavors and textures from region to region. Each area has its particular grasses; some are misted by the salty Mediterranean, others are hardier due to innate dryness. Depending on what greens the animal eats, a sharper or milder cheese is produced. Also, many cheese producers in Greece are small-scale. Although there are numerous industrial cheese manufacturers throughout Greece, recently smaller enterprises are surfacing. Dairy farmers who once sold their milk to cheese manufacturers are making cheese themselves. With rising feed costs and other animal-keeping expenses, the farmers find producing their own cheese (which they always did for personal use) more profitable than selling the milk to cheese companies. They continue making cheese as they did for themselves and lucky friends, but they have modernized the process so that the products can be sold in the Greek and foreign markets.

Some believe that these cheeses are the best in taste and quality. In any case, many of the Greek cheeses imported to the United States are produced by such businesses. Some of the most common Greek cheeses imported to the U.S. are halloumi, manouri, kasseri, graviera and, of course, feta. Below are descriptions of each: • Halloumi is traditionally a Cypriot cheese, but it is eaten widely in Greece and included in many recipes considered classically Greek. Made from sheep's and goat's milk, mild, firm-textured halloumi can be heated to high temperatures without losing its shape, making it perfect for grilling. Descriptions often term halloumi the "squeaky cheese" because of the sound it makes when you chew it. It's true. In Athens, marinated halloumi along with a roasted pepper relish makes a great sandwich on ciabatta bread. I've also seen halloumi on the dessert menu, drizzled with honey and topped with toasted walnuts. • Kasseri is similar to provolone but milder and more buttery in flavor. It is a cooked hard cheese produced from fresh kefalotiri (another Greek cheese).

Kasseri is quite versatile and is used in casseroles, fried to make saganaki, grated on pasta, or eaten plain. • Manouri is a fresh, semi-soft white cheese similar to ricotta in texture, but milkier in flavor and harder. It is made from the whey reserved from feta production and has no rind. Manouri makes a great addition to salads, sandwiches and appetizers. It's also delicious with fruit preserves or honey for dessert. • Graviera is the Greek version of Gruyere but harder and more piquant. Made from sheep's and a bit of goat's milk, it is aged at least five months before being sent to market. Graviera is a great melting cheese and adapts beautifully to casseroles, vegetable dishes and risottos. It's also a wonderful table cheese and a great accompaniment to cold cuts. • Feta, Greece's most famous cheese, is sold fresh, usually packed in brine to ensure longer preservation. Feta is a "protected destination of origin" product in the EU; it must contain at least 70 percent sheep's milk and be produced in certain regions of Greece.

American cheese companies can bypass such EU regulations and market cow's milk feta made in the U.S. Don't be fooled: Even if the feta you find is not from Greece, be sure that it is at least made from sheep's and goat's milk. Your friends and family will thank you! Chicken, Feta and Ouzo Pasta PG tested 1 cup ouzo or sambuca 2 to 3 medium onions, thinly sliced Pinch of crushed fennel seeds 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound shaped pasta, such as penne 1 1/4 cups milk 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 cup reserved pasta water Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste In a large frying pan add 1/2 cup water, ouzo, onions, crushed fennel seeds and chicken. Bring to a simmer. When the liquids evaporate, add the butter and olive oil and brown the chicken, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta and drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

In a large saucepan over high heat, whisk together the milk and flour. Stir continuously until slightly thickened. Turn the heat to low and add the beaten egg yolks and a little salt. Stir in the feta, parsley and chicken mixture. Add the pasta carefully to the sauce, pouring in a little of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper; portion into pasta dishes. Serve immediately. Greek Cheese Tart with Tomatoes PG tested 1 1/4?cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 pound graviera cheese 1 large tomato, sliced Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture by hand until well mixed. Then add the egg and the water. Knead and form the dough into a ball. Roll into a large circle and fit into a 10-inch-diameter tart pan. Prick sides and bottom with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Fill immediately. For the filling: In a deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour, stir and cook until golden and bubbly.

