Real star product of the summer, feta is an essential product to dress our salads, but not only.
This is what Laurent Mariotte and his columnists explain to us by reviewing the origins of this Greek cheese in the program "La Table des bons vivant" on Europe 1.
Feta, this famous Greek sheep's cheese, is an indisputable success.
Even more so in recent years as evidenced by the recipe for oven-roasted feta pasta with cherry tomatoes that circulated on TikTok, creating a product out-of-stock in Finland.
That was in 2019 and since then sales have increased by 300%.
Impossible, under these conditions, not to talk about the star product of the summer in Laurent Mariotte's program,
La Table des bons vivant
, on Europe 1
.
>> Find La Table des bons vivant in podcast and in replay here
At the origins
"It's a cheese that has probably existed for thousands of years," explains Olivier Poels. “We find the first written traces in the 8th century BC in
Homer's
Odyssey
. Imagine that the Cyclops Polyphemus seems to be the first producer of feta since he kept sheep's milk in his cave. one day the milk curdled, he tasted it and found it delicious. That's how feta was born. " But beware, the name feta to designate this cheese did not appear until the 17th century.
"Contrary to what one thinks, the name 'feta' has nothing to do with Greece, with the Hellenic tradition, since it comes from the Italian 'fetta' which means 'slice'", translated Charlotte Langrand .
Greek tasting
"In Greece, feta is not considered to be cheese," explains Alexandros Rallis, founder of the Profil Grec boutique in the 20th arrondissement of Paris.
"In fact, it's almost a condiment. It's a product that is used in the middle of the table and that will season the dishes with anything that is leguminous. We are not at all in the idea of a cheese. French style. It's as important in Greece as the salt, pepper and oregano, which make Greek cuisine. "
"You can also taste it by placing it on a plate. Add wild oregano, boucovo, a smoked pepper and a nice dash of olive oil. A very Greek simplicity. Freshness and happiness", comments the specialist in Greek gastronomy.
Another option is barbecue feta.
"You make it return very briefly to the barbecue to mark it without melting it, a delight", explains Olivier Poels.
Finally another possibility, the feta with melon and watermelon salad.
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Each season its feta
"We're going to have very creamy feta in January, February, March. The more we go towards summer, the drier it will be," notes Alexandros Rallis. "So we really favor this period to have something fatty, interesting, long in the mouth. And that's what differentiates artisanal feta from industrial feta."