In previous posts, we looked at two classic ingredients in Mediterranean food: Olives and Olive Oil. Yet Mediterranean food is filled with a bounty of classic, flavorful ingredients. Today, we will look at another important ingredient to Mediterranean cuisine, feta cheese.

Feta cheese is an ingredient that has become a global phenomenon, but did you know it was once only made in a few specific regions of Greece?
Feta is the oldest known cheese, with the first mention of it as far back in time as Homer’s Odyssey. In one of the oldest fictions in the world, the cyclops Polyphemus is seen with a herd of sheep, making feta cheese.

The details on how it is made are shared in the story, not only confirming it was made by ancient Greeks at the time, but how important the cheese was at the time.

How It’s Made
Feta Cheese is made by heating sheep milk (or sometimes sheep mixed with goat milk) with rennet to curdle it into a cheese. The curd is then separated from the whey and left in barrels, tins, or other vessels to brine in a salt solution.
The result is a crumbly white cheese that is finished relatively quickly compared to other cheese that need to age.
Feta has a protected status and can only be called Feta if it was created with traditional methods in Greece.

How It’s Used
With Feta Cheese being written about as early as the 7th century, it’s no surprise that many great dishes have arisen from it. The people of Greece, and others around the world too, have had plenty of time to experiment with this cheese and turn it into amazing dishes.
Feta cheese is used in a variety of dishes, sprinkled in as a vegetarian alternative to meat in Gyros, crumbled over salads, and baked into famous dishes like Spanakopita.

Nutritional Benefits
Like almost all the ingredients in Mediterranean cooking, feta has a wealth of nutritional benefits. They are lower in calories than other cheeses such as cheddar, but provide calcium, vitamin B12, and many other vitamins and minerals.
Feta cheese may support bone health, and also may improve digestive health. It may also help with vitamin absorption and weight management.
Between all of these nutritional benefits, it is no wonder Feta is a part of the Mediterranean diet.

Tasty, Nutritious Ingredient
The Mediterranean diet is well known for being particularly healthy. It’s little surprise then that the ingredients that make it up all seem to be a powerhouse of nutrition in different ways. This incredible cheese has been providing Greek citizens health benefits since the ancient times, and is now available around the world for everyone to enjoy.
The next time you tuck into a Greek Salad or a beautiful Spanakopita, take a moment to appreciate the delicious Feta accenting your food. It’s truly an amazing ingredient, rich with history, and thousands of years of knowledge went into those delicious bites your craving.

Have you ever wanted to order Aladdin’s delicious, authentic Mediterranean food in an easy online format? Aladdin’s is proud to announce new, online features that make ordering your favorite Mediterranean food easier than ever.

We have updated our website to include new online ordering and online catering features. These features make ordering your food outside the restaurant easier than ever before.

While we have always done catering and takeout, these new experiences are more user-friendly.

Powered by Toast
The new online ordering features use Toast to help give you a streamlined ordering experience. You’ll be able to view available dishes, pick a time and date for your catering or online ordering needs, all from the comfort of your own home.

All available foods are listed on toast with a picture of what the option looks like, and pricing, so there are no surprises.
Same great food, double the convenience

At Aladdin’s, we care deeply about providing quality food to our customers. We’ve had the ability to order take-out or get food catered for a long time. We care deeply about our food, the friendship that is made through sharing food.

Finding a way to get you authentic Mediterranean food as easily as possible has been a long time coming, and we are proud to offer these new features.
Looking Forward

We are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience. This is why we have such a high rating on Trip Advisor, with so many happy customers sharing their experiences. Adding new features to our website so ordering the food you love is even easier is just one of those steps.

We hope you continue to enjoy great food, great service, and great new additions to our website for years to come.