By Aaron Hutcherson
Given the popularity of a certain baked feta pasta recipe on TikTok and other social media channels, the cheese is getting a lot of attention these days.
I must admit that before now, my only image of feta was the dry, crumbly stuff I've purchased from supermarkets.
But after doing some research and chatting with Tia Keenan, a cheesemonger and author of "The Art of the Cheese Plate" and other books, my eyes have opened to the fact that not all fetas are created equal.
What is feta, and how is it made?
Feta as we know it has been around since the 12th century.
It gets its name from the Italian word "fetta," meaning slice.
It falls into the category of fresh cheeses and is simply prepared.
Traditionally, milk is heated, mixed with probiotic cultures and rennet to coagulate, drained of its whey, sprinkled with salt, brined and then aged in barrels, tins or baskets for at least two months.
According to Keenan, "Feta is like hummus: It's a regional food that transcends borders, even though the Greeks would claim that's not true".
Types of feta
If your only idea of feta is the dry crumbles you sprinkle on salad, that is just one form.
It can also be soft and creamy, in a range of flavours and potencies.
The main differences in styles come down to milk type and country of origin.
Sheep, goat and/or cow's milk are all used, and major producers include Greece, France, Bulgaria and Israel.
Feta's flavour intensifies with age.
But with Greek feta in particular, terroir – particularly what the animals have eaten in the designated regions – also comes into play.
Cook's Illustrated says the flavour that diet imparts really "makes Greek fetas stand out".
Greek producers say more complex flavours come from an additional step in the cheesemaking process, where the cheese is salted and left to sit for a day or two before being placed in brine.
Buying and cooking with feta
Bulgarian feta is Keenan's go-to style. Beyond that, it's all about milk type and country of origin.
"My advice is to figure out what you're cooking and then decide how dry and how salty you want to go, and usually dry and salty have a parallel relationship," Keenan says.
For example, you might not want a very creamy feta to make spanakopita, as the moisture would hinder the phyllo from getting crispy.
But "for that TikTok pasta, you want the creamiest feta you can find, which unfortunately I'm sure is not what people are using".
And different milk types also behave differently when heated, as "goat's milk doesn't melt the same way that cow's milk and sheep's milk does".
When shopping, remember that feta packed in brine lasts longer, won't dry out and even tastes better.
So whether perusing the cheese aisle (the feta at my local grocery store is with the other fancy meats and cheeses you would put on a charcuterie board) or looking at the huge blocks in the deli case, stay away from dry pre-packaged cheeses and make sure your cheesemonger fills your container with brine after cutting off a portion.
(And don't throw out that brine! You can use it a number of ways, such as to marinate chicken or cook beans.)
"People need to understand that feta is a condiment in a lot of places," she says.
"Think of feta, in some ways, as the way Italians use Parmigiano-Reggiano.
“It's not something that you have to eat a whole block of.
“You use it as an accent to finish dishes."
With all of the different ways the cheese can be made, there's a feta to suit just about everyone's tastes.
But if you still are not a fan and want a substitution, ricotta has a similar flavour but a different texture, cotija can stand in for the crumbles in a salad, and a fresh goat cheese has a comparable brightness and creaminess.
While I’m always a firm believer that it's your kitchen and you are free to do what you want, I urge you to give feta another chance if you have yet to explore all that it can offer.