KALOGERAKI Cretan Graviera Cheese ($\sim 1.5\text{kg}$)

Brief Description:

KALOGERAKI Cretan Graviera is a traditional, semi-hard to hard PDO cheese from the island of Crete, Greece. It is primarily made from sheep’s milk (sometimes with a small addition of goat’s milk) and is known for its mildly sweet, nutty flavour and distinctive aroma, which intensifies with age. The $1.5\text{kg}$ size typically refers to a small round or block piece.

Here are its key characteristics:

1. Classification & Origin

• Type: Hard Table Cheese (often compared to Swiss Gruyère).
• Origin: Crete, Greece (Graviera Kritis PDO).
• Producer: Kalogeraki.
• Maturation: Matured for a minimum of 3 months, though some specialized products are aged for 7 months or more to develop a bolder flavor.

2. Composition (Milk)

• Primary Milk: Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk (minimum 80%).
• Secondary Milk: Pasteurized Goat’s Milk (maximum 20%).
• The milk quality is high due to the traditional practice of free-grazing animals on the rich, indigenous flora of Crete, which imparts a unique flavor to the cheese.

3. Taste & Aroma

• Flavor Profile: Generally described as pleasant, sweetish, and slightly brackish (salty).
• Aroma: Rich aroma of pure, fresh milk.
• Maturity Impact: A shorter aging period results in a sweeter cheese, while longer maturation (like the 7-month variety) develops a bolder, more complex, and nutty flavor.

4. Texture & Appearance

• Texture: Hard, solid, and elastic mass.
• Color: Very light to pale yellow.
• Holes: Characterized by small to asymmetric holes (or eyes) dispersed throughout the body of the cheese.
• Rind: It typically has a hard, natural rind.

5. Culinary Uses

KALOGERAKI Cretan Graviera is a highly versatile cheese, popular in Greek and Cretan cuisine:

• Table Cheese: Excellent for slicing and enjoying on its own, often paired with fruit like melon.
• Grating: Used widely for grating over pasta and salads.
• Cooking: Ideal for melting in baked dishes, adding to sandwiches, or preparing Saganaki (a traditional pan-fried cheese appetizer).

6. Nutritional Data (Per 100g)

• Energy: $\sim 1726\text{ kJ }/416\text{ kcal}$
• Fat: $\sim 33.8\text{ g}$
• Protein: $\sim 26.5\text{ g}$
• Salt: $\sim 1.8\text{ g}$
• Note: Kalogeraki also produces a “Light” variety with a $30\%$ reduction in fat.