Notes on agriculture in Cyprus and its productsBevan, William
History
Notes on agriculture in Cyprus and its products
Bevan, William
Agriculture -- Cyprus; Produce trade -- Cyprus
"Myzithra," or, as it is more commonly called, "anari," is a soft cheese
produced by boiling the whey, whereby all albuminoid substances not
previously coagulated are now coagulated and rise to the surface
together with any pieces of curd still remaining in the whey. A good
quantity of fat is also enclosed in the coagulated mass, which is placed
in rush moulds or in cloths and pressed so as to squeeze out the whey.
"Anari" thus made is specially known as "bastard," and is an excellent
soft cheese, very popular among the European residents as well as among
the native inhabitants.
A rather finer "anari" with slightly different flavour is made by adding
5 to 10 per cent. of pure milk. This added milk is known as "prosgalo."
Both kinds are dried in the sun.
From "anari" is made a kind of fat used as cooking butter, by crushing
and rubbing it between the hands in warm water. A thin paste is thus
formed from which a fat separates, which rises to the surface, and is
then collected.
_Paphos and Akanthou Cheeses._--These are prepared in much the same way
as "halloumi," but are made in smaller, barrel-shaped moulds, and are
steeped longer in the whey, which produces a rind and renders them
tougher and less liable to crack. They are well rubbed with salt. Their
characteristic flavour is doubtless due to some extent to the milk of
those districts, as explained above. Owing to their small size they
become very hard.
_Kefalotyri._--The best cheeses of this type are made with sheep's milk,
which is coagulated at its natural temperature immediately after
milking. Rennet is added so as to produce coagulation within an hour.
The cheeses are placed in moulds, pressed and salted. They are turned
and salted every day for a week; and this continues for two or three
weeks, until the cheeses cannot absorb more salt.
_Fetta._--The process for making this cheese is much the same as for
Paphos cheeses, but differs in regard to temperature. It is placed in
bags and hung up, or left in cheese cloths on the table to drain. It is
made up in 100 or 200 dram pieces, and turned and lightly salted for
three days; then placed in barrels filled with brine. This cheese ripens
in a few days. It is soft, and has a sharp, pungent flavour. It is the
first to come on the market. It is not consumed in Cyprus, but made
entirely for the Egyptian market, where it is much liked. Being soft, it
does not keep well, and should always be kept covered in brine. For
these reasons it is exported in small barrels of a gross weight of 40 to
50 okes. If care is taken in this respect, if all leaky barrels are kept
refilled and cool storage provided, it may be preserved for a year; but
these conditions are rarely fulfilled in Cyprus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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