It is a fact that milk is the first food of newborn mammals, balanced, tasty and nutritious. It has proteins, fat, water, vitamins (the fat-soluble A, B, E, D), trace elements, salt and sugars. It provides everything an organism needs to be nourished and grow. Its life though is very short. Even under the most ideal conditions, milk lasts for a few days. For this reason, man invented various methods to preserve it in various forms, sometimes by accident and often through trial and error. He concentrated it, kneaded it and made it into cheese, yogurt, butter, sour milk. This way it is not only better preserved and easier to transport but it offers us a myriad of tastes, aromas and textures.
Dairy in history
Milk’s importance as a food source was valued by the ancient Greeks so much that they called it a divine gift. The first evidence of sheep and goat breeding and husbandry is in Greek mythology. The goat symbolized abundance, like the one provided by the mythological “horn of plenty”, the broken horn of the goat Amaltheia which nourished the infant Zeus in a cave on Mount Dikti in Crete. In gratitude, the god gave it the gift to bring forth endless quantities of food. According to another myth, Zeus wanted to bestow immortality on his son, Heracles (Hercules). Because his wife, Hera, refused to suckle the infant, Zeus ordered the heavens to “open” and milk to flow, so that the child could feed.
In Homer’s Odyssey the Cyclops Polyphemus, who was eventually blinded by Odysseus, was a shepherd and cheesemaker. Polyphemus seems to have loved his animals very much and could have eaten Odysseus’ companions, but never his sheep. In both the Odyssey and the Iliad, we have references to the “aygion tyron”, the goat cheese.
There is ample evidence through Linear B tablets that the Minoans had a thriving small livestock husbandry industry, with sheep and indigenous goats, the feral descendants of which are associated with today’s endangered Cretan ibex (kri kri).
Aristotle and Dioscouridis give us for the first time ways of producing cheese. In the market of Athens there is a reference to a place that was specially dedicated to the cheese trade. Freshly made cheeses were sold by weight, while mature cheeses were sold by the piece.
The soldiers were also fed cheese almost daily, and their punishment was extremely severe if they dared to sell it.
European travelers have given us many testimonies about the spread of cheese-making in Greece, but also have many Arabic texts. Crete especially is characterized by the excellent cheese it produces, while Chania is called Tyropolis – City of cheese.
Dairy in Crete
The livestock of Crete has not changed its character since the ancient times. It relies on small animals, sheep and goats and not at all on cattle, free grazing in the herbs and shrubs of the Cretan mountainsides. The combination of the unique flora of the island with the local animal breeds contributes to having a product with a special character. The local animal breeds are fully acclimatized to the environmental conditions of the island and they thrive without medicines or antibiotics.
Even in the recent past when food was scarce, every family, even in the poorest places, had at least one goat. Not for her meat – meat eating was then usually associated with some celebration – but for her milk and its derivatives.
The traditional form of animal husbandry is based on the experience of many centuries with the only essential difference that the milk is no longer processed next to the flocks but in cheese establishments that maintain the traditional forms of cheese-making, while meticulously observing all the rules of food hygiene and safety, based on the standards set by the European Community.
Milk
All the milk produced in Crete is exclusively from sheep and goat.
Sheep’s milk is the most wholesome of the two, high in calories and fat that is easily absorbed in the body, which makes it more digestible than cow’s milk. In comparison with cow’s milk, It contains almost twice the amount of protein (5.98% and 3.29% respectively), 50% more calcium, up to twice as many nutrients including, phosphorus, zinc and important B vitamins. It is particularly rich in phosphorus (22.5% BPH), iodine, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Although it is high in butter fat, it is actually lower in saturated fat than other types of milk. It tastes richer and creamier than cow’s milk, without the distinct smell of goat’s milk.
Goat’s milk is also richer than cow’s milk in calcium. It is the only milk that contains organic sodium and selenium. It contains the highest amounts of vitamins (vitamins A, B2, C, D, niacin) and carotene which acts preventively against cancer. It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and the amino acid tryptophan, a structural component of serotonin that is important for the good condition of the nervous system and improving the quality of sleep. It has a lower lactose content which offers a good alternative to people with lactose allergies. It is easily digested, because its composition is like that of gastric juices, and it prevents bloating. It does have, however, a distinct, gamey smell that may not be agreeable with everyone.
Cheese
A brief history
It is estimated that the practice of making cheese dates back over 4000 years.
Historical evidence shows that the making of cheese began in antiquity by nomadic tribes of Central Asia from where the cheese-making technique was transported to Europe by Asian travelers. Cheese began to be produced in many parts of the Roman Empire during its heyday. The Romans, in turn, introduced cheese-making to England.
During the Middle Ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire until the discovery of America, cheese production was carried out and developed by monks in the various monasteries of Europe. In fact, Italy became the center of cheese-making in Europe in the 10th century.
Cheese-making continued to flourish in Europe and cheese became an established food, and seems to have spread to America with the first settlers in the new continent in 1620.
In the past, it was eaten by the poorest as a complete, staple food, while in other times it was the main food of the farmers. Due to its high nutritional value and affordable purchase price, it managed to be considered nutritionally “the meat of the poor”. However, in the early 15th century, it was also recognized as a food for the nobility, when Charles d’Orlean offered it as a gift to the ladies of his court.
Cheese making
In Greece, the production of cheese products is done in the traditional way, in properly equipped cheese factories.
Necessary ingredients for making cheese are milk, rennet (yeast) and salt. Initially, the milk is pasteurized by heating to destroy harmful microorganisms, followed by the addition of rennet, salt, various additives such calcium chloride and microbial cultures that aid to the taste, the aroma and the ripening time of the cheese.
