Metsovone has been made for the last fifty years or so using the same method for the creation of Italian provolone-type cheeses by the cheesemakers of Metsovo (Epirus), who were trained in northern Italy under the sponsorship of the Greek benefactor Michael Tositsa, founder of the local cheese-dairy.
It is one of the most famous semi-hard smoked Greek cheeses from Metsovo, from where it got its name and is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese.
Its flavor is slightly salty and spicy. It is made from 100% pasteurized cow’s milk or from a mixture not exceeding 10% goat’s milk. After a maturation period of three months, the cheese is smoked for 12 days with smoke from burning aromatic plants, vines and grasses. It is then left to hang in the smoking room, usually for 5 months.
It is very pleasant to eat plain, but can also be grilled with lemon. It is also used in pitas and au gratin dishes or in tarts, or grated over pasta. Metsovone is equally fine with vegetables and meats, while it is also highly suitable for velouté soups and baked pasta. It is usually accompanied by white wine, while it is used in salads or as meze.
