The number one packaged feta in Greece, Epiros cheese, has a new Victorian distributor and is now stocked in IGA stores across Australia.
Three varieties of Epiros cheese imported from one of Greece's largest cheese factories in Epirus, including as authentic Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) feta cheese, are now available at Australian IGA supermarkets.
The family-owned Epirus sources milk from over 1200 milk suppliers in Greece with a majority still traditional, independent sheep and goat headers who allow their herds to roam freely, feeding on the flora unique to the Epirus hills, giving the cheese its distinctive taste. Around 70 per cent of these farmers still milk by hand.
Epiros managing director Stefanos Panteliadis says there is still a misconception of what truly authentic feta is and many Australian consumers don’t realise the feta they are eating isn’t authentic.
“Within the EU, for a cheese product to be named a ‘feta’, it must meet a number of specific requirements, including being produced using only sheep’s milk, or a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk using traditional techniques,” Panteliadis says.
“Australia produces many fantastic cheeses, however the Australian ‘fetta’ style cheese is not authentic traditional PDO feta. It’s often made with cow’s milk without observing the traditional methods, the result is a very different taste profile. Epiros is one of a handful of authentic Greek feta products in the market.”
Epiros PDO Feta, 200g, is RRP $6.55; Epiros Goat's Cheese, 200g, is RRP $6.55 and Epiros Saganki ,RRP $10.25, are all available from IGA, independent supermarkets and delis.
