Patrick Oconnell
Feta cheese is a staple in Greek households and has been around for thousands of years. It is believed that feta was first made around 8,000 years ago, when people began domesticating animals. The first written mention of feta appears in Homer's Odyssey, which dates back to the 8th century BC.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First made | Around 8,000 years ago |
| First written mention | Homer's Odyssey, 8th century BC |
| Name first used | 17th century |
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What You'll Learn
Feta cheese was first made in Ancient Greece
According to Greek mythology, the cyclops Polyphemus was the first to make feta. He carried milk from his sheep in a bag made from a sheep's stomach, only to find it turned into a tart and tangy cheese after a few days. In Homer's Odyssey, the protagonist Ulysses visits the cave of Polyphemus and finds him storing this white cheese.
The first written mention of feta appears in the Odyssey, which dates from the 8th century BC. However, the name 'feta' itself did not come into use until the 17th century. During the Byzantine Empire, the cheese was known as 'prosphatos' ('recent' or 'fresh') and was associated specifically with Crete.
Feta is a brine cheese, produced in Greece using sheep and goat milk. The ancient Greeks used the same general technique of storage in brine to produce a type of feta by sheep's milk. To the modern consumer, the word feta means brine cheese, produced using specific technology from sheep and goat milk.
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The first written mention of feta is in Homer's Odyssey
Feta cheese has been a staple in Greek households for thousands of years, with the first written mention of the cheese appearing in Homer's Odyssey. The Odyssey, which dates from the end of the 8th century BC, describes the protagonist Ulysses visiting the cave of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. According to Greek mythology, Polyphemus was the first to make feta. He carried milk from his sheep in a bag made from a sheep's stomach, only to find it turned into a tart and tangy cheese after a few days.
Beyond mythology, the first recorded mention of feta cheese dates back to the Byzantine Empire, where it was referred to as 'prosphatos' ('recent' or 'fresh') and was associated specifically with Crete. An Italian visitor to Herakleion of Crete in 1494 describes the feta storage in brine. The name 'feta' ('slice') started to be used by Greeks in the 17th century, and probably refers to the practice of slicing up cheese to be placed into barrels or to the method of cutting the cheese in thin slices to serve on a plate.
The technology used to make cheese from sheep-goat milk is similar to the technology used by Greek shepherds today to produce feta. In the Odyssey, Homer describes how Polyphemus makes cheese and dry-stores it in wicker racks. According to E. M. Antifantakis and G. Moatsou, Polyphemus' cheese was "undoubtedly the ancestor of modern Feta".
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Feta was first recorded in the Byzantine Empire
Feta cheese has been a part of Greece for nearly as long as humanity itself. It derives from the very first cheese made around 8,000 years ago, which was made soon after people began domesticating animals. Historians believe that milk began to ferment while being transported in the stomach of a goat or sheep. The shepherds noticed that the new product lasted much longer than fresh milk—and cheese was born.
According to Greek mythology, the cyclops Polyphemus was the first to make feta. He carried milk from his sheep in a bag made from a sheep's stomach, only to find it turned into a tart and tangy cheese after a few days. In Homer's Odyssey, the protagonist Ulysses ventures to visit the cave of Polyphemus, also known as the Cyclops, and finds him storing this white cheese. E. M. Antifantakis and G. Moatsou state that Polyphemus' cheese was "undoubtedly the ancestor of modern Feta".
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The name 'feta' comes from the Greek word for 'slice'
Feta cheese has been a staple in Greek households for thousands of years. According to Greek mythology, the first cheese was made by the cyclops Polyphemus, who carried milk from his sheep in a bag made from a sheep's stomach. After a few days, he found that the milk had turned into a tart and tangy cheese. This story is recounted in the famous Homeric epic, the Odyssey, where Odysseus finds Polyphemus storing this white cheese.
Beyond mythology, the first recorded mention of feta cheese dates back to the Byzantine Empire, when it was known as 'prosphatos' ('recent' or 'fresh'). The name 'feta' comes from the Greek word for 'slice', and started to be used in the 17th century. This probably refers to the practice of slicing up cheese to be placed into barrels or the method of cutting the cheese into thin slices to serve on a plate.
Feta is a brine cheese, produced in Greece using specific technology from sheep and goat milk. The technology used to make cheese from sheep-goat milk is similar to the technology used by Greek shepherds today to produce feta. The roots of cheese-making are not known with certainty, but it is believed that cheese was first produced roughly 8,000 years ago, soon after people began domesticating animals.
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Feta is made using sheep and goat milk
The first recorded mention of feta cheese dates back to the Byzantine Empire, with the name 'feta' coming into use in the 17th century. However, the technology used to make cheese from sheep and goat milk is similar to the technology used by Greek shepherds today to produce feta. In Homer's Odyssey, which dates from the 8th century BC, the protagonist Ulysses visits the cave of Polyphemus and finds him storing this white cheese.
Feta is a brine cheese, produced in Greece, using specific technology from sheep and goat milk. The ancient Greeks produced a type of feta by sheep's milk, storing it in brine. An Italian visitor to Herakleion of Crete in 1494 describes the feta storage in brine. The name 'feta' probably refers to the practice of slicing up cheese to be placed into barrels or the method of cutting the cheese into thin slices to serve on a plate.
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Frequently asked questions
Feta cheese is believed to have been made around 8,000 years ago, soon after people began domesticating animals.
The first written mention of feta appears in Homer's Odyssey, which dates from the 8th century BC.
The word 'feta' means brine cheese.
Feta is made from sheep and goat milk.
Feta is famous for its crumbly texture and distinctive tang.
