🧀 Kefalotyri

Kefalotyri is a hard Greek cheese made traditionally from sheep's milk or a mix of sheep's and goat's milk. It is a popular hard cheese regarded as a precursor to many of the distinguished Greek hard cheeses. It is also sold under the name of the region where it is made, and production methods vary markedly. ¹²

According to the Greek ministry specification, goat's milk may not exceed 10% of the mix, and the milk may be raw or pasteurised. Rennet is added and the milk coagulates at 32-34 °C; the curd is cut after about 35 minutes, reheated to about 48 °C with stirring, put into moulds and pressed. The cheese then spends about two days in 18-20 Be brine and is dry-salted on the surface about ten times while it ripens, initially at 14-16 °C. Total ripening lasts at least three months. ¹

The traditional cheese has at least 40% fat in dry matter, at most 38% moisture and at most 2% salt. It is cylindrical, pale yellow to light brown, hard, compact and elastic, with many holes in the paste, and tastes salty and piquant. Wheels weigh 4-6 kg (small) or 10-12 kg (large). ¹

The name is linked to the words "kefali" (head) and "tyri" (cheese), or to its resemblance to a traditional Greek hat. Technology varies widely by region: there are Kefalotyri of Epirus, Crete, Naxos, Thessaly and Kefalonia. That is why the EU did not grant it PDO status, although specifications from 1994 remain the basis for many varieties on the market. ²

Kefalotyri is eaten as a table cheese with wine or traditional Greek drinks, and it also goes into pies, is fried in a pan or grilled, and grated. Its closest relative in technology, composition and taste is Kefalograviera PDO from Epirus and Western Macedonia. It was once a heavily salted cheese, while modern industrial production follows consumer preferences. ²

Why it matters to you. The name Kefalotyri is not protected in the EU, so it does not guarantee a region or a recipe. Check the ingredients: under the ministry's specification it is sheep's milk or a blend with up to 10 % goat's milk, ripened for at least three months. ¹²