🧀 Katiki Domokou

Katiki Domokou is a white, acid-set cheese with a creamy texture from the Domokos area on Mount Othrys. It is traditionally made from goat's milk or a mix of goat's and sheep's milk, and the milk must come only from local breeds. The name has been protected in the EU as a PDO since 1996. ¹³

How it is made. The milk is pasteurised and cooled to 27–28 °C. It then sets at 20–22 °C, with or without rennet. The curd is broken up and put into cloth bags so the whey can drain. This step ends when the moisture of the cheese reaches 75–80%, which is why it stays soft and creamy. ³

Why it is so delicate. The summary specification names no maturing period, and the thickness depends only on how much whey has drained away. EU documents place Katiki next to Galotyri: both are as thick as Xygalo. What separates Katiki from Xygalo is the salt, which goes into the already drained curd. ³⁴

Where it comes from. The cheese has a long history in this area. The zone is very tightly drawn: it includes only the communities listed in the annex to the 1994 ministerial decision. The milk must come from the goat and sheep breeds traditionally raised here. The application came from a local firm in Xyniada, Domokos. ³

Why it matters to you. Look for the words Katiki Domokou PDO, the control mark KA-DO, a serial number and the production date. Under the specification the milk is pasteurised, which is handy if you avoid raw milk. Rennet is optional, so vegetarians should ask the producer or read the ingredients. The summary describes no maturing, so go by the production date. ³