Xygalo Siteias

Xygalo Siteias is a white, skinless, pasty and/or granular fresh cheese produced by natural milk acidification in the former District of Siteia, Crete. It is made from the milk of locally bred goats and sheep, carries a maximum moisture content of 75%, a maximum salt content of 1.5%, and a fat-in-dry-matter range of 33% to 46%.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-GR-0731, with EU protection granted on 24 November 2008 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013878), Xygalo Siteias is produced exclusively within the former District of Siteia in eastern Crete. The protected names in the EU register are Ξύγαλο Σητείας, Ξίγαλο Σητείας, Xygalo Siteias, and Xigalo Siteias. The specification requires that raw milk come solely from goat breeds indigenous to Greece and from local sheep breeds — principally the Siteia breed, with Psiloriti and Sfakia breeds and their crosses also permitted — reared extensively or, at most, semi-intensively within the defined area at altitudes not exceeding 1,000 metres. Where goat's milk is insufficient, sheep's milk may be blended, provided the fat content of the final product remains within the permitted range of 33% to 46% in dry matter. Production follows a defined sequence: salt is added to the milk before acidification, at a maximum of 2% by weight; harmless acidic bacterial cultures and small amounts of natural animal rennet may be added; the milk then ferments in covered, non-hermetically sealed food-grade containers at 15–20°C for seven to ten days, without any stirring of the curd. Ripening continues for approximately one month at 10–15°C. The product has a minimum protein content of 31.5%. If unpasteurised milk is used, the finished cheese must remain refrigerated at under 4°C for at least two months before release for consumption.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 24 November 2008 under file number PDO-GR-0731 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013878).
• Salt is added to the milk before acidification begins, a practice the specification identifies as producing a milder, less salty taste than comparable cheeses.
• The curd must not be stirred at any point during the entire acidification and ripening process.
• Fat in dry matter is specified as a minimum of 33% and a maximum of 46%, a range the specification describes as lower than that of comparable Greek spreadable cheeses.

HoReCa use

The source notes that Xygalo Siteias appeared on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus in Eastern Crete from the beginning of the 1990s, and has been described as a special dish in traditional and gourmet restaurants in Athens and Thessaloniki since at least 1999. It is also recommended as an hors d'oeuvre under the name 'Xygalo Steiako' by the CONCRED initiative.