In her book "When Zeus Became a Man (with Cretan shepherds)," author Sabine Ivanovas describes myzithra as "the most sensuous cheese of the world." When she visited cheesemaker Vassilikos in the village of Xeraxyla on Crete and asked for a sample of his just-made myzithra, she reported that it melts on the tongue and fills the mouth with its sweet warmth.
Greek name and pronounciation:
μυζήθρα, pronounced mee-ZEETH-rah, sometimes spelled "mizithra."
At the market:
Myzithra is available in two varieties: fresh and aged:
- Fresh myzithra is unsalted and soft, similar to farmer's cheese and ricotta, and is generally sold in egg-shaped balls. It has a pungent aroma and mild flavor.
- Aged myzithra, also known as xynomyzithra (ξυνομυζήθρα, ksee-no-mee-ZEE-thrah), is a hard, salty cheese.
Using Myzithra:
Fresh myzithra works well in baked desserts, especially filled pies like siphnopita and kaltsounakia, and can also be added to cooked dishes that call for cheese. Aged myzithra may be used as a cheese grating for pasta dishes, soups, and vegetable casserole dishes, and is also used as an ingredient in pasta sauces.
Substitutes for Myzithra:
Myzithra is a whey cheese, and nothing is quite as good as either the fresh or aged myzithra, but if you can't find it:
- For fresh myzithra: ricotta
- For aged myzithra: kefalotyri, parmesan, romano.
Myzithra - the Cheese of Crete:
Myzithra is the most widely used cheese in Crete, where feta is a relative newcomer.
