A small cheese manufacturer in Heraklion makes a gruyere that... even parmesan would envy

(article by Marina Petridou - at www.gastronomos.gr - https://www.gastronomos.gr/agora/proionta/se-ena-mikro-tyrokomeio-exo-apo-to-irakleio-dokimasame-mia-graviera-poy-tha-tin-zileye-ki-i-parmezana/317841/?sfnsn=mo)

Babis Xylouris has his own herds. He feeds them with his own animal feed. And with theιρ milk he makes amazing long-matured gruyere cheeses at Zeus Caven, his cheese factory in Haraki (Crete Greece).

Babis Xylouris is a young, third-generation cheese maker who is not afraid to try new techniques. He learned the art of cheese-making from his father and grandfather, who originate from the village of Anogia on Crete. In the village of Haraki (Monofatsi, Crete) an area that the people of Anogia used to relocate for the winter pasture to graze their flocks during the cold months of the year, Babis has created a modern small cheese factory, made of stone. And he has his own flock of sheep, which graze freely on the slopes of Mount Kastriotis. “In spring, the sheep graze on everything – from grass, sage and chamomile to wild artichoke. Later, they eat the tagi that we cultivate ourselves and they also honor the mulberries,” he tells me meaningfully and shows me three centuries-old trees, the shade of each of which can accommodate… a thousand animals.

Equally important to their food is that his sheeps belong to the local Cretan breed, the sheep that the old-timers call red-haired, black-haired or silky-haired. This is a smaller breed, which produces just half a liter of milk per day, while the foreign breeds that tend to dominate in Greece give two or even three liters of milk per day. “The taste of the milk of local sheep is incomparable,” adds Babis, who has consciously made the decision to invest in higher quality products. With gruyere cheeses aged from 12 to 36 months, Zeus Caven has already entered gastronomic restaurants and delicatessens, while also making some exports to countries such as Australia and America.

Cretan gruyere cheese-maker - tyrokomeio Xylouris

36-month-aged gruyere

At his cheese factory in Haraki, Monofatsi, about half an hour south of the city of Heraklion, we have the opportunity to see gruyere from the first hour of its cheese-making up to 36 months later. “Gruyere does not spoil, no matter how many years pass,” explains Babis, who has tasted gruyere that is up to twenty years old. On the cheese table, he has the heads of still soft cheese resting, draining in their special cases. When he takes them out of the case to change their sides, their elastic texture is revealed. The gruyere cheeses that mature in the basement are deep yellow in color, while their volume after twelve or more months is almost half that of a fresh one.

All aged cheeses have a layer of mold on their outside. “If a gruyere cheese does not grow mold, this is an indication that something is wrong inside it,” explains Babis. This natural fluff that the cheese acquires on its outer surface during its maturation is completely removed with high-pressure water when it is time to go to market. In addition to the gruyere cheeses, in the warehouse we also see two huge sacks of cheese weighing 40 kilograms, which are made as a lucky charm every year and bear the name of Telamon, the mythical figure who guarded the cave of Zeus in Sicily.

The “sack cheese” is also ripened in a cloth, a product indicative of Babis’s apt experimentation. It is a sour hard cheese that matures for 12 months hanging in a sack and its taste is reminiscent of that of gruyere. In addition to the “sack cheese”, there is also the “xekaukaloto”, which is smaller in size and matures hanging in the air. While we taste an excellent, aromatic and slightly spicy gruyere aged for three years, Babis shares a cheesemaker’s secret: to assess the authenticity of a gruyere, they touch a small piece of it to the palate after chewing. If the gruyere sticks there, it means that it has been made with the right fats.

Two more flavors that we have the opportunity to try at the cheese factory are the steamed anthotyro that has just come out of the cauldron and the whey. The first impresses with its mild, sweet flavor, while the second is slightly sweet and so rich in protein that it could be a natural solution for those trying to increase it in their diet. The next stage of development of the Zeus Caven cheese factory foresees the creation of a visitor space and it will be a truly excellent opportunity to be able to get a taste of all the individual products and the stages of a high-level cheesemaking.

Information: Mr Babis Xylouris  - Zeus Caven, Charaki Monofatsiou, Heraklion Crete,

Mobile: 0030 6983 911848