Sfela

Sfela is a semi-hard brined cheese produced in the Messinia and Lakonia prefectures of the southern Peloponnese from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of the two. The milk is coagulated, the curd reheated, drained, pressed, and cut into strips or slabs before being salted and matured in brine. It holds PDO status registered under file number PDO-GR-0436.

About this designation

Sfela, registered under both its Greek form Σφέλα and its Latin-script form Sfela, received PDO protection on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-GR-0436, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013246. The designated geographical area is the Messinia and Lakonia prefectures in the southern Peloponnese. The specification requires that the cheese be produced from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of the two, drawn from goat and sheep breeds reared traditionally within that area. The production method is prescribed in detail: milk is coagulated at 30–32 °C, the curd is divided and reheated to 38–40 °C, then placed in cheesecloths for draining. After light pressing, the cheese is cut into strips or slabs, salted on the surface, and placed in vessels of brine at 20° Baumé for one month at room temperature, followed by a period of not less than three months at 4–6 °C to complete ripening. Inspection is carried out by the Directorate of Agriculture of the Messinia prefecture, based in Kalamata, and the Directorate of Agriculture of the Lakonia prefecture, based in Sparta. Labelling must include the designation Sfela Cheese PDO, the code SFE, the packaging serial number, and the date of manufacture.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-GR-0436, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013246.
• The specification permits only sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of the two from breeds reared traditionally in the designated area.
• After surface salting, the cheese is matured in brine at 20° Baumé for one month at room temperature, then for not less than three months at 4–6 °C.
• Labelling must carry the code SFE, the packaging serial number, and the date of manufacture as inspection data.

Tasting notes

Peloponnesian sheep-and-goat-milk cheese POP from Lakonia, traditional thin-strip-shape brine-cured. White color, firm texture, intensely salty flavor.

HoReCa use

Sfela is associated with Lakonian regional cuisine.

Packaging

• vacuum-pack-300g
• brine-tin-1kg