What is feta cheese? Feta is a brined white cheese from Greece, made from sheep’s milk or a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk, aged in salt brine for at least two months. It is tangy, salty, and crumbly, and one of the oldest cheeses still made the same way it has been for centuries.
It is also one of the most frequently mislabelled cheeses in American supermarkets, which is where most of the confusion starts. Feta belongs to the same family of brined, vegetable-friendly cheeses as halloumi and the strained yogurt cheese labneh, and like both, it earns its place on the table by being salty enough to season everything it touches. It is a fixture of Mediterranean food generally, and of Greek cooking specifically.
Not all white crumbly cheese is feta
Since 2002, “feta” has been a protected designation of origin in the European Union. Under that rule, cheese may only be called feta if it is made in specific regions of Greece, from sheep’s milk or a sheep-and-goat blend, using traditional methods. Cow’s milk is not permitted, and production outside those regions is not either.
The United States does not recognize that protection. American law treats feta as a generic style rather than a place, which is why a supermarket case will hold blocks labeled feta made from cow’s milk in Wisconsin, Denmark or Bulgaria alongside the Greek article. None of it is counterfeit, and some of it is very good. It is simply a different cheese wearing the same name.
The practical difference is texture and tang. Sheep’s milk carries more fat and a distinct, faintly gamey richness; cow’s-milk feta is milder, firmer and often noticeably drier. If a feta has ever struck you as bland or rubbery, the milk is usually the reason.
How feta is made
The method has barely changed in centuries, and it explains almost everything about the finished cheese. Milk is warmed and set with rennet until the curd forms. The curd is cut, drained in cloth or molds, and then cut again into the large blocks the cheese is sold in. Those blocks are salted and moved into brine, where they stay for at least two months.
Brine is doing three jobs at once. It preserves the cheese without refrigeration, which is why feta existed long before anyone had a fridge. It draws moisture out and firms the texture into something that crumbles rather than smears. And it seasons the cheese all the way through, which is why feta tastes salty in the middle rather than only on the outside.
Longer brining produces a sharper, drier, more crumbly cheese; shorter brining leaves it creamier and milder. Greek producers commonly age feta for several months, and barrel-aged feta matured in wood carries a noticeably tangier, more complex flavor than the tub variety.
What feta should taste like
Good feta is assertive. It should be properly salty — this cheese is cured in brine, not seasoned with it — with a clean lactic tang behind the salt and a finish that is rich rather than sharp. The texture should be firm enough to hold a cube but soft enough to break under a fork into moist, irregular crumbles.
Two things signal quality before you taste it. Feta sold in brine, in a tub or cut from a barrel, will almost always be better than a vacuum-sealed block, because the brine is what keeps it moist and continues to season it. And pre-crumbled feta in a bag is usually the driest option on the shelf, since crumbling exposes far more surface area and most bagged versions carry an anti-caking agent that dulls both texture and flavor.
How feta is used across the Mediterranean
Feta is rarely the center of a dish. It is a seasoning ingredient that happens to be a cheese, and it works by contributing salt, acidity and fat to things that are otherwise fresh and vegetal.
That is why it appears most often in salads. A horiatiki — the Greek village salad — is tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and oregano with a slab of feta laid on top and olive oil poured over the lot. The cheese is not chopped in; it is left whole so it seasons the salad gradually as people break pieces off. The same logic applies to fattoush and other bread-and-vegetable salads across the region.
Beyond salads, it is baked into spanakopita and other filo pastries, crumbled over roasted vegetables and grain bowls, whipped with olive oil into a dip, and served plainly with bread, olives and oil as part of a meze spread. It is also the standard finishing cheese on a Mediterranean bowl, where a small amount does a disproportionate amount of work.
Is feta a healthy cheese?
By cheese standards, reasonably. Feta is lower in calories and fat than most hard cheeses — sheep’s milk feta runs around 75 calories per ounce against roughly 110 for cheddar — and it delivers protein and calcium in the process. It is a normal part of a traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes dairy in modest quantities rather than excluding it.
The honest caveat is sodium. Brining is the entire point of the cheese, and feta carries substantially more salt than most cheeses — something worth knowing if you are watching sodium specifically. The usual answer is not to avoid it, but to let it do the seasoning and salt the rest of the dish less.
In most commercial production, it’s also made with microbial rather than animal rennet, which makes a great deal of feta suitable for vegetarians — though it is worth checking the label, as traditional Greek production often uses animal rennet.
Feta at Zazu
At our Chelsea location at 232 7th Avenue, feta shows up where it belongs: as a finishing element on salads and Mediterranean bowls, adding salt and richness to fresh vegetables, grains and grilled proteins rather than competing with them. If you want the effect the cheese is actually for, add it to something bright and acidic and use less than you think you need.
Frequently asked questions
What is feta cheese made of?
Authentic Greek feta is made from sheep’s milk, or from sheep’s milk blended with up to thirty per cent goat’s milk, then cured in salt brine for at least two months. Cheeses sold as feta outside the European Union are frequently made from cow’s milk, which produces a milder and firmer result.
What does feta cheese taste like?
Salty and tangy, with a rich, creamy finish and a crumbly but moist texture. Sheep’s milk feta is fuller and slightly gamey; cow’s milk versions are milder and drier. It should taste clean, not sour or bitter.
Is feta cheese healthy?
It is lower in fat and calories than most hard cheeses and provides protein and calcium, making it a reasonable choice in a Mediterranean way of eating. Its sodium content is high because it is cured in brine, so it is best used as a seasoning rather than eaten in quantity.
Is feta cheese vegetarian?
Often, but not always. Much commercial feta is made with microbial rennet and is suitable for vegetarians, while traditional Greek production frequently uses animal rennet. The label is the only reliable way to tell.
What is the difference between feta and goat cheese?
Feta is a brined cheese made mainly from sheep’s milk, so it is salty, firm, and crumbly. Goat cheese is made from goat’s milk and is usually unbrined, giving it a softer, spreadable texture and a milder, earthier tang. They are not interchangeable, though both work in salads.
Should you buy feta in brine or pre-crumbled?
Feta sold in brine keeps far better and tastes noticeably fresher, because the brine maintains moisture and continues to season the cheese. Pre-crumbled feta dries out quickly and often contains an anti-caking agent that affects both texture and flavor.