Description
The Kopanisti PDO is a salty and spreadable soft cheese produced with the milk of goats or sheep or cows, alternatively with a mixture of ovine, caprine and bovine milk.
Production Area
The production area of the Kopanisti PDO is within the borders of the Cyclades prefecture, in the Southern Aegean Islands.
Production Method
The milk curdles at 28-30°C thanks to the addition of sufficient rennet to complete the curdling in approximately two hours. The curd stays in the special kettle for 20-24 hours, to then be separated and put to drip in cloth bags. Successively, it is mixed with dry salt (4-5% of the total weight), placed in a container with a wide opening and left in a cool place, until an abundant microbial flora develops on its surface, which is then distributed uniformly during the subsequent mixing. This operation takes place at least three times, until the ripening is completed, lasting from 30 to 40 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Since the Kopanisti PDO is very creamy, its shape depends on the recipient it is in. It has a white, slightly pinkish colour, and is very appreciated for its acrid and pleasantly spicy taste.
History
The Kopanisti PDO is a traditional Greek cheese that has been produced since several decades in the Cyclade island group, where small cheese factories today still use the practice of preserving it under the earth after having wrapped them up in cloths.
Gastronomy
The Kopanisti PDO should be kept in the refrigerator in its original packaging, and since it is a fresh cheese it should preferably be consumed within a few days. This cheese can be eaten on its own as appetizer, or served with bread, alternatively as ingredient for the preparation of some local typical dishes or typical Greek dishes in general. It can be easily spread on bread and is thus ideal to fill sandwiches. It is often served with Greek pita along with a glass of ouzo, the famous Greek liquor, or with retsina, the typical resinated wine.
Marketing
The product is sold as Kopanisti PDO. It is marketed in ceramic or plastic tubs of variable weight.
Distinctive Features
The Kopanisti PDO is one of the most well-known products on the Cyclades, whose hot climate favours the fermentation of the characteristic fungus that develops on the surface of this cheese, and which is a very important phase of its production.
