Sfela is a white-yellowish cheese made in Messinia and Laconia. It can be made from sheep's or goat's milk, or a mixture of both. It has been designated as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese.
The name "sfela" (cheese of fire, as the locals call it) comes from the local dialect, where it means "strip" or "slice," referring to the strips or slices in which it is cut during production. It resembles feta cheese but has a saltier and more pungent taste. It matures and is preserved in brine. However, when it is left outside the brine and matures further, it becomes harder and turns yellow, similar to kefalotyri cheese.
We can incorporate sfela into our lives by using it in cheese pies or vegetable pies, accompanying meats or vegetables, incorporating it into dishes, having it raw in salads, or serving it as a meze with olive oil and oregano, or with honey, tomato or fig jam, or in many other variations.
Here, I present it as a simple saganaki (dredged in yellow flour and fried).
Sfela is a wonderful Greek cheese from Mani that deserves a place in your cooking and, most importantly, in your heart as an incredible accompaniment to ouzo.
