Kefalotyri

Kefalotyri
Country of origin	Greece, Cyprus
Source of milk	sheep or goat (or both)
Texture	hard
Aging time	3 months or more

Kefalotyri or kefalotiri (Greek: κεφαλοτύρι, Turkish: talar peyniri) is a hard, salty white cheese made from sheep milk or goat's milk (or both) in Greece and Cyprus. A similar cheese Kefalograviera, also made from sheep or goat milk (or both), is sometimes sold outside Greece and Cyprus as Kefalotyri.^[1] Depending on the mixture of milk used in the process the color can vary between yellow and white.^{[citation needed]}

A very hard cheese, kefalotyri can be consumed as is, fried in olive oil for a dish called saganaki, or added to foods such as pasta dishes, meat, or cooked vegetables, and is especially suited for grating.^[2] It is also used along with feta cheese in the vast majority of recipes for spanakopita, where many recipes say to substitute with Romano or Parmesan if kefalotyri cannot be obtained.^{[citation needed]} This is a popular and well-known cheese, establishing its roots in Greece during the Byzantine era.^[3] It can be found in some gourmet or speciality stores in other countries.^{[citation needed]} Young cheeses take two to three months to ripen.^{[citation needed]} An aged kefalotyri, a year old or more, is drier with a stronger flavour, and may be eaten as a meze with ouzo, or grated on food.^[4]