The Origin of Feta Cheese
In Homer’s Odyssey, Cyclops Polyphemus is known to be the first person to prepare feta cheese. Polyphemus owned a farm where his sheep would freely graze and he spent his days tending to his animals and to his land. One day, he was carrying milk that he gathered from his sheep that was wrapped in lambskin. When he opened the milk to inspect it, the milk had curdled and thus, feta cheese was born. After Homer’s story was released, the Greeks adopted this practice and started storing the sheep’s milk in brine to make their own cheeses and not just feta. The word feta translates to slice in Greek and it was coined this name because the Greeks would slice up their feta cheese very thin and finely in the 19th century.
The Greeks Love Their Cheese
Feta cheese has been widely used in the Greek culture since the 20th century, it’s become a major staple in Greek cuisine and you can find it in virtually any Greek restaurant. It’s most commonly tossed in salads and is a tasty appetizer and a way of life for many Greeks. The Greeks migrated to multiple countries like Germany, Canada, and the United States in the 20th Century, and they managed to influence the people’s dietary habits there and introduced them to feta cheese too.
Feta is Strictly Greek
The European Commission has safeguarded the word Feta to be uniquely Greek. In today’s evolving times, it’s important to make sure that the proper names of foods are implemented. It’s important to differentiate Greek Feta cheese because the markets are overflowing with imitation products. You can find Greek cheese and feta anywhere in the world now because of its popular use. We have Cyclops Polyphemus and Homer to thank for blessing us with the delicious gift of feta cheese.