🧀 Graviera Kritis
Also known as: Γραβιέρα Κρήτης
Graviera Kritis is a hard Cretan PDO table cheese of sheep's milk, sometimes with goat's milk, matured for at least 3 months.
Graviera Kritis is a hard table cheese from Crete, firm and elastic, with small eyes. It is made from sheep's milk or a mix of sheep's and goat's milk in four prefectures of the island. It matures for at least three months, and its name has been protected in the EU as a PDO since 1996. 13
Where it comes from. The area covers the prefectures of Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi, in other words the whole island as it was divided at the time. The application came from cheesemakers in the Rethymno prefecture. The cheese has centuries of history and is among the best known Greek gravieras. The milk comes from sheep and goat breeds that have traditionally lived on Crete and feed on local plants. 3
How milk becomes a firm cheese. The milk is coagulated at 34–36 °C. After 30 minutes the curd is cut and heated again to 50–52 °C with constant stirring. The mass then goes into moulds and is pressed for several hours. Heat and pressure drive out the whey, and that is what makes the cheese hard. 3
Salt and time. The cheese rests for a day at 14–16 °C and then goes into brine of 18–20 °Bé. It stays there for 2–5 days depending on size, since a large wheel takes longer to salt through. After that it matures for at least three months at 14–18 °C, and during this time its surface is salted up to 10 times. 3
Why it matters to you. The word graviera alone guarantees nothing, whereas Graviera Kritis has to come from Crete. Look for that name with the PDO mark, the control mark GR-KR, a serial number and the production date. The other protected gravieras, Graviera Naxou and Graviera Agrafon, have their own names and areas. 13
Facts
| Raw material | Sheep's milk or a mix of sheep's and goat's milk |
|---|---|
| Country | Greece |
| Region | Crete: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, Lasithi |
| Duration | At least 3 months |
| Legal basis | EU PDO since 21.06.1996, PDO-GR-0451 1 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Graviera Kritis ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Sheep's milk, 🥛 Goat's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧂 Salt
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Greeks, 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🧀 Graviera, 🇬🇷 Greek cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names
Frequently asked questions
What milk is Graviera Kritis made from?
Sheep's milk or a mix of sheep's and goat's milk.
Where is Graviera Kritis made?
On Crete, in the prefectures of Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi.
How long does it mature?
For at least three months at 14–18 °C.
How many times is the cheese salted while maturing?
After the brine, its surface is salted up to 10 more times.
Is it true that any graviera from Crete is PDO?
No. The cheese must meet the specification and carry the GR-KR mark on the pack.
What to read next
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🧑🤝🧑 Greeks — The people of Greece, in the south of the Balkans and on Mediterranean islands; olives grown for over 4,000 years, with olive oil, feta and wine.
- 🔄 Ripening — Maturing cheese for weeks to years.
Similar
🧀 San Michali · 🧀 Ladotyri Mytilinis · 🧀 Istarski ovčji sir · 🧀 Fiore Sardo · 🧀 Bitto · 🧀 Idiazabal
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- eAmbrosia — Γραβιέρα Κρήτης / Graviera Kritis (PDO-GR-0451)
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96
- Graviera Kritis PDO: summary of the specification, Ministerial Decision 313047/14.1.94 (EU register)