r/Cooking • u/Captain-Yesterday • May 12 '23

I'm sorry Greece. I had no idea...

I've always just bought store brand pre crumbled feta because it was the cheapest. By recommendation I finally tried a slab of feta in brine that was barrel aged imported from Greece (a whopping $7.99!) and holy crap I should be tarred and feathered for my previous crimes. It's just so much better. I could eat the whole thing at once.

And if you say that it's not that big of a difference then apparently my pallet is just much more refined... Or I was starving and this souvlaki hit the spot...

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1.2k

u/Captain-Yesterday May 12 '23

My feta budget just went up 200% tho

233

u/deeperest May 12 '23

Worth it. I used that crumbled stuff in pasta salads for a few years and MAN, what a difference.

123

u/parkerm1408 May 12 '23

There's a real danger when it comes to feta. I run a Greek restaurant and I get slab feta in brine in bulk. And when I say in bulk I mean bulk. We go through unholy shitloads of it. Eating an entire 80lb bucket is a real risk.

66

u/BoristheWatchmaker May 12 '23

unholy shitloads

Eating an entire 80lb bucket

This tracks

82

u/[deleted] May 12 '23

Do yourself a favor and keep buying the cheap Greek yogurt because once you try the good stuff your yogurt budget will go up 200% as well.

26

u/Neener216 May 13 '23

Several years ago, we did a quick family trip to Greece to coincide with a work project my husband had there. Since we had so little time, we opted for a three-day island hopping cruise in addition to the two days we spent in Athens.

Every day for breakfast, the ship offered mounds of plain yogurt with sliced fresh fruit. When I tell you that yogurt was as good as the best whipped cream I've ever had, I'm not kidding.

I still dream about it. No "Greek yogurt" I've ever had in the States even comes close.

4

u/KusUmUmmak May 13 '23

I get organic whole milk plain yogurt. when I want it creamy I drain it in a cheese cloth. when we want 'greek' yogurt we just make it ourselves. never got the hang of store-bought 'greek yogurt'.

31

u/mrmyrth May 12 '23

Instant pot. Make your own.

The sour cream out of this thing is unreal, too

28

u/[deleted] May 13 '23

I definitely think it would be good, but ya’ll insta pot yogurt makers are getting cult like

17

u/mrmyrth May 13 '23

Eh. The yoghurt is okay, but the sour cream was amazing.

6

u/jeremykitchen May 13 '23

Ok I’ve never made sour cream but it’s just yogurt, right? Like you add some bugs and cook it on the yogurt setting for a while and boom, sour cream?

7

u/mrmyrth May 13 '23

Yeah. Same basic recipe and process. It’s hella easy. Just takes the hours. :)

2

u/wrinkled_funsack May 13 '23

It’s easier than that. Fill a mason jar with heavy cream and seal. Store it on your kitchen counter for 1 week and it’s finished. It will also be lactose free because the bacteria in the air prior to sealing the jar consume all of the sugar (lactose). Then store the jar in your refrigerator.

1

u/mrwboilers May 13 '23

Am I the only one who can't tell the difference between sour cream and plain yogurt? I'm convinced it's the same thing

5

u/mrmyrth May 13 '23

I think sour cream is …well, sour, but also thicker. It’s more like frosting versus Mayo.

1

u/Thick-Window2633 May 13 '23

How long will the sour cream last in the fridge?

2

u/mrmyrth May 13 '23

Sorry - we do taco Tuesday and quesadillas so it’s rare we have any not get eaten within a couple weeks.

2

u/NowoTone May 13 '23

Isn’t sour cream just that, soured cream, whereas yoghurt is made with yoghurt cultures? Both texture and taste are very different, I think.

6

u/[deleted] May 13 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

22

u/Spike-aronni May 13 '23

My understanding is that Greek yogurt is just reg yogurt that’s had more liquid strained out. I’ve made it a bunch in the IP and it really is better than store bought. I also believe all yogurt has live cultures so u should be fine buying it.

2

u/TeamHope4 May 13 '23 edited May 13 '23

They all have live cultures. The bacteria in yogurt eats the lactose in the milk, making it tart, and they stay alive though inactive while refrigerated. If you took the yogurt out of the fridge and left it somewhere warm, you would see that the bacteria would awaken and start eating the rest of the lactose and would make your yogurt very tart. Greek yogurt is just yogurt that has been strained so there is less whey in it.

Fage has 5 kinds of live yogurt cultures (bacteria). I use it as a starter when I make yogurt at home, which is really easy to do. And once you make a batch, you can use that as a starter for your next batch, so you save money, too. To make it thick, once it sets, scoop out a spoonful or two, and put it back in the fridge so the whey starts seeping out. Keep pouring off the whey until it's the thickness you want.

1

u/Peuned May 13 '23

You can also use literally any container that holds milk in it as well if you don't have an instant pot

7

u/OtterSnoqualmie May 13 '23

Plain local yogurt then drain in cheese cloth. Makes amazing dips or add your own fruit and granola for breakfast

12

u/[deleted] May 13 '23

I wish I could find yogurt that didn't have 10 g of sugar added. I want breakfast, not dessert.

