Natural form

Feta block fresh from brine: dense, white, and slightly crumbly at the edges.

Shows the defining physical characteristics — stark white color, firm yet crumbly texture, and block shape — that distinguish feta from other white cheeses.

Dairy & Eggs

Feta

Briny, crumbly cheese for salads, bakes, and mezze

Salty, tangy, and crumbly, feta scatters over a Greek salad, bakes until soft, and balances sweet watermelon. Store it in its brine, cold, to keep it moist.

Feta is a brined, crumbly white cheese, traditionally Greek and made from sheep's milk (or a sheep-and-goat blend), cured and stored in salty brine that gives it its signature tang and bite. The brine both preserves it and seasons it through, so feta is assertively salty and lactic, with a creamy-to-crumbly texture depending on age and milk. It doesn't melt into strings — it softens and holds its shape — which makes it perfect crumbled cold over salads or baked until just warm and burnished, as in the now-classic baked feta pasta. True PDO feta is Greek; cow's-milk 'feta-style' blocks are firmer and milder.

Measured in: g
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 30 days

Allergens

Dairy

Find it in

Dairy

Types & varieties

Greek PDO feta

Sheep's milk (up to 30% goat), brined; creamy, tangy, the benchmark.

Bulgarian feta

Often creamier and tangier; lovely whipped or spread.

French feta

Milder and softer, frequently sheep's milk.

Cow's-milk 'feta-style'

Firmer, milder, and cheaper; not true feta.

How to choose

Buy feta as a block sitting in its brine rather than pre-crumbled — it stays moister, creamier, and more flavorful. Sheep's-milk Greek feta has the fullest tang; cow's-milk versions are milder and squeakier. The cheese should be bright white and dense; avoid any with sliminess or yellowing edges.

How to store / food safety

Store feta submerged in its brine in the fridge, where it keeps for weeks; if you've lost the brine, make your own with salted water. Drain just before using. Discard if it smells sharply off or grows mold. Choose pasteurized-milk feta if you're pregnant.

How to cook

Feta softens and browns rather than melting smoothly, so use it where that's a virtue — baked whole until creamy, crumbled into a warm bake, or whipped with olive oil and lemon into a dip. Because it's already very salty, season the rest of the dish lightly. A quick soak in milk or water mellows feta that's too briny.

Common uses

Greek saladBaked feta pastaSpanakopita and savory piesCrumbled over roasted vegetablesWhipped feta dipGrain bowls and saladsWatermelon and fetaStuffed peppers and frittatas