Feta is a popular cheese that brightens many Mediterranean dishes. Feta is a brined white cheese, usually made from sheep’s milk. Although sheep’s milk is most common, it can also be made from goat milk, or a mixture of the two.
Like most of the flavorful ingredients that make up Mediterranean dishes, Feta’s roots are in ancient Greece. It’s believed that it originated from the Thessaloniki, Peloponnese and Crete regions. At the time, brining and salting were popular methods of preservation, due to the lack of refrigeration.
Brining is what gives feta its unique flavor and crumbly texture, and is what helped it survive for centuries as one of the world’s most popular cheeses.
Feta is actually one of the earliest known cheeses, with descriptions of how it is made showing up in Homer’s Odyssey. When Odysseus and his men visited the Cyclop’s cave, he was making feta. Although the name “feta” hadn’t been invented yet, the description of curdling sheep’s milk and preserving the results in brine is clearly the process of creating feta.
At first, the Greeks called this cheese prosphatos, but in the 17th century they would start calling
While Feta has spread all over the world, it’s still most popular in Greece. A Greek may eat as much as 50 pounds of Feta in a year. Feta also makes up about 70% of all cheese eaten in Greece.
Because Feta is so important to Greece, in 2002 it was granted a PDO, or protected status. Now only traditionally made cheeses made in specific regions of Greece can be officially called Feta.
Today, Feta is used in a number of dishes, from salads and pastries, to traditional Greek dishes like Spanakopita.
Feta offers a number of health benefits. Besides being filled with calcium which is great for bone health, it also has a number of other vitamins and minerals in it. Feta has phosphorus in it, for example, which is needed for bone density, as well as zinc and selenium. Zinc and selenium support your immune system.
Feta may also help with weight loss. This is from conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. CLA is a type of healthy fat found in feta cheese, and it’s associated with weight management. Sprinkling a little extra in your food may help keep your weight stable or even lose weight as you work toward a healthier lifestyle.
Finally, Feta Cheese may help with gut health. Feta has probiotics in it, which help feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. We’re only just beginning to learn about the importance of gut bacteria, but there’s little doubt they are vitally important to our bodies. Good bacteria can balance your mood, help with your weight, and even play a part in your immune system.
Feta is an incredible ingredient. Not only does it bring a bright, sometimes sharp flavor to food, but it also keeps us healthy. It’s a wonderful addition to any meal, and truly makes food feel Greek.
Mediterranean foods are among some of the most popular foods in the world. Hummus, once an exotic food in America, is now common place in grocery stores. Gyros are a hugely popular lunch time food, and everyone loves Shawerma. How did all these foods become so popular?
Mediterranean cusine appeals to a broad number of people because it is incredibly good for you. The Mediterranean diet has been named the best diet to follow by dieticians, doctors, and scientists year after year.
That’s because Mediterranean food focuses on very healthy eating, such as foods packed with fruits and vegetables, and has very little in the way of processed foods. Despite having tons of healthy ingredients, the food is satisfying because it is rich in healthy fats like olive oil.
Even small things like the seasonings used are good for your body. Turmeric is a known anti-inflammatory, and black pepper aids in making the anti-inflammatory effects even more powerful.
Although many people go on diets, those diets often fail. Often, this is because the diets are too restrictive, or frankly because that diet soda tastes terrible compared to the real thing. The average person just can’t stick to healthy eating when it tastes so—well—healthy.
Healthy food doesn’t have to taste like lawn clippings were arranged in a salad. No one wants to eat that sort of thing, and no one can stick to a diet of food that tastes gross for very long.
Mediterranean food is incredibly delicious. It’s still healthy, but a salad for example, might include cilantro to brighten the flavor, olives filled with their polyphenols, and a little chicken for protein. A beautifully seasoned sauce transforms a salad into a full experience.
All Mediterranean food is like that, with a beautiful mix of flavor in so many different ways. From soft pitas to seasoned meats, Mediterranean food is delicious.
Mediterranean food features a lot of different foods from both the Mediterranean area and the Middle East. This wide variety of food means you’ll almost never run out of something new to try. Take a look through a menu and you’ll find a huge number of different meats, cheeses, vegetables, and breads to enjoy.
If you love trying new things, you will love going to a Mediterranean restaurant because there are so many wonderful options available.
There are many different reasons to love Mediterranean food. The Mediterranean diet itself is one of the healthiest diets out there, and good for everything from weight loss to heart healthy diets. The food is delicious, with a wide variety of different options available. Even if you have special needs such as being vegetarian or vegan, there are still plenty of options available.
There’s no reason not to try Mediterranean food. If you ever find yourself and your family hemming and hawing over what to have for dinner, suggest Zytoun’s. There’s something everyone will love there, and with a wide selection of flavors, everyone will be h appy.
For years now, Aladdin has been serving delicious and authentic Mediterranean cuisine at their restaurant located on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Thousands of people have joined them for food and friendship over the years.
Aladdin is an important part of San Diego’s community and has made it very popular. Thanks to the popularity of Aladdin Café, the same people who have brought you delicious food at their first location will now be opening a second restaurant. This is a huge opportunity and presents a wonderful chance to let even more people experience the joy of delicious, high-quality Mediterranean food.
Zytoun Gourmet Mediterranean will be opening up in Seaport Village, starting in mid-February. San Diego has been working hard to renovate Seaport Village, with over two million dollars spent on the restoration process and Aladdin is excited for the opportunity to be a part of it.
The boardwalk has become a bustling hub of activity, with the focus on local food and small business. Effort has been made by the city to encourage small, local businesses to join the boardwalk, and the owner of Aladdan’s café has answered with a brand-new restaurant.
The new location will be in the Carousel district, along the boardwalk, with ample patio space to enjoy the view of the San Diego Bay while enjoying the delicious cuisine. Zytoun is quite close to the historical Carousel, allowing those walking around to enjoy the area a chance to see both.
Although it has a different name and a different location, you can expect the same great food from Zytoun that you have come to expect from Aladdin over the last 30+ years.
Zytoun will be featuring Kabobs, hummus and falafel among the many different foods at their new location. If you’ve ever been to the Aladdin, you have a good idea of what awaits you at the our new location.
Although the location is new, it’s important to understand that the quality of the food is not. All of the same high-quality ingredients will be used at the new location.