Description
The Katiki Domokou PDO is a spreadable fresh cheese produced with caprine or ovine milk, but, in most cases, is prepared with a mixture of 70% goat's milk and 30% sheep's milk.
Production Area
The production area of the Katiki Domokou PDO is within Thessaly, on the plateau of Othrys in the prefecture of Domokos, in Central Greece.
Production Method
The production of the Katiki Domokou PDO takes place mainly during the summer. After pasteurisation, the milk is left at a temperature of 25°C for approximately 24 hours, until it has cooled down and the curdling has taken place. After that, the curd, which can be obtained with or without the addition of rennet, gets mushy and is left to drip in cloth bags until its humidity equals 70-80% of the total weight. This operation should take place in cool places or inside refrigerators. Once finished, the product obtained is salted slightly.
Appearance and Flavour
The Katiki Domokou PDO is a spreadable, creamy cheese, white in colour. Its taste is rather acrid and salty.
History
The production of the Katiki Domokou PDO started in the beginning of the past century. Thanks to the shepherds' families that lived in the area for a long time, and who produced this cheese mainly for domestic use, the processing methodologies were passed on from generation to generation until today.
Gastronomy
The Katiki Domokou PDO is a fresh cheese, and as such it should be kept in the refrigerator for no longer than 8-10 days. This fresh spreadable cheese can be eaten on its own or with slices of bread. It can also be used as ingredient to enrich salads, because it is perfect with raw vegetables. It is perfect with white wine or with the typically Greek wine retsina.
Marketing
The product is sold as Katiki Domokou PDO. It is marketed in ceramic tubs in packages of variable weight, starting from 300 gr until 5 kg.
Distinctive Features
The Katiki Domokou PDO is produced with milk from goats or sheep bred exclusively in the production area, and whose nutrition is based on its flora. This cheese is very similar to yoghurt and is produced in all of Greece, both industrially as well as homemade. It is also called Yaourtiro or Tsalafouti.
