I'm a little disappointed about the crumbly texture of some feta being
indicitive of the lower quality cow's milk. That's one of the things I
really like. I'll still enjoy eating it, but in the back of my mind I will
now codify it as "lower grade". *sigh* Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
-Kevin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Harkins, Patrick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 9:08 AM
Subject: RE: never use an old pressure cooker
> Good question. I must warn you that the answer may be a little boring! But
> I'll try to be concise.
>
> There is no real "supposed to" when it comes to cheese. Being Greek sadly
> does not make one an arbiter of either good taste or good Feta. Also,
strong
> does not equal flavourful, just as loud does not equal intense. When It
> comes to flavour, less is sometimes more. All obvious things, I know, but
> worth reiterating.
>
> In N.A., as in Denmark and Australia, most Feta is made from cow's milk
and
> has sheep and or goat enzyme's added to develop characteristic flavours as
> it ages. It is also bleached with hydrogen peroxide to remove the beta
> carotene that makes cow's milk yellowish and turn the cheese white. Many
> Greek restaurants here buy their Feta based on networks of friendships in
> their community and based on a strong low-price bias and end up using cow
> feta.
>
> In Greece there are several grades of Feta, based on the amount of sheep
or
> goat milk they contain. Unlike our fat-phobic food culture, a value
premium
> is placed on fat and sheeps milk has roughly 12% fat straight from the
> udder. The curds from sheep's milk are much more luxurious and their
texture
> develops beautifully over time. Both sheep and goat's milk are naturally
> extremely mild when fresh and properly handled but they are highly subject
> to spoilage from poor handling prior to conversion to cheese, and the
> resulting flavours are both unpleasant and unfamiliar to our tastes here.
> Cow's milk is the lowest grade milk in Greece and is rarely used in cheese
> for local consumption.
>
> Contrary to what you might think, since it is stored in brine, Feta is
also
> susceptible to spoilage. It is common practice among Greek or other
European
> cheese vendors to leave Feta sitting around at room temperature, where it
> rapidly begins to acquire yeast and slime molds. Consequently a yeasty
> flavour is often associated by many people, including Greeks, with Feta.
It
> is in fact a flavour defect that some have acquired a taste for, not to
> place a value judgement on it. Tang in any cheese is also a flavour defect
> as it is evidence of a level of acidity that is not normal in cheese.
> Tanginess and yeastiness in Feta might be considered normal to city
> dwellers, but those who live closer to the source would be outraged if
> someone tried to sell it to them unless they were selling it off cheap.
You
> can tell cow's milk feta because it is kind of grainy in texture and forms
> little hard sort of pebbles of different sizes, whereas sheep or goat feta
> will either kind of fall apart or have a creamy tendency to hold together.
>
> As for mild feta in restaurants, that's because of several things: one is
> North American tastes which lean towards bland, blander, and blandest!
This
> gives cheese companies the impression that they have the right to release
> cheese that has not yet aged appropriately. And the longer you hold
cheese,
> the more it costs you. Secondly it is probably made from cow's milk, which
> is lacking in flavour and has been bleached. Thirdly, it lacks the flavour
> defects that you are used to getting in the tired imported Feta that your
> friends buy after it has already been mishandled for a while!
>
> Sadly it's just one of the many ways in which our agri-food system rips us
> off every day!
>
> regards,
>
> Patrick
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: January 15, 2004 9:27 AM
> To: CF-Community
> Subject: Re: never use an old pressure cooker
>
>
> > Yeah, ever since we spent time talking about cheesemaking a couple years
> > ago, I've really gained appreciation for goat cheeses of all kinds.
> Vermont
> > Butter and Cheese Company makes a lovely Goat Feta Cheese that is very
> mild
> > and luxurious. Even people who "hate" feta love it.
>
> Is feta supposed to be mild? When I get fed "real" feta at a greek
friend's
> home it always has a bit of a tang to it, but I notice when I get feta at
> many resturaunts that it's so mild it might as well not be there.
>
> -Kevin
>
>
>
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