Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a brined, white, crumbly sheep- and goat-milk cheese sold in blocks or crumbles. It tastes salty with a clean, briny tang, softens rather than melting, and holds shape when baked or grilled; cooks crumble it over salads, tuck it into pastries, and blend it into dips. Many versions use animal rennet and are not strictly vegetarian, though microbial-rennet options exist.

Originating in Greece, feta developed as a salted, barrel- or tin-aged cheese made mostly from sheep's milk with some goat's milk, and it holds EU PDO status for Greek production. It features across Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, while global versions, often from cow's milk, follow similar brining methods.