Buying
Feta is a white, soft cheese matured in brine. It has a salty and tangy taste, enhanced by maturing it in the brine.
Classical Greek feta is prepared from 70% sheep’s and 30% goat’s milk. The European Union recognizes traditional Greek feta as a product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
While buying, look for a production date, packing date, and use by date.
According to EU Commission, feta’s moisture content should not exceed 56%, and its fat in dry matter content must be at least 43%. It is a white cheese with irregular holes throughout.
Storing
If you have any left-over feta that you bought in an air-seal pack from a grocery, preserve it in homemade brine and place it in the refrigerator for use in the next 2-4 weeks.
Opened and crumbled feta, however, should be kept in the fridge for use in the next 5-7 days.
Food uses
Feta is a versatile, white, soft to semi-firm Greek cheese, which can be included on a cheese platter, topped on bread, salads, pizza, or pie. Greeks exclusively use feta in their recipes.
Feta often contains added herbs and seasonings. It tastes delicious with olive oil, roasted red peppers, and grilled vegetables.
Prepare Cretan salad with dakos (bread).
Greek Salad Horiatiki- A light, healthy and tasteful meal, very easy to prepare. Serve it with white bread, such as a baguette.
Use fresh crumbled feta on a traditional Greek salad seasoned with dried oregano, and olive oil.
Spanakopita (spanakotiropita) is a Greek savory spinach pastry.
Safety profile
Feta cheese composes of high sodium levels, which may cause water retention and elevated blood pressure. People with an history of high blood pressure may be advised to restrict eating too much feta in their diet.
Feta cheese contains considerably high amounts of tyramine, and if a person on Mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s) medication like Phenelzine (Nardil) consumes cheeses, he may develop a medical emergency known as “hypertensive (high blood pressure) crisis” which have symptoms like severe headache, sweating,
nosebleeds, fast heartbeat, chest pain, blurring of vision, shortness of breath, and confusion, and should seek immediate medical attention. Also, they need to continue following a low-tyramine diet for a few weeks after stopping these medications. (Medical Disclaimer)
Source: Mayo clinic: MAOI’s and diet.
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Further Resources:
USDA National Nutrient Database. (opens in new window).
Feta Cheese: – Eskom -Agricultural processing Brochure (opens in new window).
MAOI’s and diet. (opens in new window).