Lower heat to medium, pour in the milk gradually and stir continuously until thickened into a bechamel sauce. Add the cheeses and stir until melted. Immediately, pour 2/3 of sauce into tart crust. Arrange tomato slices on top, then drizzle with remaining sauce. Bake in a 400-degree oven until browned. -- Lauren Wadowsky Salad with Grilled Manouri and Toasted Pine Nuts PG tested 8 tablespoons olive oil (divided) 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons honey Salt and pepper to taste 6-ounce round of manouri cheese 4 cups mixed greens 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 1/4 cup dried currants or raisins 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped To prepare the dressing, combine 6 tablespoons of the olive oil with the vinegar, honey and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. For the manouri, brush both sides of cheese round with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a grill pan over high heat until browned, about 30 seconds on each side. Reserve.

In a large salad bowl, toss the mixed greens, toasted pine nuts, raisins and parsley with the dressing. Place the manouri on top of the salad and serve. -- Lauren Wadowsky Feta - Cheese.com Find over 1750 specialty cheeses from 74 countries in the world's greatest cheese resource Feta Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses. In fact, Feta occupies 70% stake in Greek cheese consumption. The cheese is protected by EU legislations and only those cheeses manufactured in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and Lesvos can be called ‘feta’. Similar cheeses produced elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, outside the EU, are often called ‘white cheese’. To create traditional feta, 30 percent goat's milk is mixed with sheep's milk of animals grazing on pastures in the specific appellation of origin regions. Now-a-days, many stores sell goat and cow’s milk feta as well. The firmness, texture and flavour differ from region to region, but in general, cheese from Macedonia and Thrace is mild, softer and creamier, less salty with fewer holes.

Feta made in Thessaly and Central Greece has a more intense, robust flavour. Peloponnese feta is dryer in texture, full flavoured and more open. Local environment, animal breeds, cultures all have an impact on the texture, flavour and aroma of feta. On the whole, Feta is a pickled curd cheese that has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine solution. The texture depends on the age which can be extremely creamy, or crumbly dry. Upon maturation of 2 months, feta is sold in blocks submerged in brine. The cheese can be used a table cheese or melted on a traditional Greek salad, spanakopita, pizza or pie. It tastes delicious with olive oil, roasted red peppers and nuts. If required, it can be washed under water to remove the extra saltiness. The salty flavour of Feta pairs well with beer, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.

Made from pasteurized or unpasteurized goat 's and sheep 's milk Country of origin: Greece Region: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and Lesvos Family: Feta Fat content (in dry matter): 16% Fat content: 21 g/100g Defining a Name’s Origin: The Case of Feta Defining a Name’s Origin: The Case of Feta Go to: Business results Feta Cheese, Greece For thousands of years, people in the eastern Mediterranean region have produced a white cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk and stored in brine ( London School of Economics (LSE), 2007). While it is unclear as to exactly when this cheese first appeared, some scholars believe that it could date back as far back as 8,000 years ( Mike Peluso, Cornell University , 2005). One of the most famous variants is perhaps Feta cheese from Greece ( World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 2008).

Greece is the world's largest consumer of Feta cheese, which comes in a variety of sizes and shapes (Photo: Flickr/Rebecca Siegal) While Greece is the world’s largest consumer of Feta cheese ( LSE , 2007) and accounts for over 85 percent of all annual consumption in the European Union (EU) ( Hogan & Hartson LLP , 2005), most production is for the domestic market ( USA Today , 2005), with the country accounting for less than 30 percent of global Feta cheese exports ( McKinsey & Company , 2012). Greece has enjoyed an increase in Feta cheese product exports since 2011 ( Ekathimerini , 2016), however for decades other European countries significantly surpassed Greece in exports of this commodity ( New York Times , 2012). For many consumers the word “Feta” is therefore a generic name for different types of white, crumbly cheese stored in brine ( LSE , 2007).

In the 1930s Greece laid out rules of production for Feta cheese ( Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research , 2003) to ensure it would be produced in accordance with long-standing traditional techniques. This was expanded to protect the geographical location of production and officially enacted into Greek law in 1988 ( European Commission (EC), 2002). With the introduction of Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) in the EU in 1992 and increased concern over products being marketed as Feta cheese with different ingredients, production methods, and a perceptibly dissimilar taste ( LSE , 2007), in 1994 Greece sought to register Feta cheese as a PDO in the EU ( EC , 2002). This application was the start of long process that proved while obtaining a geographical indication (GI, such as a PDO) is not always an easy or quickly successful process ( WIPO , 2008), it can be worth it in the long run.

