of sheep's milk and goat's milk,

which gives it that creaminess and an extra kick

compared to cow's milk cheeses.

But depending on where you are in Greece,

you will get a different-tasting feta,

from soft and buttery to hard and tangy.

It's all down to the combination of the two milks

and how much of them you use.

We're here in the Peloponnese to find out

what other secrets are behind the making of feta cheese.

Claudia: Why do you use a combination of the two?

Like, how does that change the taste?

Claudia: The milk that you see here in these vats

has rested for a day at cool temperatures

and has been pasteurized.

It is now ready to be turned into cheese.

Once each batch has cooled to 35 degrees Celsius,

Georgios' dad, Athanasios, adds cultures to the milk

to kick-start its fermentation.

Claudia: After the cultures rest 20 minutes,

Athanasios proceeds to add rennet.

The rennet used also comes from two kinds of milk.

This time, it is a mix of cow's and goat's

to add extra spice.

Each batch rests for 55 minutes,

and it's then cut into curds.

The curds are cut first vertically and then horizontally

to achieve perfect cubes.

Yeah, well you just like to cut things in cube a lot.

[laughs]

After being cut, the curds are transferred into molds,

which are in the shape of cubes, of course.

While other cheeses go into molds

and all their whey is pressed out,

feta's molds have some holes in them

to gently drain the whey,

but without losing it all.

And we'll find out why soon.

Here, each cube holds 8 kilos of curd and whey

but will eventually weigh just 6 kilos.

After a two-hour break,

each cube is cut into 1-kilo blocks and salted.

Athanasios is putting salt beneath and over the blocks

to evenly coat the cheese.

It will rest for 24 hours.

You may have noticed these plastic separators.

They are used to keep gently draining whey

out of the feta curd.

This liquid whey mixed with the salt draining

is in fact going to make feta's natural brine.

Once the packaging is sealed,

feta will release even more liquid,

adding to that brine.

So, how many kilos is this?

Georgios: 20.

Claudia: 20. OK.

God. [Georgios laughs]

Great kettlebell.

Claudia: Feta ages for 15 days

at 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.

The temperature and aging time contribute

to the intensity of flavor.

The longer it ages, the more acidity it gains.

Taste.

Claudia: Oh, yeah, of course.

It's nice texture.

It's crumbly but a little bit soft.

Claudia: Mm.

Claudia: Feta used to be aged in barrels.

I've read that the barrels

used to add a little bit of spice in the rennet,

giving it that bitterness.

Claudia: After the first 15 aging days

at mild temperature,

feta is then stored at a cold temperature for 45 days

to reach its full taste and aroma.

Claudia: Thank you.

You can taste the goat milk there.

There is that hint of spiciness.

It's like the one we had before,

with that extra crumbliness as well in the texture.

It's a nice balance of flavor.

You get the aftertaste, that kick with it.