GRAVIERA CHEESE FROM NAXOS ISLAND APPROX 3.3

Graviera is a cheese from Greece produced in various parts of Greece, the main of which are: Crete, Lesbos, Naxos and Amfilochia. It resembles gruyère, a Swiss cheese from whose name "graviera" is derived. Graviera is Greece«s second most popular cheese after feta. Made in wheels, the rind of the hard cheese is marked with the characteristic crisscross pattern of its draining cloth. There are various types of Graviera produced in Greece. Graviera of Crete is made from sheep«s milk and ripened for at least five months. It is slightly sweet, with a pleasant burnt caramel flavor, whereas the graviera of Naxos is mostly made of cow«s milk (80-100%). Graviera is a very versatile cheese; it can be sliced and eaten, fried as saganaki and eaten as a snack, grated and served over pasta dishes, baked in a casserole or used in salads (in cubes or shavings).