Goods with specific geographical origin According to Article 1 of Ministerial Order 313025/1994 in Greece, milk used for the production of feta cheese must come exclusively from sheep and goats in the Greek regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia, East Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Central Greece, Peloponnese, and the department of Lesbos, which is an island in the northeastern Aegean Sea ( EC , 2005). This is due to the climate in these regions and its influence on Feta cheese production. Greece has a varied climate, from sun-drenched islands to snow capped peaks ( Water Resources Development , 2008), and an equally diverse flora comprising of over 6,000 species ( EC , 1994). At the same time, much of the country has rather harsh conditions. This is particularly true in Feta producing regions, with over two-thirds of the terrain being mountainous, exposed to hot and dry temperatures, abundant sunshine, and quantifiably few overall food sources ( EC , 1994).

Sheep and goats in these regions have therefore become hardy, resilient, and adapted to local climates ( EC , 1994). To ensure that their herds have access to enough food, farmers in these areas allow their animals to graze over extensive areas of land with a diverse range of flora (according to a 2011 presentation by Sofia Manana of the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food and provided to the WIPO Japan Office (WJO) courtesy of the Embassy of Greece in Tokyo (EGT)). The interplay between the climate and flora has resulted in goat and sheep milk from these regions to develop rich chemical composition and organoleptic properties ( EC , 1994). Combined with traditional production methods, Greek Feta cheese has developed its unique aroma, flavor, consistency, and characteristics ( New York Times , 2006). Most Feta cheese is produced in Northern regions of Greece such as Thessaly (Photo: Flickr/Kacper Gunia) Traditional knowledge Farmers in Feta producing regions of Greece have intimate knowledge of the climate, their herds, and how they relate.

Using this knowledge, a common production process emerged that was enumerated in national regulations that formed the basis for the Feta cheese PDO ( EC , 1994). Features of this process include a seasonal dairy production of 6 to 8 months out of the year; milk collection once per day in cold temperatures and twice per day in warm temperatures; a fat content of between 6 and 8 percent; treating it with heat (pasteurized) or without (unpasteurized); abstaining from using colorants, preservatives, or condensed or powdered milk; using rennin (natural enzymes) to coagulate the milk; straining milk curd without pressure; salting it with coarse grained salt; and ripening it in brine for at least 15 days ( EC , 1994). Greek Feta cheese must contain a minimum of 70 percent sheep’s milk and no more than 30 percent goat’s milk ( Government of Greece , 2013).

Although modern processes have been implemented to a certain degree in some areas of production (such as the automated cutting and salting), according to the Greek government’s rules of production, which are also included in the EU PDO ( EC , 2005), the aforementioned traditional techniques must always be respected ( EC , 1994). Doing so ensures that Greek Feta cheese retains properties (such as taste and aroma) that make it distinguishable from other products bearing the Feta name ( EC , 1994). Geographical indications and appellations of origin Since the 1930s Greece was increasingly codifying the production practices for Feta cheese ( EC , 2002). Rules for the source of the milk and the production techniques of Feta cheese production first entered into force in the country in 1988 ( EC , 2002), and with the 1992 regulation establishing a system for protecting GIs and other agricultural products in the EU ( Hogan & Hartson LLP , 2005), Greece soon sought to register the Feta name in the EU.

In 1994 Greece made an application to the EC for the registration of Feta as a PDO, which was successful in 1996. However, due to objections from other EU countries this was short lived. The Feta PDO was annulled in 1999, and following a long series of IP disputes its registration would not officially be confirmed until 2005 ( EC , 2005). IP dispute resolution Under Greece’s 1988 legislation the composition and production techniques of Feta are protected ( EC , 2002). Domestic producers were largely unaffected, but importers faced new challenges to marketing cheese in Greece using the Feta name. For example, in 1991 Greek authorities seized a shipment of Danish Feta cheese on the grounds that it violated this legislation, which represented the start of a series of IP disputes over the use of the Feta name ( European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA), 2006). With the 1996 PDO registration, other Feta producing countries in the EU viewed the Greek PDO as a threat to their Feta exports.