Rennet comes from the stomach of ruminant animals, and contains enzymes that promote the coagulation of milk. The strength of rennet is determined by the acidity, chemical composition and coagulation temperature of the milk.
Salt is used at a rate of 2-4% of the final weight of the cheese and is necessary for the physicochemical changes that take place in the curd, gives flavor, prevents the growth of unwanted microorganisms and controls the growth of desirable bacteria.
After stirring the milk with the rennet and other materials, the coagulated part (curd) is separated from the dilute milk (whey) and then drained using a solid cloth and placed in molds.
The cheese-making process takes about 30-60 minutes, while the cheese is allowed to matured while stored in special places, in order to carry out the appropriate biochemical fermentations. The amount and time of addition of rennet and microbial cultures, as well as the time – temperature of processing of the mixture, vary depending on the type of cheese. Hard cheeses need a temperature above 33 degrees Celsius and a large amount of rennet, while soft cheeses require a temperature of 25 to 35 degrees Celsius and less rennet.
There are several ways to categorize different types of cheese, reflecting their color, texture or method of preparation. They are divided into white or yellow, fresh or ripe, as well as soft, semi-hard or hard.
Storage
The harder the cheese, the longer it is preserved. Hard cheeses are stored for a few months, while soft cheeses from one to three weeks after opening. If the soft cheese is left out of the refrigerator for more than 4 hours, it should be discarded, because it is possible that microorganisms have grown, which are favored at room temperature. Hard cheese is better preserved in the refrigerator uncut or cut into large pieces than grated. Grated cheese can be better preserved in the freezer.
Mold on the surface of the cheese is usually due to the growth of Eurotungs fungus and appear when the cheese remains in the refrigerator for a long time. When the cheese is moldy it is a good sign because it means that it does not contain antibiotics, as some processed cheeses do to prevent mold, especially those prepared in slices for toast. Although most forms of mold are not dangerous to health, for safety reasons it is necessary to remove the mold layer from the surface of the cheese (about 2 cm) and consume the rest immediately. In hard cheeses, mold does not easily penetrate the surface, but in soft cheeses, high humidity allows mold to enter the cheese and should therefore be discarded.
Cheese in Crete
An important source of calcium and protein of high biological value, cheese plays a key role in the Cretan diet. Cheese contains many vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, folic acid), as well as many essential minerals and amino acids.
Cretans consume the highest amount of cheese in the world, with 23 kg per capita annually. In Crete, cheese is consumed all hours of the day, from morning until late at night, as a side dish, a main meze, an appetizer or a dessert. Amazingly tasty are combinations such as watermelon with feta, graviera with melon, or mizithra with honey.
Traditional cheese is not only considered a food but also a source of information about the flora, taste habits, social culture and lifestyle of the region of origin.
There are many varieties of Cretan cheeses, often localized and identified to a particular part of the island. Same type of cheese produced in different locales can have different, conflicting or crisscrossing names. In this article will cover only the cheeses that are made locally in the prefecture of Chania.
There are four types of cheese produced in Chania, each with its own taste and characteristics.
Mizithra: A soft whey cheese that has a special place in the list of traditional Cretan cheeses. It is known to everyone as it is a key ingredient of the famous Cretan kalitsouni.
Mizithra stands out for its rich taste and very popular thanks to the fact that it can be pleasantly combined with almost all foods
It is characterized as a soft white ripening cheese, unformed, with a fluffy and creamy texture. It has a very pleasant, sweet and slightly tangy taste with a rich aroma of pure milk. Produced from unpasteurized sheep’s, or goat’s and sheep’s milk mixture, it has 65% moisture, 50% dry fat, 16-20% protein, about 1% salt. Used in pies or eaten in salads, as a spread, plain or with honey or marmelade. This cheese is used to make Chania bougatsa, Sfakian pies and many other delicacies.
Athotyros: A soft cheese from a mixture of whey and fresh sheep or goat milk with a cohesive mass and minimal salt. It has a maximum humidity of 70% and a minimum fat content of 50% when dry. It is best consumed fresh and soft, it is almost lean, has a pleasant semi sweet to neutral aroma and taste, velvety creamy texture. Athotyros is mixed with other cheeses in cheese pies and tarts, eaten as an appetizer, plain or with honey, Over time it matures and with the help of salt, hardens and loses moisture and is used as a delicious topping on pasta.
Graviera: A hard cheese made all over Crete, slightly salty taste, full of butter and milk proteins. It is made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, however the best quality is when produced from sheep’s milk only. Graviera is prepared in heads weighing from 5 to 25 kg. and allowed to mature in natural caves or manmade structures that meet the cave temperature and moisture conditions. As the cheese matures, up to 12 months, it becomes spicier. Less mature graviera is sweeter and creamier. Sometimes, the producer will infuse it with aromatic ingredients, like oregano, thyme, truffle and others for a rich taste and aroma. It has moisture 38%, fat 38.4% on dry, salt 1.5%. It is eaten raw, with fruit and bread, cooked in pies, with honey and also breaded like a saganaki.
Malaka: Also known as tyromalama, it is simply the cheese mass that results in the first stage of the graviera cheese making, before any further processing. It is elastic and homogeneous, tasteless and melts wonderfully when heated and is used exclusively in pies and pastries.
In addition to the cheeses mentioned, a special place on the table and in the heart of Cretans is staka.
Staka: Between cheese and yogurt, staka is a uniquely different dairy product. The milk produces a crust (cream) when heated which is collected, lightly salted and stored. When enough is collected, it is heated on a low heat for several days and a small amount of flour is added, thus separating the proteins from the fat. The fat is collected separately and is the stakovoutero, (staka butter) while the white and condensed mass of proteins is the staka. Fried eggs with staka are a must have delicacy and stakovoutero can be used as a delicious alternative to butter in pasta, rice pilaf and meat pies.