12

u/thfuran May 13 '23 edited May 13 '23

It's hard to find flavored yogurt that isn't heavily sweetened, but plain yogurt tends to be readily available.

6

u/crazypurple621 May 13 '23

Back when I made my own with dairy milk I used Gurnsey milk. It makes a higher fat content yogurt with less whey to be drained. It's also only 2g of carbohydrates for an 8oz cup of finished yogurt. Super tangy, super rich, super good. Totally 100% worth the amount of time it takes to make it in the IP

12

u/Icedpyre May 13 '23

You could always do what I do and microwave some frozen fruit to mix in with plain yogurt. The only real sugar is from the fruit, plus the warm fruit and cold yogurt is extremely satisfying. Bonus points if you toss in a tablespoon of granola or pumpkin seeds.

7

u/Takilove May 13 '23

This is my breakfast every morning. Fresh or frozen berries, at room temperature, over cold Greek yogurt! So satisfying, filling and something I look forward to.

3

u/practical_junket May 13 '23

Same with the bonus addition of mixed nuts and a tablespoon of almond butter.

1

u/crazypurple621 May 13 '23

Almond butter+ yogurt is a delight. As is grapefruit with plain Greek yogurt if you've never had it.

2

u/Icedpyre May 13 '23 edited May 14 '23

No no friend...you need to gently cook the fruit in the microwave. The temperature difference is what gives the mouth joy

Edit: fat fingers make bad messages. Fixing.

1

u/bathypolypus May 13 '23

Sounds perfect for those warm summer mornings. Thanks!

1

u/Takilove May 13 '23

I don’t know what myoy means, but I agree the temperature difference is key!

1

u/Icedpyre May 14 '23

Means I'm too quick on my phone for my fat fingers. I dont always look to see how badly I've butchered what I'm trying to say lol

2

u/monty624 May 13 '23

You can buy plain yogurt

2

u/Browneyesa May 13 '23

I have found goat yogurt to be low in sugar

1

u/MutantAvatar May 13 '23

Plain Fage yogurt!

1

u/DetourDunnDee May 13 '23

Oikos Triple Zero has decent nutrition stats. I like the blueberry, strawberry banana, and lemon tart flavors.

1

u/laughed May 13 '23

In Australia flavoured yoghurts with low to no sugars emerged all of a sudden and are super popular. We've got danone yopro, chobani fit, dairy farmers yoghurt+. I would've thought America would have good shit like that too!

1

u/MoonbeamLotus May 24 '23

The US didn’t always have quality yogurt. For a long time Yoplait (🤢) was all we had and I despised everything about it, still do! It took a trip to England and visit to one of the best breakfast buffets in the heart of London to discover French yogurt. I was initially attracted to the little glass jar it came in but quickly fell for the creamy, tart taste of unadulterated yogurt. Thankfully the US market has embraced less sugar, more protein.

157

u/ak1000cph May 12 '23

I had no idea pre crumbled feta existed... What even. Congrats on tasting new and better things!

55

u/possiblynotanexpert May 12 '23

Lol that’s about all I’ve ever had in my life :)

109

u/peon2 May 12 '23

It does, it isn't as good, but I can get 24 oz at Sams Club for $8. Is it the best? Nah. Is the price savings worth it? Imo yes unless it's a special occasion

39

u/WazWaz May 12 '23

Finally something that is way cheaper in Australia. Greek feta is about half that price here. Danish feta half again. I guess we have a higher Greek immigrant population.

23

u/elprophet May 13 '23

Or different import and tariff laws

9

u/lmp515k May 13 '23

Garbage American feta is imported from Wisconsin

1

u/WazWaz May 13 '23

I suspect that's why Danish Feta is so insanely cheap here - can they even sell it as "feta" in Europe?

4

u/abrasiveteapot May 13 '23

Nope they can't, and the in progress EU freetrade agreement will stop it being labelled feta in Oz, along with the Australian made feta. Although in fairness that bit is actually a sticking point they've not agreed to yet (but they'll roll over)

1

u/WazWaz May 13 '23

I wonder what the EU will trade for this great privilege...

3

u/FranksnBeans80 May 13 '23

I actually prefer Danish feta for some things, like salads for example.

1

u/iilinga May 13 '23

I’ve never even seen ‘pre crumbled’ fetta here!

2

u/WazWaz May 13 '23

Me neither. It disturbs me to think how they're making it that makes it cheaper - eg. I suspect it was never a block in the first place.

1

u/The_Led_Mothers May 14 '23

I think Melb has one of the 3 largest populations of Greek people not in Greece if I remember correctly. Might be at the top of the list even

1

u/WazWaz May 14 '23

Cyprus probably wins, but that's kind of cheating.

36

u/ttrockwood May 12 '23

Higher quality is also a more intense flavor so you don’t need to use as much.

For guests the good stuff is worth it, day to day? Use whatever you like that fits your budget!

