Spice Road Spices - The Art of Spice Flavour
We mentioned last Sunday that we would continue our chat about flavours in our food that do not rely on Herbs and Spices.

Our comments covered the importance of real stocks in recipes and we noted that when looking at a memorable dish, cheese will often be part of the mix.

Italian cheeses were discussed at some length in the article, essentially their ability to partner with Pasta. We made the point that it was difficult to imagine a pasta without an Italian cheese to complete the flavour journey.

That's well accepted and always rewarding but these partner essentials don't stop at pasta. The ancient Greeks have contributed their own cheese. One that works wonderfully with a wide range of dishes. The cheese is Feta.

We often speak of the history of food that we review, so it is worth noting that Feta is arguably the world's oldest cheese with a history of over 8000 years, started by accident from milk fermenting in a sheep's stomach while being transported.

Members should also note that a Feta style cheese is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey from around 700bc, adding to a remarkable history.

True Feta Taste from Wikipedia

High quality Feta should have a creamy texture when sampled and aromas of sheep's milk, butter and yoghurt. In the mouth it should be tangy, slightly salty and mildly sour with a spicy finish of Ginger and Pepper.

Following Wikipedia's taste description it's easy to see that the saltiness, butter and yoghurt flavours would work with seafood, especially when pan frying green prawns with tomato and garlic.

Roast Vegetables and Feta

That dish is a classic and no doubt part of all home chef kitchens but there is one more dish that allows Feta to shine. Vegetables and in particular, Roast Vegetables.

Look again at the taste description and you can see where Feta can bring vegetables to life. In many ways the key to true Greek (and Bulgarian) Feta is the sheep's milk. See Greek Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Feta Recipe this issue.

Many of the packet Feta's - including Australian, are made from cow's milk. The cheese is still acceptable but not at the same level as a true Greek Feta.,