Tarama is considered the Greek caviar. This relatively inexpensive carp roe (compared to caviars like Beluga) is aged and cured for over a year and is extremely salty, making the addition of salt in recipes that tarama is used in unnecessary. Although it can be enjoyed in a number of ways, it’s best known as the flavor punch in the classic rock-star meze taramosalata. This recipe can be found in our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks (on Amazon). The color of this spread, which can range from a warm beige to coral to a pinkish coral, comes from the type/brand of tarama used. Let the roe’s pigment guide you in your choice of tarama so the resulting hue will be the one you’d like to have. If a vibrant pink is desired, color will need to be added to the spread as the typical roe isn’t pink enough to give you a cotton-candy color. 

Before using, the roe is mashed and whisked into an emulsion with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar, then a starch like whipped potatoes or crumbled day-old bread is beaten in, creating a fluffy mousse-like spread or dip. Taramosalata is appropriate for fasting periods and is a valued food during Lent, though it’s delicious enough to be savored any time. If you think this is just a pre-entrée indulgence, think again!

Taramosalata, how do we eat thee? Let us count the ways:

1. Serve alongside warm pita wedges or raw vegetables as a dip (the standard!).

2. Spread onto French-bread slices or spoon onto cucumber slices and/or crackers (this also works on cheese slices), then add a garnish of capers, fresh herbs (like parsley or thyme) or a strip of citrus peel for color.    

3. Greek up your eggs! Think Eggs Benedict but instead of ham and Hollandaise, layer an English muffin with smoked salmon, a poached egg, and a dollop of taramosalata. Finish with a sprig of dill for the perfect morning wakeup.

4. Add to croquette or fritter recipes (plain tarama also works). For a recipe that makes 4 to 6 servings, mix in about 4 ounces of taramosalata or tarama (if using tarama, omit the salt in the recipe).

5. Spread on warm toast instead of butter.

6. Use as a garnish for soup (we love it with bean soups).

7. Use as a topping for grilled veggies and seafood.

8. Make it the main ingredient in sandwiches or use it in place of mayonnaise.

9. Stir a tablespoon into 2 cups of marinara for a creamy tomato sauce that can be tossed with pasta or served as a dressing for fish.

10. Crepe it: Spread a thick layer of taramosalata onto a crepe, top with cooked crabmeat or shrimp and sprinkle with chopped fresh chives, then roll and feast.

With all of the ways you can experience taramosalata, it’s no wonder this famous versatile meze is a Lenten delight, as well as a go-to for any occasion. Fair warning, it’s hard to stop eating this allure after just one taste!

Tarama and taramosalata are readily available in some supermarkets, Greek/Mediterranean markets, and specialty/gourmet shops, as well as online at Mediterranean Foods,
gourmetfoodstore.com, and Amazon.

I hope you enjoyed our taramosalata tasting and that these ideas will complement your menus. As we journey through Lent we will continue to bring you more of our customs and foods relating to fasting for spirit and body.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday!

Until then~
Kali orexi!  Good appetite!

Kelly

Click here to see more of our blogs on the Greek Foods of Lent.

Copyright © 2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

The countdown to Great Lent in the Greek Orthodox Church comes in the form of three preparatory weeks. First is a fast-free week, followed by a standard-fasting week (no meat products on Wednesday and Friday), and lastly a no-meat week where cheese and eggs are allowed every day. This last week is called Cheesefare Week, which begins immediately after Meatfare Sunday, the final day of the second preparation week. Cheesefare Sunday marks the end of Cheesefare Week, after which, in addition to meat, you abstain from diary and eggs for Great Lent.

In Greece, these three pre-Lent weeks have evolved from the ancient Karnavali (καρναβάλι), pronounced kahr-nah-VAH-lee, or carnival, into a period called Apokries (Απόκριες), pronounced ah-POH-kree-ehs, meaning a gradual pulling “away from meat.” This is a Greek Mardi Gras of sorts—a masquerade filled with fun, laughter, and indulgence in food.

During Cheesefare Week, the custom is to eat dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and of course cheese! Because this is the period right before Great Lent, it’s the time to consume all perishable dairy products in your refrigerator before going into the 40-plus-day phase of fasting. In turn, this week is known for its cornucopia of scrumptious and rich cheese-based foods that were developed just for this occasion, like Tyropita (cheese-filled phyllo pie), Poungia Karpathika Apokriatia (Carnival spiced cheese crescents with honey from Karpathos), and Loukoumadakia me Myzithra (cheese puffs drizzled with honey). 

