Feta ( ) or Greek cheese is a brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. A sheep's milk cheese, varying amounts of goats' milk may be added, as long as this milk makes up less than 30% of the total mixture. Since 2005, feta has been a protected designation of origin product in the European Union. Outside of the EU, cheeses sold as 'feta' may include cow's milk, or even be composed exclusively of cow's milk.

Feta is an aged cheese, commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads, pastries and in baking, notably in the popular phyllo-based dishes spanakopita ("spinach pie") and tyropita ("cheese pie") and combined with olive oil and vegetables.

Similar white brined cheeses (often called 'white cheese' in the various languages) are found in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea.

Feta is salted and cured in a brine solution (based on water or whey) for several months. Feta dries out rapidly when removed from the brine. Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp. The cured cheese easily crumbles. Its fat content can range from 30 to 60 percent; most is around 45 percent milk fat. Most feta cheese has a pH of 4.4 to 4.9.

Feta is also an important ingredient of Greek salad. Feta, like most cheeses, can also be served cooked; it is sometimes grilled as part of a sandwich or as a salty alternative to other cheeses in a variety of dishes.

Historical origins

Feta cheese has been produced and enjoyed throughout the countries of the eastern Mediterranean since antiquity. The earliest reference to such cheese is in Homer's Iliad (11.639: "on this she grated cheese of goat's milk"), and there are numerous references in other ancient writers (e.g. Lysias, Against Pancleon 6: "I went to the fresh-cheese market on the last day of the month").

Feta cheese is recorded in the Byzantine Empire under the name πρόσφατος (prósphatos, "recent", i.e. fresh), and was associated specifically with Crete. An Italian visitor to Candia in 1494 describes its storage in brine clearly.

The Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word fetta ("slice") and that from Latin offa "bite, morsel". It was introduced into the Greek language in the 17th century, likely referring to the method of cutting the cheese in thin slices to serve on a plate.

Traditionally, feta has been made by peasants in the lower Balkan peninsula from sheep's milk, although goat's milk has been used in more recent times. It is also used for banitsa.