Chef-Ambassador Argiro Barbarigou Showcases Greek Feta to Celebrate World Milk Day

The UN Campaign goes globally viral in social media on June 1, 2019 under the hashtags #WorldMilkDay and #EnjoyDairy

The Home of Greek Feta: Epirus located on Greece's pristine northwestern mainland, where sheep and goats graze in the lush green mountains to produce Greece's 'white gold', one of the country's most important exports and perhaps the food most associated with Greece

ATHENS, GREECE: Greek Celebrity Chef Argiro Barbarigou is proud to participate this year in the United Nations World Milk Day, to recognize the importance of milk as a global food. The UN created the holiday back in 2001 to focus the world's attention on milk and raise awareness of dairy's vital role in healthy diets, sustainable food production, and supporting livelihoods and communities globally.

For Argiro's native Greece, no food fits this bill more than Greek Feta. For the tiny European nation of 10 million people, there is no greater giant synonymous with Greek cuisine than the salty cheese that's earned the moniker, 'white gold'.

The Greek word feta means "slice"—the form in which the cheese is customarily served—under EU law, only GREEK feta can be labeled "feta", which defines it as a brined cheese made in Greece from sheep milk, sometime mixed with up to 30 percent of goat’s milk

In 2018, Greek Food Exports exploded, due in part to global demand for Greek Feta (second only to Greek Olive Oil). Greek law decrees that feta must be made from at least 70 percent ewe's milk and up to 30 percent goat's milk. Each animal produces one to three kilos of milk per day; it takes at least four kilos to make a kilo of cheese. The more goat's milk in the mix, the firmer the cheese will be. Greece's total domestic production of sheep and goat milk is about 1.1 million tons annually!

But the salty white cheese is not without controversy. Last year The European Commission demanded member nation Denmark and its producers stop selling the cheese to non-EU countries as "feta" in a formal complaint. Feta cheese is considered the “white gold” of Greece’s economy, and was instrumental in helping the country out of its financial crisis. The country produces about 120,000 tons of feta every year. Feta of Greece joins EU's coveted list of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, along with world-famous Champagne sparkling wine (France) and Parma Ham "Prosciutto di Parma" (Italy).

Argiro: The Award-winning Chef- Ambassador, TV Host, Author and Restaurateur has enjoyed an illustrious career evangelizing the wonders of Greece's Cuisine and Greek food exports

Argiro's world-famous pies have captivated generations of TV audiences in Greece — She makes it look so simple as she cheers on fans with comments like "You can do it!" Now Arigiro shares cooking videos on her Youtube Channel "Keep Cooking" (coming soon in English)

feta is common ingredient in greek pies!

> Spanakópita - Aromatic Pie Made with Spinach, Phyllo, Feta & Herbs — Get the recipe

> Tyrópita - Argiro's Ultimate Cheese Pie — Get the recipe

Greece's northwest region of Epirus is home to desolate beaches, monasteries and the source of the best Greek Feta in the world. Wrapped around the Pindus mountain range — the “Spine of Greece” — Epirus is one of the Greece's best-kept secrets and a gastronomer's dream. The special recipe below features Epirus's traditional local cheese pie created by Chef Argiro.