Indeed, while over 85 percent of Feta cheese consumption in the EU is in Greece, the country owns less than 30 percent of the export market. Denmark, France, Germany, and the UK command most of the export market in the EU, with minimal domestic consumption ( EC , 2002). These countries brought the issue to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 1999 ( EC , 2005). Their main argument was that Feta was a generic term that relates to the place it was originally marketed or produced but has become the common name of that product or food ( Hogan & Hartson LLP , 2005). Siding with the plaintiffs, the ECJ deleted the Feta PDO from the EU register ( ECTA , 2006). Following this ruling the ECJ sent a questionnaire to all EU member states to determine the actual situation of the production and consumption of Feta cheese and knowledge of the term among consumers in these countries ( EC , 2005).

The results were sent to a Scientific Committee who unanimously concluded that Feta was not generic ( LSE , 2007) and reinstated the PDO in 2002. Denmark, France, Germany, and the UK disputed this finding, arguing again that Feta has been used as a generic term in many EU countries since the 1930s ( ECTA , 2006) and that there is no geographical reason that makes Greek Feta cheese more unique than Feta cheese produced in other countries ( ECTA , 2006). The Feta PDO and Greek national law require the cheese to be made in a traditional way (Photo: Flickr/Rebecca Siegel) However, the ECJ found that most consumers in these other EU member states did not actually consume a significant amount of Feta cheese ( EC , 2005). Furthermore, nearly all of the packaging for Feta cheese exports from these countries has some type of reference to Greek culture ( LSE , 2007). This, the ECJ ruled, would cause consumers to immediately associate Feta cheese as a Greek product ( EC , 2005).

Lastly, Feta cheese that is produced in other countries is by and large made with cow’s milk, which is not the case for Greek feta cheese ( Government of Greece , 2013). In 2005 the ECJ ruled that Feta cheese was not generic and the PDO registration was confirmed ( EC , 2005). Other countries in the EU marketing products with the Feta name had a three-year grace period to change or re-label their product names ( LSE , 2007). Even with the PDO secured, Feta cheese producers in Greece continue to face challenges due to a limited number of companies in other countries. “In most cases these companies have manufacturing facilities outside of the EU,” the EGT explained in an email interview with the WJO, and that “…in countries where the origin of the product does not have to be mentioned on the label, it is difficult to know where the products originate from.” According to the EGT, unless a treaty is in effect between these countries and the EU, regulations governing PDO products such as Feta cheese do not apply.

This can prove problematic as smallholder producers in Greece could find themselves competing with larger companies outside the EU who are marketing products with the Feta cheese name despite having a different origin. As the EGT said, “…there are no legal means we can use in order to stop a non-EU company from producing and selling ‘Feta cheese’ or other PDO products.” To counter this effect, the EU is actively seeking the inclusion of provisions that protect EU PDOs in various treaties, and by early 2015 was successful in countries such as Canada and South Korea ( Financial Post , 2014). Commercialization Whether it is made for sale at a large industrial dairies or cottage industries, Greek and EU legislation require Feta cheese to be produced using traditional techniques and sheep and goat milk from specific regions ( Government of Greece , 2013). It is sold in individual packaged pieces, by bulk from larger dairies, or for sale by the slice in establishments such as local delis or small cheese shops.

Producers must have licenses from the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food to commercialize Feta cheese, which is to ensure that all Feta products meet the same level of quality ( Mike Peluso, Cornell University , 2005). Greece produces approximately 115,000 metric tons of Feta cheese annually ( EC , 2005), mostly for domestic use. While the country owns a small share of the worldwide export market ( McKinsey & Company , 2012), demand has been rising ( The Council of Canadians , 2013). With the Feta cheese PDO registration confirmed, some analysts argue that the time is ripe for Greece to expand on its global commercialization efforts ( McKinsey & Company , 2012). Greek Feta cheese is commercialized for use in a variety of cuisine (Photo: Flickr/Avlxyz) Business results Even in difficult economic times Feta cheese has been one of Greece’s highlights, with the industry enjoying growth and increased exports ( McKinsey & Company , 2012).

This has provided jobs for thousands of people, including those in some of the country’s poorest regions where approximately 75 percent of Feta cheese is produced ( Government of Greece , 2013). The EGT highlighted this success in an interview via email with the WJO, noting that in 2013 the value of exports of Greek cheeses was approximately 287 million Euros, representing a 73 percent increase compared to 2004. Feta cheese, the Embassy explained, represents approximately 86 percent of these exports. By 2012 Greek Feta cheese was exported to over 35 countries on 5 continents ( Export Gate , 2012). A non-generic history Feta cheese has spread to nearly every major market in the world and enjoys a long history and internationally recognizable name ( Mike Peluso, Cornell University , 2005). While there are many similar cheeses made in other countries, the PDO registration in the EU has confirmed to many that the Feta name is not a generic term.

