Description
The Manouri PDO is a whey cheese produced in a traditional manner with whey of ovine or caprine milk, or of mixed ovine and caprine milk, with the addition of the goat's or sheep's milk or its cream.
Production Area
The Manouri PDO production area is within the provinces of Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki, Kilkis, Imathia, Pieria, Pella, Florina, Kozani, Kastoria and Grevena, in the regions of Central and Western Macedonia and in the provinces of Larissa, Trikala, Karditsa and Magnesia in the Thessaly region.
Production Method
The whey that comes from the production of various Greek cheeses, is enriched with the cream from sheep's or goat's milk, in order to ensure a fat mass content of at least 2,5%. Then, it is initially heated to a temperature of 70-75°C, until it reaches approximately 88-90°C and is continuously mixed for approximately 40-45 minutes. Once the ideal temperature is reached, the curd is left to rest for 15-30 minutes, and is then transferred into cloth bags, which give the cheeses their cylindrical shape. They are left to drip for approximately four or five hours. Afterwards, the moulds are taken to rooms with a temperature of 4-5°C, where they stay until maturation is complete.
Appearance and Flavour
The Manouri PDO is a cheese with a soft and flexible paste, with no holes, a white colour and without a rind. In general, it has a cylindrical shape with a length of almost 20-30 cm and a diameter of 10-12 cm. Its flavour is rather delicate.
History
The Manouri PDO is a traditional Greek cheese, whose origins can be traced back to the past century, at least. It is a particular type of myzithra cheese (soft white unsalted cheese), whose first references can already be found in the Byzantine period.
Gastronomy
The Manouri PDO should be kept in the refrigerator for no longer than 15 days, after which it tends to turn yellowish and loose its texture. It can be eaten on its own, served with bread, or can be used as ingredient to flavour salads. Further to its table cheese usage, it is also used in the preparation of some typical Greek gastronomy dishes, including some sweets made with cheese. It is perfect with white wine, such as the famous Greek wine Retsina, for example.
Marketing
The product is sold as Manouri PDO. It is marketed pre-packaged in welded packs of various shapes (cylindrical or quadrangular), or marketed by weight.
Distinctive Features
The Manouri PDO is particularly famous for its peculiar organoleptic characteristics. Specifically, the Manouri produced in the province of Mplatsi in Macedonia is considered one of the best.
