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  • 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.

Claudia: Feta cheese is made with a combination

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