Although controversy over the Feta name continues, the Feta PDO registration helps protect producers and allows them to compete internationally, all while providing a product of credible origin that is desired in many parts of the world. Lifestyle To the Home of Feta This definitive Greek cheese is made all over the world these days—but its soul is in the Peloponnisos. Diane Kochilas posted Mar 14th, 2002 at 12:00am Constantino Pittas Everything is damp at Takis Langas's cheese factory on the cool mountain plateau of Mandinia, deep in the Peloponnisos region of southern Greece—one of about 800 small, family-run, traditional-style cheese concerns left in the country. The strange, thick, sweet-and-sour smell of fermenting milk permeates the place. Hoses carrying milk and whey snake across the wet cement floors. Salt cracks beneath your feet as you walk around. Balls of myzithra—an air-dried whey cheese made with feta residualswith feta residuals—dangle like Christmas ornaments from the rafters.

There are barrels everywhere—empty ones piled in pyramids outside, new ones being washed out with whey, barrels filled with feta at various stages of maturity, barrels deconstructed into tired staves destined for the wood-burning oven that Langas lights once a week to cook his famed roast pork "for the boys". Feta, the definitive Greek cheese, salty and sourish and earthy, is descended from the soft, tart goat's-milk cheeses that have been known in the Balkans, and especially in Greece and Bulgaria, forever. The Greek word feta means "slice"—the form in which the cheese is customarily served. It is not an old name; it was probably coined by a market-savvy cheese-monger or producer around the turn of the century. Greek law decrees that feta must be made from at least 70 percent ewe's milk and up to 30 percent goat's milk. Each animal produces one to three kilos of milk per day; it takes at least four kilos to make a kilo of cheese. The more goat's milk in the mix, the firmer the cheese will be.

(Bulgarian feta is traditionally made with about the same ratio of ewe's milk to goat's milk, but cow's milk is sometimes added today because the country faces an overall milk shortage.) Feta of one kind or another is made in many European countries and in North America. Bulgarian feta can be excellent—though it is quite sour and tangy because of the local yeast used as a starter. There are also good ones from Sardinia (a Greek-style, barrel-aged version), where many of the cheesemakers are expatriate Greeks, and from France—a wonderful, creamy feta made, ironically, in Roquefort. The Danes, the Dutch, and the Germans make generally dismal versions of feta, mostly from cow's milk; these are typically chalky, and squeaky in the mouth. American and Canadian feta is usually sold at half the price of the rest—and with good reason. Non-Greek European feta is about to become a thing of the past, though—at least by that name.

According to a recent European Economic Community ruling, after July 21, 2001, no member nation will be able to sell white brine cheese—either inside the European Community or anywhere else—as feta. Names like "white cheese" or "white brine cheese" (or their equivalents in the local language) are suggested alternatives—though the marketing departments of the major European cheese producers will doubtless come up with more evocative terminology. According to Eric Moscahlaidis, the president of Krinos Foods, the largest importer of Greek food products in America, feta is the fastest-growing specialty cheese in the United States. It was first imported to this country in the 1930s, but for years it was sold only in ethnic markets. Exports from Greece stopped during World War II and the ensuing Greek Civil War. During the latter conflict, says John Moscahlaidis—Eric's father—who founded Krinos Foods in 1956, many Greek cheesemakers moved to Sardinia "because that's where they found sheep." A few entrepreneurs even tried producing fetalike cheeses in the U.S.—one marketed under the very weird name Cream-O-Gal.

The elder Moscahlaidis credits the award-winning 1964 film _Zorba the Greek _and the marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy to Aristotle Onassis with spurring American interest in Greek foods—feta included. The many Greek-owned coffee shops and diners along the eastern seaboard helped, too. Today, with the American mania for all things Mediterranean, it's only natural that the cheese (which, incidentally, is lower in fat than most other firm cheeses) should be more popular than ever. T he Langas factory turns out about 250 tons of handmade feta each year, between December and the end of June. Production is supervised by a wiry Ionian named Gerasimos Theodoratos, who learned the cheesemaker's craft from his father and grandfather on his native island of Cephalonia—long famous for its cheeses—then made feta in the U.S., Canada, and Sardinia for decades before returning to Greece. It is noon when I arrive at the factory, and the day's production cycle is well under way.

