The hard cheese Graviera is probably the best and most widely known cheese in Crete.
Made from sheep’s milk, sometimes mixed with goat milk (max. 20%), it is taken after about 3 months of the sale. Its flavor is mild to very spicy, and no, there is no trace of sheep taste! Since 1996, the round cheese wheels may now officially call Graviera Kritis and are distinguished by “certification of protected destination of origin (pdo) “.
You buy it at the weekly street market, supermarkets, merchants around the corner and at stalls on the highway directly from the producer. Here, do not forget to taste before buying. And what do you do with the cheese Graviera except eat it with fresh bread and olives ….. rubbed on top of spaghetti, place it on baking paper in the oven under the grill or enjoy it drizzled with honey as an appetizer.
It tastes great with fruits such as grapes, apple or pear, and especially for the Cretan breakfast in combination with Cretan Rusk (Paximadi) and Greek coffee. Yes, and last but not least, it is an excellent addition for a sip of wine among friends!
- The cheese Graviera cheese is one of the calcium-rich foods.
- 100 gr cheese Graviera contain about 470 kcal, 32 grams fat and 473 mg sodium
My Recommendation:
the cheese Graviera can be best stored wrapped in a cotton / linen fabric in the refrigerator and should be taken out to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow full flavor development.
