How is Bulgarian feta different or similar to Greek feta?
How is Bulgarian "feta" different or similar to Greek feta? The differences will lay in the base flavor profile of the milk used. Basically both of these cheeses are "feta", as they use the same basic recipe and process, as long as they are using at least 70% sheep mile and 30% goat milk.
Is feta cheese pasteurized?
Is Feta Cheese Pasteurized? Not all. Brand / Provider / Product Milk Pasteurisation igourmet Yes Dodoni Yes Vintage Yes Meredith Dairy Not Stated 11 more rows ...
What is Bulgarian cheese made from?
The cheese has several different variations, depending on the milk used. Originally it was made with sheeps milk, but today much of it is made from cows milk. You should take note that none of these Bulgarian packages of this style cheese pictured here contain the words 'Feta'.
Why is feta cheese called cheese in the Balkans?
In Slavic speaking Balkan countries feta is simply called "sirenje/sirene". This word literally translates to "cheese", yes, simply "cheese". That's due to how old and indigenous this product has been to the whole Balkan region.
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Can you eat Bulgarian feta when pregnant?
Feta cheese that's been made from pasteurized milk is likely safe to eat because the pasteurization process will kill any harmful bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that pregnant women should only consider eating feta cheese they know has been made from pasteurized milk.
What brand of feta cheese is pasteurized?
Dodoni – one of the most popular authentic Greek brands, Dodoni lists their feta cheese as being made with pasteurized milk.
What is the difference between Greek feta and Bulgarian feta?
Bulgarian Feta: Known as “Sirene”, this Feta-style cheese can be made with sheep's milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of milks. Flavors vary, but Bulgarian Feta is typically saltier and tangier than Greek Feta. I'd describe the flavor as a bit lemony. The texture is firm, but not as crumbly as Greek.
Are all feta cheese pasteurized?
In the U.S., nearly all fresh (unaged, rindless) cheese—like mozzarella, fresh goat cheese/chèvre, ricotta, or feta—is pasteurized. It also means that 99 percent of soft, creamy, spreadable cheeses are pasteurized.
What happens if I eat feta while pregnant?
Soft, unpasteurized cheeses like feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and goat — as well as ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats — may contain Listeria, bacteria that cause mild flu-like symptoms in most adults but can be very dangerous for unborn babies.
Is Bulgarian feta cheese healthy?
Potential Health Benefits of Feta Cheese Feta cheese is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals. However, the high sodium content in feta cheese may cause complications with certain medical conditions. Feta contains more calcium than many other cheeses. Calcium helps you maintain healthy teeth and bones.
Is Bulgarian feta goat cheese?
Bulgarian Feta: Made from sheep's milk. Creamier texture, but the saltiness varies. Sometimes it has a little bit of a grassy or "sheepy" flavor mixed in with a yeasty, tangy finish.
What's the difference between feta cheese and Bulgarian cheese?
Sirene (Bulgarian Cheese) It's is a little softer and wetter than feta cheese, but still crumbly and has a fat content of around 44-48%. It has a grain texture and slightly lemony flavor. I find it just a little creamier than feta, normally.
Can pregnant women eat feta cheese?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States recommends that pregnant women do not eat soft cheeses, including feta, during pregnancy unless the product is specifically labeled as pasteurized. This lessens the danger of ingesting Listeria bacteria. ADVERTISEMENT.
Is feta cheese pasteurized?
Feta cheese, depending on where it is purchased, may or may not be pasteurized. Most feta cheese made in North America, as well as most Greek feta cheese, is pasteurized. However, some varieties remain unpasteurized. Most feta cheese products indicate pasteurization on the product label. Many other types of soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, ...
What is the Bulgarian cheese called?
Bulgarians call their Bulgarian-style Feta 'Sirene', which means simply 'a cheese', it is still correct, in English, to call it 'Bulgarian Feta' even though it is a different subtype of Feta than the Greek one. The cheese has several different variations, depending on the milk used. Originally it was made with sheeps milk, ...
What is feta cheese?
Feta Cheese Making Recipe (Bulgarian) Bulgar ian 'White Brined Cheese' or 'Sirene' as it is called in Bulgaria, has a smoother, creamier, more elastic texture than Greek Style Feta because it holds more moisture. The additional moisture is from less aggressive draining lower acid levels. This cheese does not crumble, ...
Why is Greek Feta shorter than Greek Feta?
