Feta cheese is a pickled white cheese from sheep's milk with goat's addition, a traditional Greek product with a characteristic expressive brackish taste with pleasant tender milk sourness, fat content of 30 to 60%. In appearance, this cheese, in some way, is like a fresh, fine-grained pressed cottage cheese. The maturation period of cheese in brine is at least 3 months. Technologies for the production of such cheeses were known even in ancient times, most likely, they had been practiced before.
The name "Feta" is protected by the laws of the EU, cheese with this name is produced only in Greece, is sold with an indication of the place of origin. Similar cheeses produce similar technologies, sometimes with changes in the recipe, and in other countries (the Mediterranean, south-eastern Europe, etc.). For the production of such cheeses, it is sometimes used not only sheep and goat milk, but also cow and buffalo. These products have other trade names.
Feta cheese is an ingredient of many dishes, often found in various recipes, but not always and not everywhere we can find this cheese on sale, and this product is not cheap.
How can you replace feta cheese?
The answers ask themselves from simple logical reflections. To replace feta cheese follows brine cheese. And which ones?
In retail chains, you can find pickle cheeses with the names "Fetaki", "Fetax". Some successfully replace feta cheese, for example, with Adyghe cheese, suluguni, mozzarella and other similar brine cheeses.
And yet, what is the best way to replace feta cheese to get delicious and profitable?
Some answers may surprise, but it is unlikely that he will surprise those living in Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, other Balkan countries or Israel.
It is best to replace feta cheese with ordinary cheese - this brine cheese is most similar in technology and composition to feta. Brynza is produced both in industrial ways, and traditional at home.
Brynza is similar to fetu, not only in terms of production methods and composition, but also as close to taste and structure as possible. Brynza (as, indeed, other brine cheeses) is no less useful in its own way than feta. Here is just one "but" ... Brynza, especially seasoned, is a fairly salty cheese, usually more salty than feta cheese.
Reduce salinity
To reduce the salinity of cheese, you need to cut it into slices (thin slices of medium size) and put in milk or pure cold water (you can have a soda - so it will go faster). Usually steep cheese for no more than 12 hours. Hot water can not be filled with cheese.