In honor of this week’s food theme, we’re going to talk about Greek cheeses that make Cheesefare Week and every week (non-fasting of course) delicious!

Cut it…grate it…shred it…crumble it…cube it…fry it…grill it…bake it…and EAT it! 

As an appetizer, on a salad, in a savory pie/pita (like spanakopita), over pasta, or in a dessert—when it comes to cheese, or as we say, tyrí (τυρί–pronounced tee-REE), variety is the spice of [Greek] life!

And in that life, man cannot live on feta alone—not when there’s an abundance of Greek cheeses to explore and enjoy! You’ll also need some olives and crusty bread to complete the experience. Before I go off on a tangent (which is really not hard to do when it comes to food) lets get back to cheese. Aside from feta, there’s a wealth of Greek cheeses that are not that well known in the non-Greek community.

In Karpathos, as on many of the Greek islands, fresh and aged cheeses are uniquely made in the homes of each village using sheep’s and/or goat’s milk so the varieties are seemingly endless. The animals are grass fed and graze freely, producing milk of the highest quality. Most of these cheeses are not exported so if you want to sample the tyrí Yiayiá makes, you have to take a trip to her kouzina. The good news is that there are many commercially-produced cheeses that are exported and are becoming more available in specialty markets, gourmet shops, Greek/Mediterranean stores and supermarkets throughout the United States. A few of them can also be ordered online!

This week the Greek cheese plate is on Kukla’s Kouzina’s table with details about each variety featured in our cookbooks, including how they can be used, along with acceptable substitutions (if available). A list of places where you can purchase these cheeses follows.

FETA (φέτα) pronounced FEH-tah
(sheep’s and/or goat’s milk, aged and kept in a salty whey brine for at least two months)
Soft-creamy to semi-firm, flavor ranges from moderately salty to salty-peppery-sharp

Everyone knows about feta and most people love it but not many realize that feta comes in as many varieties as there are towns in Greece, and most of these varieties are named for the region they come from. Most fetas are made from sheep’s milk and have a creamy-smooth texture. Some are made with goat’s milk, which gives them a tangy quality—you’ll even find little wheels of goat feta that are scored from being ripened in small baskets (kalathaki). A few are made with both sheep’s and goat’s milk, combining the qualities of both. If a cheese is labeled as feta but is made with cow’s milk (domestic) it is NOT real feta—it has none of the rich flavor of traditional feta and you should not waste your money! 

Always read the label and look for sheep’s milk, goat’s milk or a combo of the two. Most specialty markets will let you have a taste to help you choose.    

These are a few of our favorites:

·Arahova pronounced a-RA-hova (sheep’s milk): semi-firm, sharp, a bit salty, peppery. Great for crumbling in a salad, serving sliced with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and kalamata olives, baking in a pita, and frying (as in saganaki, where feta is sautéed in olive oil, flamed with brandy and sprinkled with lemon juice).

·Bulgarian (sheep’s and/or goat’s milk): semi-firm, tangy, salty. Great in a salad, serving sliced, for baking, and frying.

·Dodoni pronounced tho-THO-nee (sheep’s milk): firm, salty. Great in a salad, serving sliced, for baking, and frying.

·French (sheep’s milk): soft to semi-firm, creamy, mildest of the feta family. This feta is perfect for serving fresh in salads, crumbled in an omelet, or sliced on an appetizer (meze) plate.

HALLOUMI (χαλούμι) pronounced hah-LOO-mee
(sheep’s milk)
Firm, mild, moderately salty

This white cheese comes from Cyprus and has an almost rubbery quality that cuts into perfect slices for frying in saganaki, grilling, or dicing for a salad.

Try this: Cut into 1-inch cubes, brush with olive oil and grill just until grill marks appear. Cool slightly, then skewer with watermelon pieces and mint or basil leaves for a refreshing appetizer.

Note: This is the only cheese that can be frozen without harming its texture or flavor.

KASSERI (κασέρι) pronounced kah-SEH-ree
(sheep’s milk alone or combined with goat’s milk, made in the regions of Thessalia and Xanthi, and the island of Mitilini, aged over three months)
Semi-firm, yellow, mild, creamy, salty-sweet, nutty

Wonderful as a sliced table cheese, or shredded/diced and tossed with hot pasta. You’ll always find at least two cheeses on a Greek table, feta and kasseri. Kasseri is also the cheese used in Greece to make pizza (but no tomato sauce!).

