Anevato 
Anevato is a Greek fresh cheese made from sheep's milk, goat's milk or a blend of the two in the mountains of Grevena and Voio in Western Macedonia. It is white, spreadable and grainy like cottage cheese, lightly salty and sour, and has held PDO status since 1996.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Greece |
| Specific Origin | Western Macedonia |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Ewe's or goat's milk or mixtures of both |
| Milk Treatment | Left at 64°–68°F to sour and curdle, rennet is optional |
| Fat Content | Maximum fat in dry matter of at least 45%, maximum moisture of 60% |
| Moisture Content | Maximum moisture of 60% |
| Texture | Soft |
| Flavor | Pleasant sourish and refreshing flavor |
| Aroma | Distinct milky aroma |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Bulk or plastic containers |
| Age | At least 2 months |
| Rennet Type | Optional |
| Also Known As | Ανεβατό |
What is Anevato Cheese?
Anevato comes from the mountains of the Grevena regional unit and the municipality of Voio in the Kozani regional unit, in Western Macedonia. Shepherds with large sheep and goat flocks made it. They added rennet to the morning milk before driving the animals out to pasture, and over the course of the day the curd rose to the top of the whey. That is where the name comes from: risen cheese. In the afternoon the shepherds skimmed the curd off and let it drain. Once a week they went back to their villages to see their families and sell the cheese. Production stayed entirely artisanal until the end of the 20th century, and the name was protected as a designation of origin in 1996.
The traditional method is still followed in small dairies. Raw milk stands for twelve hours at 18 to 20 °C and sours naturally through Lactococcus lactis, with rennet added only if the cheesemaker wants it. The set curd is cut into cubes of roughly 2 by 2 cm and left four to five hours until the pieces float up through the whey. They are skimmed off, drained in cloths for 24 hours, seasoned with one to two percent salt, mixed well and kept cold. Most Anevato today is made from pasteurised milk in dairies inside the region, using starter cultures of various mesophilic Lactococcus lactis strains to push back unwanted bacteria. The pasteurised version tastes less than the raw milk cheese, though the texture holds up. It ripens for at least two months at 4 °C and is usually packed under protective atmosphere in plastic tubs of 250 grams, one kilogram or five kilograms.
The cheese is white, spreadable and grainy, close to cottage cheese in feel. The flavour is slightly salty and sour, refreshing, with a clear milk aroma. It holds a maximum of 60 percent moisture and at least 45 percent fat in dry matter. Studies of Anevato made from raw goat's milk found Lactococcus lactis dominating the refrigerated cheese up to 15 days of age, with Lactobacillus species taking over by 30 and 60 days.
Anevato is eaten mainly as a table cheese or spread on bread.
How Does Anevato Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Anevato against.
