I have never tried Feta. I'm afraid of it. Brine makes me uncomfortable. However, I do enjoy that is still firm even though it is swimming in, ugh, brine, and when you take it out, it crumbles. It's a fun cheese. I prefer bocconcini, I think it is the cutest of all the cheeses.
Tynna has been searching for the perfect Feta since I moved to London eight months ago. As I mentioned, I know nothing about Feta, but she asked me which kind she should try and I suggested Silani, since it is such a huge, widely stocked brand. Of course, I was wrong. It sat in her fridge for a really long time, unopened, but since it had an expiry date of March 2011, I assumed it would be safe to eat. So I chopped up some tomato, onion, cucumber and pepper for her Greek salad and opened up the Silani Feta cheese container. Ewwwwww! Mush City. It must have been pre-crumbled and since it was swimming in, ugh, brine, it was more like cottage cheese than Feta.
And thus began the quest.
The Search For the Perfect Feta
I was determined to find the Perfect Feta. I knew it had to exist because we used it at Tazzi's Cafe for our Greek salads. I could not remember what brand we used (though now I remember it was Saputo) so I went the European grocery store down the street thinking they could help me. Micaela and I walked over in the 35 degree heat and since there was only one brand of Feta there, in a gigantic yellow tub for $9.99, I asked the scary female grocery clerk what she suggested. She gave me a quick onceover, determined that I was not a swarthy Greek and said in a thick accent:
"Feta, ah I dun't know." We decided to look around anyways, since imported groceries are my favourite kind. We both almost lost our stomachs, however, when we got to the butcher aisle and saw chicken feet.
We moved on to Metro, figuring that we could definitely find the Perfect Feta there. We were spoiled for choice. There were so many varieties. Cow's milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk. Brick, crumbled, cubed. So many varieties, which to choose? I started to feel overwhelmed and considered taking a grocery store poll a la Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag, but decided to give the deli a shot instead. I wasn't dressed or made-up enough for a poll.
Thankfully, the deli offered three varieties of Feta: classic Greek, light, and Canadian. I asked the large and intimidating counter lady for one block of each kind. While she was packing it up, I felt a little silly for getting such small quantities of cheese and started to explain why I was making such a weird request. I realized that she wasn't listening to me and my voice trailed off. "She doesn't care..." I said part to myself, part to Micaela, and part to the snotty cow behind the counter. She ignored me, of course, but Micaela got a laugh out of it.
The Outcome: Tynna tried each cheese, and the Canadian version won. Quest complete!
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