The four tons or so of ewe's and goat's milk that Langas buys daily from some 63 local shepherds arrived, as usual, at around 8:30 a.m. It has already been checked for contamination, skimmed slightly—about 15 percent of the fat is removed to help give the final product a firmer texture—pasteurized at about 150°F, and cooled by being pumped through a contraption resembling a radiator. It now resides in the three enormous vats in the center of the feta room. You can't tell by looking—the vats' contents seem deceptively still—but the rennet and starter necessary to make the curds set have already been added, and the milk is now in the midst of ferocious fermentation. Every few minutes, Theodoratos runs his arm, and then a thermometer, through each vat. The temperature has to remain constant, somewhere between 95°F and 100°F, depending on the weather and on the final texture desired. "It's a delicate balance," he says.

"One degree off and you've ruined the cheese." At one point, he adds salt—big crystals of it, scooped up with a slotted cup and rinsed in a barrel of water. "I can't tell you how much I add," says Theodoratos. "I just know by looking." Takis Langas, who is watching, interrupts. "It's about four kilos per vat," he assures me. It takes about 45 minutes for the milk to be transformed into the curds, or pasta—a sweet, warm, soft substance, thick and white like yogurt and about as tenuously solid as Jell-O, bathed in deep yellow whey. The next step in the feta-making process is to cut the pasta. To do this, Theodoratos takes a long, stainless-steel, paddlelike frame outfitted with rows of wire evenly spaced about an inch apart, and runs it horizontally, then vertically, through each vat, forming a grid. "If you want very firm cheese," he explains, "you coagulate the milk at a slightly higher temperature and cut the curds very small.

If you want soft feta, you do the opposite—lower temperature, bigger curds." Next, the cheesemaker stirs the curds with a long wooden oar docked with several large holes. Finally, he runs his hands through them, breaking up the mass from the bottom of the vat; this is literally handmade cheese. Feta is relatively easy to produce. It doesn't require long and careful aging; and because it has no rind, it doesn't need to be methodically rinsed like camembert or brie. In fact, it is made pretty much the same way whether in a huge factory or in a smaller operation like Langas's: Set the milk with starter, drain and salt the cheese, place it in molds to drain further, and then leave it to mature in brine. One obvious difference, besides scale, is that the larger manufacturers are automated. At the ultramodern Epirus cheesemaking factory in the Ípiros (Epirus) region, for instance—where annual feta production is about 3,000 tons—1,000 liters of milk are processed every four minutes on a production line.

There are minor differences in technique, too, depending on whether the feta is to be packed in barrels or in tins. Tinned feta is a recent invention; the first country to produce and export it may have been Romania, in the early 1960s. Feta packed this way tends to be firmer and a little saltier than its barrel-aged counterpart. To aficionados like myself, the barrel-aged version is unquestionably superior. As theodoratos's feta sets, he weighs down the thickened curds in each vat with the round slotted molds in which the cheese will eventually be shaped—placing as many as will fit on the surface of each vat, then pumping out the golden green whey. Next, he fills the molds with the pasta, patting down and distributing the curds evenly so that all the molds are filled to exactly the same height. "If the pasta is too soft," he explains, "it won't drain properly." He salts the molds. In about an hour, he will flip them, salt them again, and cut each mass into three triangular wedges. The curds are flipped and salted by hand three times over the course of the day.

By the next morning, the cheese will be solid enough to be placed in a barrel for the first time, in five salted layers. After three to five days in the barrel, the cheese is removed, washed down with brine, and placed in other barrels whose interiors have been steam-sterilized, then rubbed with soft whey cheese to insulate the feta from the taste of wood. Each one holds 50 kilos (over 100 pounds) of cheese. The feta now rests for anywhere from two weeks to 40 days, to ferment, mature, and exude its own brine. Finally, it is refrigerated for a minimum of two months (by law). Then it can be sold—to be eaten in slices, crumbled into salads, used as a filling for savory pastries, even cooked into sauces. "Isn't it an amazing thing?" Theodoratos asks me as I'm leaving. "A few hours ago all this was just milk." _ _

Question: Feta cheese sold in Europe must contain 70% of milk from what animal?
Answer: Sheep