How to Cut Feta Cheese

To cut feta cheese effectively and safely, the recommended method is to use a knife.

Why Use a Knife to Cut Feta?

Using a knife is the advised approach when cutting or cubing feta cheese for several important reasons:

Safety: It significantly helps to reduce any potential danger of bacterial contamination that could occur if you were to handle the cheese directly with your hands.
Accuracy: Using a knife will guarantee accurate portioning, allowing you to cut uniform shapes and sizes, whether you need cubes or slices.
Quality: This method will assist in preserving the cheese's quality and freshness by minimizing handling and providing clean cuts.

While feta is a crumbly cheese, using a sharp knife is the best way to achieve cleaner cuts and maintain its texture until serving.

Cutting feta cheese is straightforward. Here are the basic steps, typically aimed at creating common forms like cubes:

Prepare Your Tools: Ensure you have a clean, sharp knife and a cutting board. A chef's knife or a utility knife works well.
Place the Feta: Remove the feta block from its brine (if packed in brine) and place it on the cutting board. You can pat it lightly dry with a paper towel if it's excessively wet, although some moisture is fine.
Slice: Hold the block firmly and carefully slice it into desired thicknesses.
Cube (Optional): If you need cubes, rotate the slices 90 degrees and cut across them to create evenly sized cubes.
Handle Carefully: Once cut, handle the pieces gently, as feta is fragile.

For firmer blocks of feta, a sharper knife will give you cleaner cuts with less crumbling.
If your feta is very soft and crumbly, cutting it while it's slightly chilled can sometimes help it hold its shape better.
Consider the final use of the cheese – cubes are great for salads, slices for layering, and crumbled feta is perfect for toppings or mixing in.

By following these steps and using a knife, you ensure safe handling and get precise portions of your delicious feta cheese.