Tirokafteri: Spicy Greek Feta Dip (and How It Differs from Htipiti)

Tirokafteri (τυροκαυτερή) means “spicy cheese”: a creamy, fiery spread of feta whipped with chili, olive oil and a splash of vinegar. It is a fixture of the Greek meze table and the tavern bread basket, where its heat balances grilled meat, fried vegetables and cool dips such as tzatziki. It takes about 10 minutes to make.

Tirokafteri recipe (spicy whipped feta)

Serves: about 1½ cups, 6 servings as a meze. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 10 minutes (optional pepper roasting). Total: about 50 minutes, including chilling.

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) feta, crumbled
• ½ cup (120 g) thick Greek yogurt (or ricotta, for a milder dip)
• 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar or home-roasted), chopped (optional)
• 1–2 fresh green or red chili peppers, finely chopped, or ½–1 tsp chili flakes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, such as our Rapti Koroneiki olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• A pinch of dried Greek oregano

Method

1. If using a fresh chili, you can blister it in a dry frying pan for 3–4 minutes for a smokier flavour; let it cool, then remove the stem and chop it. Wear gloves or wash your hands well after handling chilies.
2. Put the feta, yogurt, roasted pepper (if using) and half the chili in a food processor, or in a bowl if mixing by hand.
3. Pulse or mash, adding the olive oil and vinegar gradually, until you have a thick, slightly textured spread.
4. Taste and add more chili a little at a time. The heat builds as the dip rests.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of oregano and bread or raw vegetables.

Tirokafteri, htipiti and whipped feta

You will see several names for feta dips, and recipes overlap from family to family. As a rough guide:

Dip	What it usually is
Tirokafteri	Feta with hot chili, olive oil and vinegar; the heat is the point.
Htipiti	“Beaten” feta, often with roasted red peppers, so it is sweeter and orange-pink; it can be mild or hot.
Whipped feta	A modern, smooth feta and yogurt or cream cheese spread, often served with honey; see our whipped feta with honey.

Adding a roasted pepper, as in the recipe above, takes tirokafteri towards htipiti. Leave it out for a whiter, sharper, hotter dip.

Choosing the feta

Feta has been a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the EU since 2002. Under the registration, it is a Greek brined cheese made from sheep’s milk or a mix of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Cheese sold as “feta” outside the EU may be made differently, so check the label. A block of feta stored in brine gives a creamier, tangier dip than pre-crumbled cheese. If your feta is very salty, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes and pat it dry.

Greece has other spicy cheese spreads too. Kopanisti, a soft, peppery fermented cheese from the Cyclades, is a separate product with its own protected designation of origin, registered by the EU in 1996.

Controlling the heat

Chilies vary a lot in strength, so add them in stages. Fresh green chilies give a bright, grassy heat; dried flakes give a steady warmth; a pinch of sweet paprika adds colour without heat. The dip gets hotter as it rests, so taste it again after chilling before adding more.

How to serve tirokafteri

• With warm pita or crusty bread and a few Kalamata olives
• Next to pork souvlaki or Greek meatballs (keftedes)
• With melitzanosalata and taramasalata on a mixed dip platter
• Spread in a sandwich or wrap with grilled vegetables

Storage and allergens

Keep tirokafteri covered in the fridge and eat it within 3–4 days. Like other dairy dips, don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, as the USDA advises for perishable food. It contains milk, one of the nine major food allergens listed by the US FDA.

Find more meze ideas in our Greek pantry recipes and olive oils in the Greek olive oil collection.

Sources

• EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1829/2002, Feta as a protected designation of origin
• EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (registers Kopanisti and Elia Kalamatas as PDOs)
• USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
• US FDA: Food allergies, what you need to know (the 9 major food allergens)

Tirokafteri: frequently asked questions