Anthotyro
Anthotyros is a Greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk mixed with whey, about nine parts milk to one. It comes fresh, soft and sweet with no salt, or dried into a hard salty cheese similar to Mizithra.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Greece |
| Specific Origin | Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia, Peloponissos, Ionian Islands, Aegean islands, Crete Island and Epirus |
| Milk Type | Goat's or sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized where law allows |
| Fat Content | 30% |
| Rind | Natural |
| Texture | Hard, whey |
| Flavor | Salty, tangy |
| Aroma | Strong |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Truncated cone, crumbled in containers |
| Alternative Spellings | Anthotiro, Antotiro |
| Also Known As | Anthotyro Fresco, Anthotyro |
What is Anthotyro Cheese?
Anthotyros, written Anthotyro in modern Greek, means flowery cheese. It is produced in Greece, most often in Thrace, Macedonia, the Ionian Islands and Crete.
It starts with milk and whey from sheep or goats, sometimes both, usually nine parts milk to one part whey. The milk is boiled at moderate temperature for ten minutes, then rennet and salt go in while the mix is ruffled. It sits overnight in large shallow tanks, which leaves a part skim mixture. The next day more salt is added and the mix is poured into a basket with tulle to drain, then salted again each day for another three or four days. Where the law allows, it may be unpasteurized.
The cheese is commonly shaped as a truncated cone. Shipped in containers, it tends to crumble as it is removed. Fresh Anthotyros is white, soft to medium hard, sweet and creamy, with no rind and no salt. The dry version is matured, close to Mizithra: hard, dry, white and salty, with a powerful smell similar to sherry.
The fresh cheese is eaten at breakfast with honey and fruit, or in savory dishes with oil, tomato and wild herbs. The dry one goes on spaghetti or salads.
How Does Anthotyro Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Anthotyro against.
