Sifnos Recipe
Manoura cheese
Hard sheep's milk cheese aged in wine sediment — sharp, tangy, unforgettable.
Cooking time
3–6 months ageing
Serves
Snack for many
Manoura is one of the most distinctive cheeses in Greece. After being pressed and dried, the wheels are buried in the sediment (tryx) of red wine for several months. The result is a hard, sharp, deep-red cheese with a wine-soaked rind, eaten in slivers with bread and ouzo.
Manoura cheese matters in Sifnos because it connects local ingredients with the island's pottery tradition and long, social mealtimes. Manoura is one of the most distinctive cheeses in Greece. After being pressed and dried, the wheels are buried in the sediment (tryx) of red wine for several months. The result is a hard, sharp, deep-red cheese with a wine-soaked rind, eaten in slivers with bread and ouzo. That makes this page more than a shared recipe shell: it documents the actual cultural role of the dish, how long it takes, what ingredients define it, and where visitors can taste it on the island.
With a cooking time of 3–6 months ageing and a yield of Snack for many, Manoura cheese is usually made for a table rather than a single plate. On Sifnos it appears with bread, wine, sharp cheese, capers, or simple salads, depending on the dish and the season.
Ingredients
- •Fresh sheep's milk (10L for one wheel)
- •Rennet
- •Coarse salt
- •Red wine sediment (tryx) — about 5L for ageing
Preparation
- 1.Heat the milk to 35°C and add rennet to set the curds.
- 2.Drain, press into a small wheel, salt heavily.
- 3.Air-dry for 30 days in a cool, ventilated place.
- 4.Bury the wheel in red wine sediment for 3–6 months. Turn weekly.
- 5.Slice paper-thin to serve.
Where to try it
Local cheese shops in Apollonia and Artemonas.
If you want to compare the home-cooked version with a restaurant interpretation, order it in the village or taverna named here and then revisit the ingredient list above. That context is what makes these pages useful for travellers and cooks alike.
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