Graviera Kritis 
Graviera Kritis is the Cretan version of graviera, a hard Greek sheep's milk cheese with protected designation of origin status. It ripens for at least five months and tastes slightly sweet, with a burnt caramel note.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Greece |
| Specific Origin | Island of Crete |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Sheep's milk, Goat's milk (up to 20%) |
| Milk Treatment | Raw |
| Rind | Natural rind |
| Texture | Hard |
| Flavor | Nutty, Sweet |
| Forms | Wheels, Wedges |
| Age | At least 3 months |
| Rennet Type | Animal |
| Also Known As | Γραβιέρα Κρήτης |
What is Graviera Kritis Cheese?
Graviera is a hard cheese made in several parts of Greece, with Crete, Lesbos, Naxos and Amfilochia producing the main varieties. The name comes from gruyère, the Swiss cheese it resembles. Three gravieras are registered as protected designation of origin products in the EU and the UK: Graviera Kritis, Graviera Agrafon and Graviera Naxou.
The Cretan version is made from sheep's milk and ripened for at least five months. It is shaped in wheels, and the rind picks up the crisscross pattern of the cloth used to drain it. The Naxos graviera takes a different route, built mostly on cow's milk at 80 to 100 percent.
Graviera Kritis tastes slightly sweet, with a burnt caramel flavor. Across Greece, graviera ranks second in popularity only to feta.
It can be sliced and eaten plain, fried as saganaki for a snack, grated over pasta, baked into a casserole, or cut in cubes and shavings for salads. Outside Greece it turns up in large grocery stores, Greek and ethnic markets, specialty cheese shops and online. Gruyère stands in at a pinch, though graviera is the homier of the two.
How Does Graviera Kritis Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Graviera Kritis against.
