Greek Mezes: What Cheeses Are Used?

Meze, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d'oeuvres, is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. In Greece, meze is commonly served as a plate of snacks to accompany drinks such as ouzo and tsipouro. Meze offerings can be simple or elaborate, and they can be hot or cold. A typical meze table will contain a mixture of hot and cold snacks, including small chunks of cheese such as feta, kasseri, or halloumi, and other small plates of savory snacks.

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Fried feta cheese with honey and sesame seeds

Meze, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d'oeuvres, is a Greek tradition of sharing small, savoury plates of food with friends in a casual setting. Meze can be hot or cold and can be served as an appetizer or a whole meal. Fried feta cheese with honey and sesame seeds is a popular meze dish that originates in Cretan cuisine. Here is a recipe for this mouthwatering dish:

Ingredients

• Feta cheese
• Eggs
• Flour
• Paprika
• Pepper
• Sesame seeds
• Olive oil
• Honey
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

• Prepare three bowls for dredging. In the first bowl, crack and beat two eggs with a fork. In the second bowl, add flour, paprika, and pepper, and mix with a spoon. In the third bowl, add sesame seeds.
• Cut the feta cheese into small blocks or slices, about 0.5-1.5 cm thick.
• Coat each piece of feta with the dredging mixture. First, dip the feta into the egg mixture, then roll it in the flour, and finally, coat it with sesame seeds. Repeat this process for a double coating, if desired.
• Heat about 6-7 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Fry the feta cheese in the hot oil until it is golden brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to gently turn the cheese over in the pan.
• Transfer the fried feta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
• Warm honey in a small skillet or pan until it is runny.
• Place the fried feta on a serving plate and drizzle with warmed honey. For a spicy kick, sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top.

Your fried feta cheese with honey and sesame seeds is now ready to be enjoyed! This dish can be served warm with an ouzo cocktail and pita chips or as part of a larger meze spread.

Saganaki, a fried cheese dish

Meze, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d’oeuvres, is a Greek tradition of sharing small, savoury plates of food with friends in a convivial atmosphere. Meze offerings can be simple or elaborate, hot or cold, and may include dips, vegetables, seafood, cured meats, and cheese.

One cheese dish that is commonly served as a meze is saganaki, a fried cheese appetizer. Saganaki is a Greek word that refers to both a method of preparation and the pan itself. The dish is cooked in a traditional, shallow, heavy-bottomed frying pan with two handles, also called a saganaki. The pan is warmed to medium heat, and the cheese is pan-fried or shallow-fried in olive oil until golden on both sides. The cheese used in saganaki is typically a semi-hard, dry Greek cheese made from sheep's milk, such as kefalotyri, graviera, kefalograviera, or kasseri. Cypriot halloumi, mastello from the island of Chios, or sheep's milk feta cheese are also used. The cheese should be firm enough to hold up against the heat but soft enough to become gooey and stringy on the inside.

Saganaki is often flambéed, particularly in North America and at tourist hotspots in Greece, where it is set alight with brandy or ouzo and extinguished with a squeeze of lemon juice. It is served with other meze dishes as a starter before the main dishes are brought out. Saganaki is typically accompanied by crusty bread to mop up the pan sauce created by the oil and lemon juice.

In addition to the classic fried cheese saganaki, there are several other dishes cooked in a saganaki pan, including shrimp saganaki and mussels saganaki, which are typically feta-based and include a spicy tomato sauce.

Cretan meze with graviera cheese

Meze, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d'oeuvres, is a traditional Greek dish consisting of small, savoury plates of food shared in a convivial atmosphere. The word "meze" means "middle", implying that the dish is not a full meal but rather a tasty snack shared between friends.

