What Greek cheese from the island of Naxos is a hard cheese with a nutty flavor?

Graviera Naxou is the hard, nutty-flavored Greek cheese associated with the island of Naxos.

It belongs to the wider graviera family, a group of Greek cheeses whose name is related to the Swiss cheese Gruyère. Graviera is made in several regions, including Crete, Lesbos, Amfilochia and Naxos, but the Naxos style is distinctive because it is made mostly from cow’s milk—typically about 80–100 percent—rather than primarily sheep’s milk.

Naxos graviera is formed into wheels and matured into a firm table cheese. Its flavor is generally rich and pleasantly nutty, with a mild sweetness that becomes deeper as the cheese ages. The rind often bears a crisscross impression from the draining cloth used during production.

A common mix-up is confusing Graviera Naxou with Cretan graviera or with Gruyère itself. They are related in style and name, but they are not the same cheese. Graviera can be eaten sliced, grated over pasta, added to salads or fried as saganaki, making it one of Greece’s most versatile cheeses.