Greece is a country with great history and traditions lost in the mists of time. The origin of feta in ancient Greece was first referenced in Homer’s Odyssey at the famous myth of legendary Cyclops Polyphemus. Mythology has it that Polyphemus was the first manufacturer of feta cheese; carrying milk from sheep on a daily basis and storing it into animal skins, he found, to his great surprise, that after a few days the milk clot and was edible, solid and easy to store. Indeed, ancient Greeks believed that milk was a sacred food since Zeus, the leader of the Olympian Gods, was brought up with milk from the nymph Amalthea while the art of cheese making was a gift to mortals from the gods of Olympus, according to Greek mythology. It is also said that the gods sent Aristeo, the son of Apollo, to teach the unique art of cheese making to the Greeks. As such, the name feta dates back to the 18th century and, probably, refers to the practise of cutting the cheese into slices in order to be inserted in the barrels. Undeniably, feta is the number one Greek cheese and an integral part of the Mediterranean diet!It is a soft, white and salty cheese, made from goats’ milk, which leaves a slightly acidic and spicy aftertaste.There may be variants, depending on the area in which is prepared and produced, and for this reason its varies both in flavor and texture. Aged in wooden barrels or in special metal containers with brine, the production process of feta is unquestionably an exceptional process deriving from the depths of time. Feta, along with all the other Greek cheeses, are the genuine livestock treasure of Greece. As such a unique and tasteful product, the feta cheese of Greece has been safeguarded as a Product with Designation of Origin from the European Commission. However, the recipe of feta was introduced in Cyprus since 1904, when the production and export of feta started; nonetheless, the cheese producers were forced to rename it after the entrenchment in Greece. In fact, similar cheeses were found throughout the Balkans that were not made from cow’s milk, and, for that reason, the feta cheese from Greece was secured as a PDO product in order to secure its specific production characteristics. What characterizes traditional Greek cheeses is their high quality and original features along with their good reputation.The peculiar soil and climatic conditions of the country, the farmed sheep breeds, the great variety of endemic plants, the conditions of production and processing of milk in combination with the long experience of Greek cheese makers to use cow’s milk are factors that influence and shape the original characteristics. What is important and should be highlighted in particular is that the Greek traditional cheeses are made from milk from animals fed free grazing in areas not fertilizers are used, herbicides, insecticides and other pollutants and, as such, they are biological products. Feta cheese is produced in many regions of Greece including Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Central Greece, Peloponnese and the island of Lesvos (Mytilene). However, one of the most delicious feta cheeses is produced on the foothills of Parnassos Mountain. Feta from Parnassos distinguishes for its intense aromas and its acidic taste, produced from goat’s milk collected from the foot of Mount Parnassos. It is prepared in traditional way with fresh ingredients while it matures in oak barrels for a period of two months.
 People of the world, love and prefer the Greek cheeses. They are pure and genuine from their origin!