Feta.
All I'd hear all day long at work is how great Feta is with this or how wonderful it is with that.
Feta! Feta! Feta!
Yes, Feta cut straight off the block is one of life's purest joys, but what of the other Greek cheeses? Myzithra is a fresh goat and/or sheep's milk cheese often used in cooking and similar in many ways to Ricotta. This is not that cheese. This is the dried, sour milk version of Myzithra, hence the exotic prefix (hey, it's all Ελληνικά to me). Xynomizithra is a Greek grating cheese good on pastas and in cooking alike.
Origin: Crete, Greece
Milk: Goat and possibly sheep, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affiange: Many months. Cheese is properly old.
Notes: 15% fat content. One of the first cheeses I tried, hence the expert photography. Learn from my mistake and do not eat it alone, I was so young and foolish then.
Thoughts: Right, so this cheese is sour like Warheads, but without those awesome sweet-fruity flavors and way less practical for dares. "I dare you to stuff a half pound of Greek grating cheese into your mouth all at once! Double. Dog. Dare you." It just doesn't work. The raw milk flavor also factors pretty strongly here, which just isn't always what you're looking for in a cheese. The unpleasantness is increased by it's chalky texture, which is drier, finer, and more crumbly than a Parmigiano Reggiano. I'll eat Parmigiano by itself, whether for the sheer decadence or the occasional sodium kick, but Xynomizithra doesn't get to be a part of that party.
This would be a problem if Xynomizithra was really meant to be eaten alone, but it is in fact a grating/dessert cheese. Grating cheese is self-explanatory, but the fun comes with dessert. Want to give your cheese-loving friends a surprise? Offer them some of this Greek specialty by itself first and then in a spoon with a dollop of whipped honey. Compare reactions. Bask in their admiration of your crazy cheese know-how. Together with honey the texture of the cheese is actually pleasant enough and the flavor combination is worth at least trying. Alternatively play it safe and keep Xynomizithra with pasta and Feta with cheese plates.
Caution
If you understood the reference in the first line you are either
1) over the age of 40
2) A real □
3) One of those people who watches way too much TV-Land
If you didn't understand the reference in the first line, then here's the story of a man named Michael who was busy writing cheese blogs of his own. He had readers stop by every now and then, sometimes from places unknown. If you haven't gotten the theme song yet then ask your parents' help.
All I'd hear all day long at work is how great Feta is with this or how wonderful it is with that.
Feta! Feta! Feta!
Yes, Feta cut straight off the block is one of life's purest joys, but what of the other Greek cheeses? Myzithra is a fresh goat and/or sheep's milk cheese often used in cooking and similar in many ways to Ricotta. This is not that cheese. This is the dried, sour milk version of Myzithra, hence the exotic prefix (hey, it's all Ελληνικά to me). Xynomizithra is a Greek grating cheese good on pastas and in cooking alike.
Milk: Goat and possibly sheep, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affiange: Many months. Cheese is properly old.
Notes: 15% fat content. One of the first cheeses I tried, hence the expert photography. Learn from my mistake and do not eat it alone, I was so young and foolish then.
Thoughts: Right, so this cheese is sour like Warheads, but without those awesome sweet-fruity flavors and way less practical for dares. "I dare you to stuff a half pound of Greek grating cheese into your mouth all at once! Double. Dog. Dare you." It just doesn't work. The raw milk flavor also factors pretty strongly here, which just isn't always what you're looking for in a cheese. The unpleasantness is increased by it's chalky texture, which is drier, finer, and more crumbly than a Parmigiano Reggiano. I'll eat Parmigiano by itself, whether for the sheer decadence or the occasional sodium kick, but Xynomizithra doesn't get to be a part of that party.
This would be a problem if Xynomizithra was really meant to be eaten alone, but it is in fact a grating/dessert cheese. Grating cheese is self-explanatory, but the fun comes with dessert. Want to give your cheese-loving friends a surprise? Offer them some of this Greek specialty by itself first and then in a spoon with a dollop of whipped honey. Compare reactions. Bask in their admiration of your crazy cheese know-how. Together with honey the texture of the cheese is actually pleasant enough and the flavor combination is worth at least trying. Alternatively play it safe and keep Xynomizithra with pasta and Feta with cheese plates.
Caution
If you understood the reference in the first line you are either
1) over the age of 40
2) A real □
3) One of those people who watches way too much TV-Land
If you didn't understand the reference in the first line, then here's the story of a man named Michael who was busy writing cheese blogs of his own. He had readers stop by every now and then, sometimes from places unknown. If you haven't gotten the theme song yet then ask your parents' help.
Whipped honey? Can you buy that or is it something you have to make yourself?
ReplyDeletePlain honey will compliment Xynomizithra as well, whipped (spun) honey is just a little finer, lighter in texture. If, however, you have honey and want a lighter texture, it's possible to beat some air into it with a fork as you would whipped cream. Ultimately it's labor intensive and the flavor will remain the same, but it's a change from just squeezing it out of a plastic bear.
ReplyDelete