This is a shorter time than the process for Greek Feta because we are looking for a little less acid when the curds are molded later. More time = More Acid. This will show later as a difference in texture in the ripened cheese.
What is white brined cheese called?
Bulgarian 'White Brined Cheese' or 'Sirene' as it is called in Bulgaria, tends to not develop as much acid during its production and hence leaves a more elastic texture. This also tends to make the cheese more smooth and creamy since it also holds more moisture due to a much less aggressive draining than the Greek cheese.
Where did lightvan cheese originate?
It has moved north from Greece into Bulgaria and other eastern European regions as well as east through Turkey, Iraq, and into Iran where it is called Lightvan cheese.
What is butter muslin used for?
Butter muslin is used to drain soft cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. This durable cloth is 100% cotton, can be reused and is machine washable. This is a staple for all cheese... This is a great basket cheese mold for draining soft cheese or lightly pressing hard cheese.
Where does feta cheese come from?
EU legislation limits the name feta to cheeses produced in the traditional way in particular areas of Greece, which are made from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep's and up to 30% of goat's milk from the same area. Similar white, brined cheeses (often called ...
What is feta cheese?
Related media on Wikimedia Commons. Feta ( Greek: φέτα, féta) is a Greek brined curd white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. It is formed into large blocks, and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp.
What gives feta cheese its flavor?
According to the European Commission, the biodiversity of the land coupled with the special breeds of sheep and goats used for milk is what gives feta cheese a specific aroma and flavor. When needed to describe an imitation feta, names such as "salad cheese" and "Greek-style cheese" are used.
What is the pH of feta?
The EU PDO for feta requires a maximum moisture of 56%, a minimum fat content in dry matter of 43%, and a pH that usually ranges from 4.4 to 4.6. Production of the EU PDO feta is traditionally categorized into firm and soft varieties. The firm variety is tangier and considered higher in quality.
Where is white feta cheese made?
Similar white, brined cheeses (often called "white cheese" in various languages) are made traditionally in the Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, and more recently elsewhere. Outside the EU, the name feta is often used generically for these cheeses.
When was feta cheese invented?
Feta cheese, specifically, is recorded by Psellos in the 11th century under the name prósphatos (Greek πρόσφατος 'recent, fresh'), and was produced by Cretans. In the late 15th century, an Italian visitor to Candia, Pietro Casola, describes the marketing of feta, as well as its storage in brine.
What is the temperature of pasteurized milk?
These organisms are required for acidity and flavour development. When the pasteurized milk has cooled to approximately 35 °C (95 °F), rennet is added and the casein is left to coagulate. The compacted curds are then chopped up and placed in a special mould or a cloth bag that allows the whey to drain.
What is Feta cheese?
Feta is a white cheese produced from a mixture of goats' and sheeps' milk (30% and 70% respectively) and then cured in brine for at least two months. There are lots of other things that have to hold true for a cheese to be considered "Feta" and to be able to have this name legally.
Where is Feta cheese made?
The truth is that this salty white cheese, that the world has come to know as "Feta", has been made in the Balkan region for centuries. Bulgaria is in the Balkans as is Greece, as are all the countries formerly part of Yugoslavia, and Albania. In Slavic speaking Balkan countries feta is simply called "sirenje/sirene".
What is the difference between sirene and feta?
Sirene is known under the name Bulghari in Lebanon and Bulgarit in Israel, where they easily make difference between Sirene and Feta. To sum it up, the difference between Sirene and Feta is just as the difference between Brie and Camembert - they are different kinds of cheese made in different geographic areas. Share.
What is the cheese similar to Feta?
There is Bulgarian cheese similar to Feta and it's called Sirene, which has several different variations, depending on the milk used : originally it was made with sheep's milk, but nowadays it's mostly made of cow's milk, with the sheep's milk and buffalo's milk versions being considered delicacy.
What is the most common cheese in the Balkans?
In the Balkans they have what they call "white" cheese and feta. The white cheese is more consistent with American style feta cheese (although less salty and not as dry) and Bulgaria is very well known for producing this style of cheese.
Why is Greek salad called Greek salad?
This salad comes with various ingredients as there is no universal "Greek salad" in the US, but the reason why it's "Greek" is because of the inclusion of feta cheese.
Is feta cheese the same as cow milk?
Basically both of these cheeses are "feta", as they use the same basic recipe and process, as long as they are using at least 70% sheep mile and 30% goat milk. Cow milk "feta" uses the same process, but it's flavor profile is quite different.
