The Tamesis
I have a regular date on Friday night for a Greek salad. This is an “American” salad made by Park Slope Takeout, with chopped spaghetti-like lettuce, a handful of herbs, and a giant crumble (I mean, huge) a serving of feta cheese topped with lemon vinaigrette. But last week, the typically gigantic mountain of feta became more like a mole hill — all because a feta shortage began in Greece.
For those who aren’t feta fanatics, here’s a rundown of the cheese from Sarah Schneider, co-owner of Gus and Marty’s in Williamsburg: “Real Greek feta is made from sheep’s milk, sometimes blended with a bit of goat’s milk for brightness and complexity. And the cow’s milk versions tend to be milder and lack that depth.” The sheep pandemic means less milk, which in turn means less goat cheese.
“This is an urgent problem,” Schneider added. The current menu features four feta dishes, including saganaki, which is a whole cheese wrapped in phyllo, baked until crispy and topped with thyme honey. “Switching to a non-traditional feta cheese isn’t really the solution; maintaining the integrity of the ingredients is critical to the food we offer.”
In health and wellness-conscious circles, feta cheese is considered an easy way to add protein to any savory dish. It is also rich in calcium (key for bone strength) and rich in vitamins A, B and K and minerals such as calcium, selenium, zinc and phosphorus. Dr. Emily Leeming recommends Parmesan or cottage cheese as ideal substitutes, both of which have similar nutritional profiles.
The table isn’t the only place where feta famine is being felt. You can also witness this event during happy hour, especially at Mr. Mello’s Feta Brine Martini Restaurant. Founders Nikolas Vagenas and Nate Ulsh say they’ve been feeling the shortage when it comes to their brand of choice, Dodoni. “We have to switch brands when Dodoni sells out, which happens every other week,” they shared. But dirty drinkers need not worry: The feta brine martini isn’t going anywhere, “even if it means flying to Greece” to source the good stuff.
Still, it may affect your saganaki, spanakpitas, and Greek salads for a while (cutting mine on Friday night dinner). “We are monitoring the situation closely, and switching to non-traditional feta is not really a solution for us,” Schneider said. “Maintaining the integrity of ingredients is critical to the food we serve.”
