Sheep cheese: health benefits, the most famous types

In ancient times, the cheese was made mainly of sheep's milk. It is not only sweeter than cow's, but nutritious. Therefore, even now sheep cheese does not lose popularity. Let's find out more about this useful and tasty product.

Advantages, health benefits

Cheese from sheep's milk is a source of vitamins A, B, D, E, which are necessary for a person. Therefore it is necessary to include it in a diet to reduce the use of dietary supplements and other drugs. In addition, it is rich in folic acid and vitamin B12.

Sheep's milk contains protein up to three times more than cow or goat, calcium and potassium - up to two times. And all these substances are in the most optimal ratio for the human body to assimilate.

It has a high fat content - up to 32 - 34%, which sometimes scares people away. But these are useful fatty acids that go through the natural process of homogenization, which contributes to their better absorption. For products from cow's and goat's milk, this is not typical.

Do not confuse the fat and cholesterol levels. Moreover, sheep cheese contains substances that contribute to its removal from the body. It is also useful for people with allergies, asthma. Products from sheep's milk can be consumed even by persons with lactose intolerance, especially cheese and yogurt.

disadvantages

Perhaps the main disadvantage of this product is its rarity, and hence the cost Therefore, to find real sheep hard cheese is sometimes difficult.

Another disadvantage is the high sodium content. 30 grams of sheep's cheese contains about a third of the daily intake of this trace element. Its regular excess increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Product types

Cheese from sheep milk is distinguished by its special taste and rich cream texture. Popular all over the world, they are produced most often in mountainous areas, where dairy cattle grazing is inexpedient or impossible. Sheep cheese is not like a cow, so it can be a source of new gourmet taste discoveries. And to the culinary specialists, he will give an opportunity to experiment with many classical dishes of European cuisine.

One of the most popular and common such cheeses is feta. He comes from Greece, and by European standards in the food industry, contains 70% of sheep and 30% of goat's milk. Feta is made in brine, which gives it a salty taste. This is an important component of the traditional Greek salad and Mediterranean cuisine in general.

Spain is a major producer of cheese from sheep's milk. Some varieties have a high popularity and are known all over the world. For example, mancha - semisolid sheep cheese, which is kept for several months in caves. Depending on its age, it can have a somewhat sweet or pungent taste, but as a rule it has a mild flavor and therefore it fits well with other products.

In Italy, the most popular cheese from sheep's milk is undoubtedly a pecorino romano. It is similar to Parmesan, but often has a stronger and salty taste. Most often it is cut and served with pasta or soups. It is better to combine it with traditional Italian red wines, such as chianti.

Centuries-old traditions

French cheeses are hardly inferior to the popularity and popularity of perfume products. They are a common souvenir brought by tourists. One of the most famous is Roquefort - a blue cheese made from sheep's milk, named after the region where it is produced. It was first mentioned in the works of the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (79 CE). This cheese is moldy, slightly sour and with an unusual flavor. Therefore, it should be combined with products that are not inferior to it in the brightness of taste, to serve it better bordeaux or strong Cabernet Sauvignon.

Corsican cheese from sheep's milk is also very popular. On this mountainous island sheep herds can be found everywhere. The most famous cheeses are brocci and rum, but each district has its own peculiarities of manufacturing and therefore its name. For example, Corsican cheese from sheep's milk with a beautiful name Bryn de Amur (in translation - the birth of love) after formation is wrapped in local herbs. Then it ripens, absorbs their fragrance, and a soft greenish crust of mold appears on it. This cheese is made exclusively by hand and can only be made in Corsica, which explains its very high cost.