Quick Tips To Bring Feta Into Your Kitchen
A tangy, noticeably salty in taste, feta cheese is available in soft as well as hard forms and can be used to prepare a large number of dishes. Eaten both raw as well as in cooked form, read on to learn new ways to eat feta with our quick tips to bring feta into your kitchen.
Traditionally feta cheese is a cheese that is prepared from the milk of goats reared in Greece. It has been a part of the Greek cuisine since ages and Greek nationals justifiably consider feta cheese as a protected food item. Feta cheese is one of the most popular, and vastly enjoyed food item that has been introduced to the world by Greeks.
The feta cheese originated in Greece, and is prepared from sheep's milk. It may also be prepared from goat’s milk and cow’s milk. Feta cheese is a creamy and soft cheese that is traditionally cured in a brine solution and the aged for 2 months. Although feta is now prepared in Europe and N. America, the Greeks pride themselves on their feta cheese.
Purchase
The feta cheese is available in powder, cubes and block forms. To pick the authentic Greek feta cheese, check the country of origin on the plastic label of feta cheese. The cheese should have been imported from the Greece. If looking for authentic Greek feta, do not pick any feta that has been imported from Bulgaria or France region. Also, only pick feta that comes in Cryo-vac containers as they contain a little brine solution that is necessary for maintaining the moisture content and flavor of the feta cheese.
Storage
The cheese needs to be kept in a jar filled with brine solution before it is refrigerated. The acidic brine solution prevents the cheese from getting spoiled. If the brine solution is not available, you can make a salt solution and use it in place of brine. If the feta cheese is stored without the brine solution, then the cheese may become dry and its shelf life may be reduced.
Feta cheese with its salty, slightly tangy taste, tastes lovely when added to salads, sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres and may be added as an ingredient to dishes such as pasta, omelettes etc. The cheese has a crumbly texture and is often used as a topping in pizzas.
Cooking
Feta cheese can be added to salads, soups, curry dishes and may be used as a filling for a number of snack items. Discussed below are some popular ways of using Feta
Salads: Feta cheese can be added to salads in the form of cheese cubes or can be used to garnish the salads in grated form. The slightly salty feta cheese tastes great when tossed with salad greens or beetroot and other vegetables.
Appetizers: The delicious cheese can be used with appetizers such as mint rice, cooked and stir fried prawns, or with roasted tomatoes. The cheese used in crumbled or cube form adds weight to these dishes.
Cheese Spread: Feta cheese can be used together with regular cheese to create a delicious cheese spread which can be used as a cheese dip or can also be used as a spread on wafers, breads etc.
Main course: Used as a filling in the spelt pancake, crumbled feta cheese turns the pancakes into a lovely main course dish. The cheese can also be added to curry dishes such as lemon garlic chicken in grated or cube form.
Feta cheese is a delicious cheese that can be used to prepare a wide range of dishes. Take your pick and enjoy the flavor of the feta cheese in your recipes.
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