Sfela
A semi-hard cheese which is matured and stored in brine. The cheese is produced traditionally from sheep's milk or goat's milk or from a mixture of the two.
Geographical area: The Messinia and Lakonia prefectures in the southern Pèloponnèse.
The cheese has been known for more than a century. It is made using traditional technology and ripened in installation within the defined geographical area.
The milk is coagulated at 30-32°C. The cheese curd is divided into pieces and reheated to 38-40°C It is then placed in cheesecloths
for draining. It is lightly pressed and cut into strips or lumps (slabs) which are then salted on the surface. The cheese is placed in vessels of brine at 20B for 1 month at room temperature and then at a temperature of 40-60C for not less than 3 months to bring ripening to completion.