Substitution: manchego

KEFALOTYRI (κεφαλοτύρι) pronounced keh-fah-loh-TEE-ree
(sheep’s milk alone, or combined with goat’s milk, aged at least three months)
Hard, sharp, salty, tangy, strong aroma, light yellow

Perfect for grating over pasta or vegetables, in savory pies, or garnishing cooked dishes.

Substitution: a 50-50 mix of high-quality Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano

GRAVIERA (γραβιέρα) pronounced ghrah-VYEH-raH
(sheep’s milk, sometimes combined with a small amount of goat’s milk, aged at least five months)
Semi-hard, firm, sweet, fruity, nutty, mellow, intense aroma

The highest quality Graviera comes from Crete and is served sliced, alone or with appetizers (meze).

Substitution: manchego

KEFALOGRAVIERA (κεφαλογραβιέρα) pronounced keh-fah-loh-ghrah-VYEH-rah
(sheep’s milk, sometimes combined with goat’s milk, made in western Greece, aged at least three months)
Hard, salty, nutty

As the name suggests, this cheese is a marriage between Kefalotyri and Graviera and merges the qualities of both to form a cheese ideal for grating over dishes, using in savory pies or making saganaki.

Substitution: high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano

MANOURI (μανούρι) pronounced mah-NOO-ree
(sheep’s milk alone, or combined with goat’s milk, made in central and western Thessalia)
Semi-soft, sweet, buttery, dense

Similar to feta but creamier and less salty or unsalted, this fresh white cheese is made from the drained whey from feta production. This melt-in-your-mouth cheese can be mixed with herbs and spread on crackers or bread. It can also be served as a dessert drizzled with honey—a favorite in Greece.

Substitution: goat cheese (chèvre) 

MYZITHRA (μυζήθρα) pronounced mee-ZEE-thrah
(sheep’s and/or goat’s milk)
Fresh, unsalted, mild flavor, strong aroma, generally sold in round balls or loose by weight.

A whey cheese made from feta and Kefalotyri by-products, it makes a delicious topper for pastas, pizzas, stews, soups and salads. It’s also used as a filling in pastries and desserts.

Substitutions: full-fat sheep’s-milk ricotta. 
If using cow’s-milk ricotta (full fat only), 
drain well in a cheesecloth and add a little cream.

DRY MYZITHRA (μυζήθρα ξερή) pronounced mee-ZEE-thrah kseh-REE
(sheep’s and/or goat’s milk)
Air-dried Myzythra, hard, heavily salted

Perfect for grating over pasta and vegetables. In Glifatha in Athens, restaurants sprinkle it over French fries for an unbelievable side dish.

Substitutions: dry-aged ricotta salata (pressed, salted and dried ricotta), Pecorino Romano 

Got Cheese?
If you’re in the New York City area, you can find these Greek cheeses (and more) at the following markets:

Titan Foods
25-56 31st Street
Astoria, NY, 11102
718-626-7771

Mediterranean Foods (2 locations)
30-12 34th Street
Astoria, NY 11103
718-728-6166

22-78 35th Street
Astoria, NY 11105
718-721-0266

New Bakaliko
115 Broadway (RT 107)
Hicksville, NY 11801
516-932-8988

If you don’t live near these markets but have a Greek Orthodox church nearby, chances are they know of a Greek/Mediterranean shop in the area.

Online shopping is also an option. Here’s where you can find Greek cheese, as well as other foods and items:

igourmet.com
amazon.com
Costco - select locations (Dodoni feta) and from Instacart

I hope you enjoyed our celebration of Cheesefare Week. These cheeses are featured in recipes in our Meze and Spreads & Dips cookbooks, available on Amazon. Next week we enter Great Lent so join us then for more Greek foods and customs as they relate to this period of fasting and prayer.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.

Until then~
Kali orexi!  Good appetite!

Kelly

Kukla's Kouzina blogs on the Greek foods and faithful customs of Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha:
Fasting & Feasting~Greek Foods for Body & Soul
Lenten Cuisine~A Faith-Inspired Journey
Lenten Kouzina Made Easy
Greek Holy Week & Pascha~Easter Foods
Greek Foods of Lent

Resourses
Titan Foods, Astoria, NY
Krinos Foods

Copyright © Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos