Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cheese of the week: Mizithra

Name: Mizithra

Brand: none listed

Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Organic Co-op in Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Greece

 

Price in Iowa: $10.99/lb.

Milk
: milk and whey from goats and sheep

Processing
: milk and whey is boiled, then rennet is added, then the curd is placed into basket or bag to air dry

Texture
: soft

Color
: pale yellow

Rind
: no rind

Aroma
: strong dairy

Taste
: umami, woody, fruity, sweet, tart

Mouth feel
: crumbly and dry
 
Notes:This cheese is like a parmigiana-feta combination.  It's dry and savory, like parm, but stinky and diary like feta.  This cheese is also devoid of salt, which allows all of those natural cheesey flavors to come screaming through.  I got about half a ball, about 8 ounces, but that is a lot of cheese.  I crumbled it and ate it plain, but then I just had to try it with something else.  I tried fruit and honey, and that was good.  Then I made up some gyros and substituted the mizithra for feta.  Holee moley, that was good.  Give it a try.  Great stuff.



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