Staka and Stakovoutyro
Στάκα και στακοβούτυρο
Say it: STA-ka, sta-ko-VOO-tee-ro
Cream skimmed from sheep's and goat's milk, cooked slowly with a little flour until it separates into a rich paste (staka) and a clear golden butter (stakovoutyro).
- Made from
- Sheep and goat cream
- Type
- Cooked cream and butter
- Keeps
- In the fridge
- Protection
- Traditional, not PDO
Origin
Where it is made
A mountain speciality of all Crete.
West to east. Schematic only, not to scale.
History
The story
Staka is dairy thrift turned into a delicacy: Cretan shepherds skimmed the cream off milk left to stand and cooked it down with flour over a low fire. Both products are used, and it remains a Cretan rather than a Greek speciality (Table Journey, n.d.).
The cream gathered for it is called anthogalo, the raw material of staka (Haniotika Nea, n.d.).
Raw material
Milk and proportions
Cream (anthogalo) collected from the surface of goat's and sheep's milk left to stand (Table Journey, n.d.; Haniotika Nea, n.d.).
From milk to cheese
How it is made
- Collecting the creamMilk is left to stand and the cream that rises is skimmed off over several days.
- CookingThe cream is lightly salted and cooked slowly with a little flour, stirring.
low heat - SeparatingIt splits into a thick white paste, the staka, and clear golden butter, the stakovoutyro (Table Journey, n.d.).
Composition
What is in it
| Composition | No published analysis. Staka is high in fat and protein (Facaros, n.d.-b). |
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Legal status
Legislation
| Status | Traditional product, not registered as an EU PDO or PGI. |
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Tasting notes
Look, smell and taste
Look
Staka: white to pale yellow paste. Stakovoutyro: clear golden butter.
Texture
Thick and creamy.
Aroma
Rich, nutty, cooked cream.
Taste
Very rich, with a distinctive taste (Facaros, n.d.-b).
At the table
How it is used
Staka is used like a roux to thicken dishes, and with rice or eggs (Facaros, n.d.-b): fried eggs in staka are a Cretan classic. Stakovoutyro goes into gamopilafo (wedding rice), pastries and over potatoes (Table Journey, n.d.).
At home
How to store it
Keep in a closed jar in the fridge (Facaros, n.d.-b). Stakovoutyro, being clarified butter, keeps for weeks.
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References
- Facaros, D. (n.d.). Staka. In Greek food decoder. https://www.facarospauls.com/apps/greek-food-decoder/25374/staka
- Haniotika Nea. (n.d.). Ena tyri... malama [A cheese... of gold; In Greek]. https://www.haniotika-nea.gr/94189-ena-turi-malama/
- Table Journey. (n.d.). Staka. https://tablejourney.com/greece/dish/staka/