Ladotyri Mytilinis

Ladotyri Mytilinis (Greek: Λαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης) is a traditionally prepared Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese from Greece, preserved in extra virgin olive oil.^[1]

It is made on the island of Lesbos in the Northern Aegean Islands, and has been produced since ancient times. The cheese is made with ovine milk or with a mixture of ovine and caprine milk, the latter of which should not exceed 30%.^[2]

The official designation for this hard table cheese notes the following production method: "The milk is coagulated with added rennet at 32-34 deg C in 30 minutes. The curd is then broken up and reheated to 45 deg C. Most of the whey is then removed and the curds are pressed in the bottom of the vat to form a compact mass. This is cut into pieces weighing between 5 and 7 kilos. The pieces are then placed on a bench and cut again to their final cheese size. They are then placed in special moulds, firmly pressed by hand, salted and taken to a ripening room where they remain for not less than 3 months."^[3]

PDO status was granted on June 12, 1996, by the European Union, following Ministerial Decision No. 313058 in Greece, dated January 18, 1994.^[4]