Graviera

Graviera
Country of origin	Greece
Region	Crete
Source of milk	sheep
Pasteurized	Yes
Texture	hard
Aging time	5-12 months
Certification	Greek PDO 2001

Graviera (Greek: γραβιέρα, pronounced "ghrahv-YAIR-ah") is a cheese from Greece produced in various parts of Greece, the main of which are: Crete, Lesbos, Naxos and Amfilochia. It is not to be confused with the Swiss cheese gruyère, which is a related cheese that in some languages has a name similar to Graviera.

Graviera is Greece’s second most popular cheese after feta. Made in wheels, the rind of the hard cheese is marked with the characteristic crisscross pattern of its draining cloth. There are various types of Graviera produced in Greece. Graviera of Crete is made from sheep’s milk and ripened for at least five months. It is slightly sweet, with a pleasant burnt caramel flavor, whereas the graviera of Naxos is mostly made of cow's milk (80-100%).

Graviera is a very versatile cheese; it can be sliced and eaten, fried as 'saganaki' and eaten as a snack, grated and served over pasta dishes, baked in a casserole or used in salads (in cubes or shavings) . It is widely available outside Greece, where it can be purchased at large grocery stores, Greek or ethnic markets, and specialty cheese shops, as well as online. Gruyère can be used as a substitute, but graviera is 'homier'.

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Wikipedia