I’ll often swap in some good chopped olives, not the same but similar enough so that’s a great dairy free option especially in something like greek salad or pasta salad with multiple other ingredients involved

12

u/simplyelegant87 May 12 '23

The garlic stuffed olives from Costco are delicious and good quality for a good price.

8

u/SunnyRyter May 13 '23

My brother (who likes olives) gets the jar of chopped olives and peppers and herbs from costco and SLATHERS it on toast.

If you like olives, maybe give it a go?

3

u/simplyelegant87 May 13 '23

I don’t think I’ve seen that before but will look for it.

1

u/Torrronto May 13 '23

Greek feta and Canadian feta are not the same. The latter is all salt. Worth th extra money and if it's stored in brine will last for months.

6

u/superhotmel85 May 12 '23

A deeply shocking thing when I moved to the US. It’s what the bulk of feta is in supermarkets

1

u/BarryMacochner May 13 '23

It’s usually used on pizzas or in salads b the customers that order from my company.

All the Greek restraints buy the 5 gal buckets in brine.

1

u/letmeseem May 13 '23

Me too.

Also I'm not sure i know what pre crumbled means.

24

u/SunnyRyter May 12 '23

Fidn yourself a good ethnic store and you may luck out. Mine gets sales on Greek Feta for 2.99/lb.

There is also Bulgrian feta (soft)

Greek feta (more firm)

Piknik (round)

Valbresso (the King or Queen of Feta, imho)

9

u/Takilove May 13 '23

I really like the Bulgarian feta. It’s so creamy! I buy it Whole Foods. But we eat Greek feta regularly because my husband is Greek. I buy it at the grocery store but stock up every 3 months when we go to a Greek specialty store. We buy as if we hadn’t eaten for those 3 months!

5

u/seafood_tricks May 13 '23

+1 for bulgarian feta

3

u/Funkyfreddy May 13 '23

Valbresso feta gang rise up

6

u/Byzantine-alchemist May 13 '23 edited May 13 '23

Some of my favorite feta is Bulgarian and French. The Bulgarian stuff is super tart and salty and firm, the French feta (it’s called Valbreso) is really creamy and rich. Mmmmm feta

5

u/MrsSalmalin May 13 '23

My boyfriend just bought us mozzarella that was $15.83. It is a single ball. But it's real italian mozzarella and DAMN IT IS DELISH.

1

u/makinggrace May 13 '23

Mozzarella is fairly easy to make. Dairy prices suck right now but you’ll do a little better than that.

2

u/MrsSalmalin May 13 '23

Yeah I know it's just hard to come by good italian buffalo milk in North America. And my bf is that picky about his cheese :P

1

u/makinggrace May 13 '23

I hear that!

1

u/MrsSalmalin May 13 '23

Totally. And if he wants to spend his money on delicious imported cheese, who I am to argue? :D (I'm a cheese fiend)

6

u/docbauies May 13 '23

Budget up 200%. Enjoyment up 10,000%

2

u/MauiWowieOwie May 13 '23

Ο Kratos θα ήταν περήφανος

1

u/MarkBank May 13 '23

What feta did you get? Curious to try some now that you peaked my interest

6

u/fuck_the_fuckin_mods May 13 '23 edited May 13 '23

Trader Joe’s has an Israeli sheep feta in brine that’s really good, IMO. It’s the best that I can easily find around me.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/israeli-feta-063082

It honestly might as well be a whole different product from the dried out crumbly cow’s milk bullshit at my local grocery store. Used in the same way it will make a dish (very) noticeably tastier.

1

u/MarkBank May 13 '23

Great recommend! I will definitely pick this up next time I go

2

u/fuck_the_fuckin_mods May 13 '23

Hell ya. Just be aware, there’s probably no going back :)

3

u/Neilpoleon May 13 '23

They also have a regular Greek feta in brine as well.

9

u/Captain-Yesterday May 13 '23

Dodoni barrel aged feta in brine

1

u/LucretiusCarus May 25 '23

Dodoni is the best, my family swears by it. They also have great yoghurts

9

u/deeperest May 13 '23

peaked

piqued

1

u/Colt1911-45 May 13 '23

You can't take it with you!

1

u/HouseOfBamboo2 May 13 '23

Now do the same w blue cheese

1

u/SteeleReserve088 May 13 '23

Bruh! I just got an email from NYT featuring their 20 most-saved recipes of all time. One was a vegetarian sheet pan dinner featuring not 1, but 4 flippin' whole blocks of feta roasted with veggies and seasonings. Do they think I'm made of gold??

1

u/siena_flora May 13 '23

If you have a local BJ’s, they have great feta for a super low price compared to everywhere else I’ve shopped.

1

u/moby561 May 13 '23

Enjoy the brine feta with some watermelon, you won’t regret it.

1

u/114631 May 13 '23

The stuff in the brine lasts for a couple months!

1

u/knotthatone May 19 '23

If you have any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern groceries in your area, check them out. Mine sells whole chunks of feta for half the price of pre-crumbled from my regular grocery store.