Claudia: Feta cheese is made with a combination
of sheep's milk and goat's milk,
which gives it that creaminess and an extra kick
compared to cow's milk cheeses.
But depending on where you are in Greece,
you will get a different-tasting feta,
from soft and buttery to hard and tangy.
It's all down to the combination of the two milks
and how much of them you use.
We're here in the Peloponnese to find out
what other secrets are behind the making of feta cheese.
Claudia: Why do you use a combination of the two?
Like, how does that change the taste?
Claudia: The milk that you see here in these vats
has rested for a day at cool temperatures
and has been pasteurized.
It is now ready to be turned into cheese.
Once each batch has cooled to 35 degrees Celsius,
Georgios' dad, Athanasios, adds cultures to the milk
to kick-start its fermentation.
Claudia: After the cultures rest 20 minutes,
Athanasios proceeds to add rennet.
The rennet used also comes from two kinds of milk.
This time, it is a mix of cow's and goat's
to add extra spice.
Each batch rests for 55 minutes,
and it's then cut into curds.
The curds are cut first vertically and then horizontally
to achieve perfect cubes.
Yeah, well you just like to cut things in cube a lot.
[laughs]
After being cut, the curds are transferred into molds,
which are in the shape of cubes, of course.
While other cheeses go into molds
and all their whey is pressed out,
feta's molds have some holes in them
to gently drain the whey,
but without losing it all.
And we'll find out why soon.
Here, each cube holds 8 kilos of curd and whey
but will eventually weigh just 6 kilos.
After a two-hour break,
each cube is cut into 1-kilo blocks and salted.
Athanasios is putting salt beneath and over the blocks
to evenly coat the cheese.
It will rest for 24 hours.
You may have noticed these plastic separators.
They are used to keep gently draining whey
out of the feta curd.
This liquid whey mixed with the salt draining
is in fact going to make feta's natural brine.
Once the packaging is sealed,
feta will release even more liquid,
adding to that brine.
So, how many kilos is this?
Georgios: 20.
Claudia: 20. OK.
God. [Georgios laughs]
Great kettlebell.
Claudia: Feta ages for 15 days
at 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.
The temperature and aging time contribute
to the intensity of flavor.
The longer it ages, the more acidity it gains.
Taste.
Claudia: Oh, yeah, of course.
It's nice texture.
It's crumbly but a little bit soft.
Claudia: Mm.
Claudia: Feta used to be aged in barrels.
I've read that the barrels
used to add a little bit of spice in the rennet,
giving it that bitterness.
Claudia: After the first 15 aging days
at mild temperature,
feta is then stored at a cold temperature for 45 days
to reach its full taste and aroma.
Claudia: Thank you.
You can taste the goat milk there.
There is that hint of spiciness.
It's like the one we had before,
with that extra crumbliness as well in the texture.
It's a nice balance of flavor.
You get the aftertaste, that kick with it.