Sfera

A semi-hard brined cheese full of tiny holes similar to feta (but firmer), produced in Messinia and Lakonia from the milk of free range sheep and/or goats. The curd is divided and heated, not once but twice—hence its nickname φέτα της φωτιάς (feta tis fotias, or 'slice of fire).

It is then pressed into a strip called a sfela, salted and left to ripen in tin cans for a minimum of three months. It's a popular appetizer cheese and better than feta for grilling, if you leave it out of the brine to dry and harden.

Designated PDO (ΠΟΠ).