Sharing the Wealth of The Land
Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been part of the family for more than a century, and it has been a part of almost every meal throughout my life. But the wealth of the land in Metamorfosi is not limited to olive oil, and neither are my ambitions.
The region is known for several things, most notably its figs, wild oregano gathered straight from the mountainside, delicious cookies, and cheese. These are all products that I hope to have the opportunity to share with those who support Metamorfosi.
The Figs
Kalamata and especially Messinia as a whole, is known for its figs and they are the sweetest fruit that I have ever tasted, and the tradition goes back to the 19th century. Driving through Messinia a person can find stands by the road selling their produce.
Fresh figs are very soft, and they have an almost creamy texture and if you are not careful your fingers will literally become sticky from all sugar they contain. They have a very light, fresh and cool taste like never before experienced.
To preserve figs throughout the year, farmers sun-dry them, making them a perfect sweet, healthy, and natural snack for the winter months. You will most commonly find them packaged individually or in bags, but the most traditional method involves stitching them together into strings.
The Oregano
Oregano is an integral part of the Greek diet and can be found seasoning a variety of dishes, such as a Greek salad (or “Village” salad, known as “Horiatiki” in Greece), oven-baked chicken with potatoes, or even a nice slice of feta drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It has an intense aroma and flavour, with pronounced herbal, pungent, and slightly peppery notes. Its high essential oil content contributes to its distinctive aroma. Wild mountain oregano is as good as it gets.
For people living in villages, getting oregano means picking wild oregano from the mountain slopes and hanging it on a string to dry.
The Cheese
Other than the oregano, figs, and cookies, cheese is one of the things I miss most about my home country. Messinia is home to many different types of cheese, some produced exclusively in the region, while others are made throughout Greece.
The distinctively peppery Sfela, the salty and tangy Feta, the milky and slightly sweet Anthotyro, the nutty and buttery Graviera, and my all-time favourites: the savoury, rich, and slightly piquant Kefalograviera and Mizithra.
Sfela
Sfela is a cheese traditionally produced in Messinia and Laconia. It can be made from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, or a combination of both. It has a semi-hard texture, with small holes and no rind. Its taste is salty and tangy, with a distinctive peppery flavour. It is matured and preserved in brine and has its own PDO designation.
Sfela is best enjoyed sliced and prepared as saganaki, finished with olive oil. Its distinctive, salty flavour, however, pairs particularly well with honey and oregano. When heated, it develops a characteristic golden-brown crust while retaining its texture.
It can also be eaten raw, as its strong aromas pair well with tomatoes, peppers, table olives, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some also like to add it to their salads. Pies can also be made using Sfela, with many variations, particularly when drizzled with honey.
Feta
Just like Sfela, Feta is made from a mixture of different milks. Traditionally, it consists of 70% sheep’s milk and 30% goat’s milk, with cow’s milk not permitted. Feta has its own PDO designation, meaning that authentic Feta can only be produced in specific regions of Greece, including Messinia.
Feta is a “wet” cheese, with a high moisture content, and is best preserved in its own brine, which helps it maintain its characteristic texture and flavour. The best Feta is matured in wooden barrels, which impart their own flavour. Its taste is tangy, slightly acidic and occasionally salty, while some producers prefer their Feta to be rather spicy.
Feta is considered a versatile cheese in Greece and can be enjoyed in many ways: simply served with some bread as a snack, baked inside bread, crumbled over a Greek salad, used in pies, grilled, baked or prepared as saganaki. Some people also like to add it to spinach or leek pie. You just can’t go wrong with Feta.
Anthotiro
Anthotiro or Anthotiros (which literally means “flower cheese” in Greek) is made from the whey left over from the production of other cheeses, using sheep’s and goat’s milk. Anthotiro is produced throughout Greece, with each region having its own distinct variant.
Its taste is very mild, fresh, milky and occasionally buttery. Some varieties of Anthotiro are very soft, moist and crumbly, while others are firm and can be grated. It may well be the Greek cheese with the greatest variety of textures.
There are no limits to how Anthotiro can be used. It can be served in salads, as a side dish or simply as a snack. Most notably, however, Anthotiro can be eaten in slices or prepared as saganaki, with honey drizzled on top for a refreshing combination. Others prefer to use it as an additional filling in pies, such as spinach or leek pies. Dry Anthotiro can also be grated and used as a topping.
Graviera
Graviera is a hard, matured cheese which, like many other Greek cheeses, is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk. It is mostly associated with the islands of Naxos and Crete, as well as the region of Agrafa. Each variety has its own PDO designation, based on its respective region.
Graviera is most commonly nutty, buttery and occasionally savory. Local producers in Messinia sometimes make Graviera with a sweeter flavor, while others like to experiment by making it slightly saltier or adding a subtle hint of spice.
Due to its unique character and firm texture, Graviera is one of the few Greek cheeses that is not commonly used in pies. It is most frequently eaten grated over other foods, as a snack or as a table cheese served with walnuts, bread, olives and, if salty enough, some honey. It can also be added to oven-baked dishes or prepared as saganaki. That said, nothing stops you from adding it to a pie alongside other cheeses to balance out the flavors.
Kefalograviera
Kefalograviera is yet another hard, aged cheese made from the usual combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It is even harder than Graviera and is one of my favourite Greek cheeses. This type of cheese has its own PDO designation, but instead of being associated with island regions, Kefalograviera’s PDO covers areas in Central, Northern and Western Greece.
Kefalograviera is known for its strong, salty, savoury and spicy flavour. The longer it is aged, the more pronounced its flavour becomes. Good producers also manage to get the saltiness just right, giving it an extra kick without overdoing it. It tastes quite different from Graviera, and although the two cheeses have similar names, anyone who tastes both can easily tell them apart.
Kefalograviera can be enjoyed in much the same way as most other Greek cheeses. It can be grated over food (most commonly pasta), added to oven-baked dishes, served as a table cheese, included in a meze platter or prepared as saganaki. Due to its distinctive flavour, Kefalograviera can also be added to pies to give them an extra kick, such as spinach or leek pie.
Mizithra
Mizithra is one of my favourite cheeses. Like many other Greek cheeses, it is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk and is produced throughout Greece in different variations. There are two main varieties: soft, slightly moist and sometimes buttery Mizithra, and the variety most commonly produced in Messinia, which is hard, dry and crumbly. The way the cheese is made and aged can significantly affect its texture and flavor.
The flavor of Mizithra varies depending on the Greek region it comes from, but the variety made in Messinia is salty, savory and has its own distinct character. Its flavour is heavily influenced by the proportion of sheep’s and goat’s milk used and the way it is aged. Good Mizithra also has a fresh taste and a slightly cool sensation on the palate.
Mizithra pairs really well with almost any dish containing carbohydrates and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It can be grated over fries or fried eggs, added to salads (it really takes green salads to a whole new level of flavor) or sprinkled over stews containing orzo or other grains. A beef stew with orzo and grated Mizithra is to die for! Pasta (or Greek pasta) with olive oil and a generous amount of grated Mizithra is also one of my favourite dishes. Depending on whether the Mizithra is soft or dry, people in certain regions also make small, bite-sized pies (mizithropitakia), often drizzled with honey.