On the Greek island of Crete, meze typically includes small plates of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and paximadi (twice-baked barley rusks). It also includes pieces of local graviera cheese, a hard-textured cheese made from sheep's milk or a blend of sheep's and goat's milk. Graviera is a yellow cheese with a rich aroma and a strong savoury flavour, sometimes described as nutty or spicy. When consumed as a table cheese, it is often accompanied by a splash of Cretan honey. Graviera is also used in cooked dishes, such as Cretan cheese pies, and can be grated over salads or pasta.

One popular Cretan meze dish featuring graviera cheese is baked potatoes topped with grated graviera cheese and served with a yogurt sauce. The cheese melts easily over the warm potatoes, creating a creamy texture. Another option is to simply serve the potatoes with olive oil and a sprinkle of sweet paprika.

Graviera is also commonly fried in saganaki, a skillet-fried cheese dish, and served with a slice of lemon. The melted cheese combines deliciously with the lemon juice. Graviera can also be used in place of Gruyère in recipes such as mac and cheese, adding a Greek twist to classic dishes.

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Phyllo triangles with kaseri cheese

Mezes, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d'oeuvres, are small, savoury plates of food shared in a convivial atmosphere. They are an essential part of Greek culture and dining. Mezes can be hot or cold, simple or elaborate, and can be served as appetizers or entire meals. They are often paired with an anise-flavoured aperitif called ouzo.

A common meze dish is phyllo triangles with cheese, also known as tiropites. Phyllo triangles are made by layering phyllo dough with cheese and folding it into triangles. Phyllo dough, also spelled filo or fillo, comes in various sizes and thicknesses. The dough can be tricky to work with as it may rip and tear easily, so it is recommended to buy extra. Phyllo triangles can be frozen before baking and baked straight from frozen, although the cooking time should be adjusted accordingly.

There are many variations of cheese that can be used for the filling, including feta, cream cheese, blue cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan. Some recipes also include eggs in the filling. For a more savoury flavour, onions and spinach can be added to the cheese mixture.

To make phyllo triangles, preheat the oven to 350-400°F (177-200°C). Unroll the phyllo dough sheets and brush them with melted butter. Cut the dough into strips, about 5 inches wide. Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture at one end of each dough strip and fold the end over the filling to form a triangle. Continue folding the strip in triangles until a small, triangular stuffed pastry remains. Brush the pastry with butter and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the phyllo triangles to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Phyllo triangles can be served as an appetizer or light supper alongside a salad.

Tiropites, pastries with cheese

Meze, also known as tapas, antipasto, merende, or hors d'oeuvres, is a traditional Greek dish consisting of small, savoury plates of food shared in a convivial atmosphere. The word "meze" means "middle", indicating that these dishes are meant to be enjoyed between meals and not as a full meal. The perfect partner to Greek meze is the anise-flavoured aperitif known as ouzo.

Tiropites are savoury pastries with cheese, a popular meze in Greece. They are made with phyllo (or filo) dough and filled with cheese. The dough is often enriched with fat or eggs, resulting in a flaky and crispy texture. Tiropites can be baked or fried and are typically served in triangular shapes.

When it comes to the cheese in tiropites, there are several options commonly used in Greek cuisine. Feta cheese is a popular choice, known for its tangy and salty flavour. It pairs well with other ingredients such as tomatoes, olives, and herbs. Another option is kasseri (or kaseri) cheese, which is a semi-hard cheese with a mild, nutty flavour. Graviera cheese, a hard cheese with a slightly sweet and nutty flavour, is also used in Greek meze.

In addition to these cheeses, Greeks also enjoy using a variety of other cheeses in their meze dishes. Soft cheeses, such as ricotta or goat cheese, can be combined with feta to create a creamy and tangy filling. Halloumi, a semi-hard cheese that holds its shape when grilled or fried, is also a popular choice for meze. Some tiropites may even feature a combination of cheeses, such as feta and kasseri, to create a unique flavour profile.

Tiropites, or cheese pastries, are a delicious and indulgent part of Greek meze culture. They showcase the variety of cheeses used in Greek cuisine and are a testament to the country's rich culinary traditions.

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