Mizithra cheese
Encyclopedia
Mizithra is a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese
made with milk
and whey
from sheep
and/or goat
s. The ratio of milk to whey usually is 7 to 3.
It is, mainly, produced on the island of Crete
but other areas in Greece also produce it.
In Cyprus
a similar cheese is known in both types (fresh or dry) as "Anari
" (Αναρή in Greek, Nor in Turkish).
or goat
milk
in the simplest way possible: milk is brought to a slow boil for a few minutes and then curdled by adding rennet
, or whey
from a previous batch (see below), or simply something acidic, e.g. lemon juice
or vinegar
. As soon as the curds have formed, they are poured into a cheesecloth
bag which is hung to drain. The whey dripping out of the bag can be used to curdle the next batch of mizithra. After a few days, mizithra has formed into a soft mass which is sweet and moist, and has been molded in the shape of the hanging bag, i.e. it has a rounded bottom and a conic
, wrinkly top. At this stage it is called "sweet" or "fresh mizithra" and may be used as is. Otherwise it is rubbed with coarse salt and left to age even more, usually hung in cloth bags again; the longer it ages, the denser, saltier, and sourer it becomes. This is "xynomizithra" ("sour" mizithra) and it can ultimately turn into a very dense, hard, white cheese that is suitable for fine grating.
.
The cheese is soft, snow-white, creamy, and moist. Since no salt is added to Mizithra it has an almost sweet and milky taste.
It is eaten as dessert with honey
or as meze
s with olive
s and tomato
. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads, pastries and in baking, notably in little cheese pies (handful size) and Sfakiani Pita (Pie from Sfakia
region).
takes its name from "a cone-shaped hill called Myzithra, from its resemblance to a cheese of that name, which was made in the shape of a cone." (Steven Runciman
, A Traveller's Alphabet, "Morea")
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
made with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
from sheep
Sheep milk
Sheep's milk is the milk of domestic sheep. Though not widely drunk in any modern culture, sheep's milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano , the Pecorino...
and/or goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s. The ratio of milk to whey usually is 7 to 3.
It is, mainly, produced on the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
but other areas in Greece also produce it.
In Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
a similar cheese is known in both types (fresh or dry) as "Anari
Anari (cheese)
Anari is a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus. Although much less known than other Cypriot cheeses , it has started to gain popularity following recent publicity exposure...
" (Αναρή in Greek, Nor in Turkish).
Production
Mizithra is made from raw, whole eweDomestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
or goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
in the simplest way possible: milk is brought to a slow boil for a few minutes and then curdled by adding rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
, or whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
from a previous batch (see below), or simply something acidic, e.g. lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
or vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
. As soon as the curds have formed, they are poured into a cheesecloth
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a loosewoven gauze-like cotton cloth used primarily in cheese making and cooking.Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the number of threads per inch in each direction.- Uses :The primary use of...
bag which is hung to drain. The whey dripping out of the bag can be used to curdle the next batch of mizithra. After a few days, mizithra has formed into a soft mass which is sweet and moist, and has been molded in the shape of the hanging bag, i.e. it has a rounded bottom and a conic
Cone
A cone is a basic geometrical shape; see cone .Cone may also refer to:-Mathematics:*Cone , a family of morphisms resembling a geometric cone...
, wrinkly top. At this stage it is called "sweet" or "fresh mizithra" and may be used as is. Otherwise it is rubbed with coarse salt and left to age even more, usually hung in cloth bags again; the longer it ages, the denser, saltier, and sourer it becomes. This is "xynomizithra" ("sour" mizithra) and it can ultimately turn into a very dense, hard, white cheese that is suitable for fine grating.
Serving
It is made in various sizes and shapes, most commonly a truncated cone. The fresh, soft, sweet form is called simply mizithra, the sour version is xynomizithra. If it is aged, it becomes anthotyrosAnthotyros cheese
Anthotyros , is a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese. There are two types of Anthotyros , the Dry Anthotyros and the Fresh Anthotyros. The Dry Anthotyros is matured variant of Mizithra. Anthotyros's name means "flower cheese" in Greek. It is made with milk and whey from sheep and/or goats...
.
The cheese is soft, snow-white, creamy, and moist. Since no salt is added to Mizithra it has an almost sweet and milky taste.
It is eaten as dessert with honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
or as meze
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
s with olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s and tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads, pastries and in baking, notably in little cheese pies (handful size) and Sfakiani Pita (Pie from Sfakia
Sfakia
Sfakiá is a mountainous area in the southwestern part of the island of Crete, in the Chania peripheral unit. It is considered one of the few places in Greece to never have been fully occupied by foreign powers...
region).
Other
The town of MystrasMystras
Mystras is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Sparti, of which it is a municipal unit. Situated on Mt...
takes its name from "a cone-shaped hill called Myzithra, from its resemblance to a cheese of that name, which was made in the shape of a cone." (Steven Runciman
Steven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
, A Traveller's Alphabet, "Morea")