‘Pickled’ Cheeses

‘pickled’ cheeses (or brined cheeses) are those which are matured in their own whey, mixed with salt, so that they remain moist and are very salty. These simple white cheeses, traditionally made from ewe’s milk, are of great antiquity. The two best known are the Greek (and Bulgarian) feta, which is now made in many other countries, and the Egyptian domiati; but ‘pickled’ cheeses are widely made and consumed all over the Balkans, the Near East, and N. Africa. The haloumi cheese of Cyprus and the Lebanon and brinza in Romania are two more examples. Russians call this type of cheese brynza.