Store shelves are full of various types of cheese: goat's and sheep's milk; yellow and mildew. Learn how to use cheese in your kitchen and find out how it is made and what their nutritional values are.
The greatest experts and most recognized producers ofcheesesare the French, Italians, Swiss and Dutch. The quality of the milk and the technology of its production determine the taste and appearance of the cheeses. Each self-respecting manufacturer has its secrets that make its products unique and unique. Although the recipe for the production of e.g. the most popularyellow cheeseis the same all over the world, English cheddar has a distinctly different flavor than Swiss emmental or Dutch gouda.
Goat cheeses - recommended even for allergy sufferers
The oldest cheeses were made from goat's milk. These omnivorous, undemanding animals could live where neither cows nor sheep would survive. Currently, goats are bred on special, carefully designed farms and on ordinary farms almost all over the world. They are valued for their milk.
Goat's milk has an appetizing, slightly yellow color and a spicy, slightly s alty taste. It is ideal for making cheese as the fat globules are smaller than in cow's milk. It also contains more mineral s alts, mainly calcium, phosphorus, potassium and chlorine. Its yellow color is given by carotene. The most valuable property of goat's milk and cheeses is protein, which does not cause allergies even in people allergic to cow's milk or egg protein.
Thegoat's cheeseis used for milk obtained from animals grazing in the meadows. Goats that spend a lot of time indoors produce milk with a specific, unpleasant odor that would be unacceptable in dairy products. The highest quality cheeses are prepared from processed raw milk. They are soft, usually with an appetizing, velvety, natural skin. Sometimes the cheeses are coated in charcoal ash, sprinkled with spices, herbs and wrapped in leaves.
Gourmets say that goat's cheese grilled or dry pan, served with salads, is the best dish in the world. Cheese served as an addition to sandwiches and salads is equally popular. The biggest fans of goat cheeses are the French and the English, who are increasingly turning to old recipesgiving cheeses a unique flavor and character.
This will be useful to youWhich cheeses to choose for the cheese board?
In France, cheese is a separate menu item. On a cheese platter (or rather on a board) you should find 4-5 types of cheeses of different taste, shape and texture. The most common are blue mold cheese (Roquefort), soft cheese with white mold (Camembert), hard cheese and goat cheese. They are decorated with fruit or nuts and served with a baguette and wine, most often dry red or pink. A special knife with holes in the blade, tipped with two skewers (for placing on a plate) is best for cutting and putting on cheese. Cut round, square, pyramid-shaped or cone-shaped cheeses like a cake, divide small cheese in half, Brie type into triangular slices.
Sheep cheese: oscypek, sheep cheese, feta
Sheep's milk differs significantly from cow's milk. It contains twice as much fat and protein. Its biggest disadvantage is the specific, rancid, "sheep" smell. For this reason, it is reluctantly seen on tables, but when made into cheese, it becomes a real delicacy.
The best representative of sheep cheeses is Polishoscypek . Gourmets say that it is our only truly original cheese that has a chance to compete with the best products in the world. Nothing unusual. Anyone who has tasted oscypek smoked hearth at least once will share this delight. Oscypek can only be made from May to September, and sold until the end of October. The addition of cow's milk is allowed. The secret of the recipe of these cheeses is carefully guarded and passed down from generation to generation. Most townspeople know the taste of "fakes" oscypek, usually sold at the bazaar. Only after tasting the original sheep's cheese do we become die-hard fans.
Osypek likes the company of vegetables, mushrooms and … smoked fish. It tastes delicious when baked and is often treated as a substitute for Parmesan cheese.
Other products of Podhale shepherds deserve no less recognition, e.g. semi-soft cheese calledbryndza . Also, its recipe is passed down from generation to generation.
The taste of oscypek and bryndza is influenced by the unusual place of their production. There are many plant species found only in Podhale. In addition, the areas where sheep graze are one of the cleanest regions not only in Poland, but also in the whole of Europe. That is why our oscypek or sheep cheese delight culinary experts from around the world.
Sheep milk cheeses are not produced only in Poland. For centuries, they have been produced, for example, in Spain and Greece. Greek fetaIt is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk (its popular counterparts are made from cow's milk). This s alty, soft cheese melts perfectly at elevated temperatures and is suitable for baking. On the other hand, hard feta cheese is added to salads.
Do you like cheese? Get to know their nutritional values
Not only gourmets and chefs can talk about cheeses endlessly, but also nutritionists, dentists and orthopedists. Because yellow cheese, traditionally made from cow's milk, is an excellent source of calcium, protein and vitamin B12. Four slices cover your daily calcium requirement. Yellow cheese is also high in cholesterol and fats, including saturated fatty acids that are detrimental to your he alth.
Therefore, eating an excessive amount of cheese promotes atherosclerosis and obesity. A 100 g portion is at least 300 kcal! However, nutritionists do not remove cheeses from the menu of people struggling with overweight or heart disease. They recommend combining white or yellow cheese with vegetables and fruit, which are low in calories and contain vitamin C and beta-carotene to protect blood vessels against atherosclerosis. A perfect example of such a combination of various products beneficial to he alth is salads.
Ways of serving cheeses
In most of the world's cuisines, hard cheeses play an important role. However, they are rarely served in slices placed on sandwiches, as we do here. In France, they are served after the main meal but before coffee (sometimes instead of dessert). Several types of cheese are placed on a separate board. Their sharp and definitely s alty taste is liked by the company of sweet fruit (grapes, pears, fresh figs) or nuts. Many people think that the combination of cheese and dark grapes is so perfect that they consider it a profanity to eat anything else after such a feast.
But in the world, and recently also in Poland, baked cheeses have the most supporters. The simplest toast, sprinkled with grated cheese and placed in the oven for a few minutes, becomes a delicacy. When making casseroles, mix the cheese shavings with breadcrumbs. This creates a delicious crunchy shell with fewer calories and less cholesterol than a regular cheese sandwich. Yet another flavor is made by mixing cheese shavings with sunflower seeds, finely chopped nuts or almonds.
Semi-hard cheeses with a creamy, greasy interior and a skin covered with appetizing mold can be served as an elegant appetizer. It is enough to wrap the cheese in a round box with aluminum foil and put it in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Before serving, remove the foil and the lid of the box. Cut the crust on the cheese crosswise, and then the semi-liquid, tasty and aromatic contentwe eat by dipping pieces of fresh baguette in it.
Mild cheeses have a very sharp, strong taste - that is why they are often used to "tweak" the taste of various pastes and meat dishes, e.g. chicken breasts (sprinkled with a small amount of blue cheese and baked, they obtain an elegant appearance and are very tasty) .
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