Aged Mitzithra is a salty-tasting Greek sheep’s milk cheese which is hard and crumbly, with a sharp taste.
It is made in very white, dry, and firm balls that can be round or egg-shaped.
Mitzithra is made from the whey leftover from making cheeses such as Feta and Kefalotiri, enriched with whole sheep’s milk or whole goat’s milk.
Better quality aged Mitzithra Cheese will have a lot of whole sheep’s milk added to them, which gives the cheese a mellow taste and makes it more supple, so that it can be used as a table cheese for slicing. Lower quality ones just have a bit of whole milk added, making a harder cheese that’s used just for grating.
In making the Mitzithra Cheese, the curd is salted, pressed and then aged for 6 to 9 months. Traditionally, they were hung from beams to dry and age.
There is also a fresh, unaged version of Mitzithra.
Cooking Tips
Mitzithra doesn’t melt well.
Substitutes
Parmesan, Pecorino, Ricotta Salata, Romano
Language Notes
In Greek, aged Mitzithra is called “Xinomyzithra” to distinguish it from the fresh one, which is called just Mitzithra.
Mizithra may also be transliterated into English as “Mytzithra.”
