Sheep's Milk Cheeses-101

Sheep's Milk Cheeses - 101

Sheep's milk cheeses are found in many countries. They are always versatile, delicious & a hit. They pair well with many othr foods, beverages & fruits.

Sheeps Milk Nutritional Info:

There are significant differences in the nutritional characteristics of cow, goat and sheep milk. Some examples are:

• Two cups of sheep milk will provide the daily minimum requirement for the average person of 800mg. of calcium, whereas it takes three cups of cow’s milk to provide the same nutrition.

• The minimum daily requirements for riboflavin and five of the essential ten amino acids are included in either two cups of sheep milk yogurt or 93 grams of sheep cheese without eating anything else.

• Sheep milk contains approximately 75% to 100% more protein than cow milk.

• Relative to cholesterol, there is growing evidence that medium chain - length fatty acids in sheep milk, which are different than those in cow milk, might aid cholesterol metabolism. Cholesterol level in sheep milk is 11mg/100g compared to 13mg/100g in cow milk. Deposition is inhibited by medium chain – length fatty acids and sheep milk uniquely contains 25% of its fat in this form.

• The high solid content of sheep milk enables production of superior yogurt. Cow milk yogurt requires firming agents which increase the lactose content to undesirable levels for individuals concerned about lactose intolerance.

Carles Roquefort (rohk-FOR)
Country: France
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Blue
Roquefort, the quintessential French blue cheese, has been made for centuries exclusively in the Aveyron district of south central France. This piquant, richly flavored, creamy, crumbly sheep's milk blue melts in your mouth. Carles Roquefort is a perfectly-balanced, utterly spectacular artisanal-production Roquefort, the only Roquefort still hand-ladled. As Roquefort is delicious by itself, sublime with a glass of port or sherry, spectacular in sauces, and great crumbled on top a salad or pasta, it is inarguably one of the most versatile cheeses available today.

Idiazabal (ee-DYAH-tha-ball)
Country Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Firm
Idiazabal hails from the Basque country in Spain. During production, the wheels were traditionally smoked over beechwood, hawthorn, or cherry for 10 days, imparting a slight smoky quality that would add depth to the rich, nutty flavor of this sheep's milk cheese. Idiázabal has a firm texture, similar to Zamorano, Roncal, and Manchego.
 

Bianco Sardo di Moliterno (bee-YAHNK-oh SAR-doh)
Country: Italy
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Hard
Bianco Sardo, from Basilicata, Italy, is also known as Canestrato, after the baskets in which this hard sheep's milk cheese was traditionally matured. These unique molds were made from Apulian reed and influenced the flavor of the end product, all while giving the cheese a beautiful exterior that reinforced its handmade appeal. Furthermore, the raw sheep's milk used for Bianco Sardo comes only from animals grazing on Apulian green grasses, instilling Bianco Sardo with the well-rounded and balanced flavor of the land. Its paste is dense and sometimes crumbly, its flavor earthy, sweet, and nutty.

Azeitao (ah-zay-DONH)
Country: Portugal
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Soft
Azeitão is a concentrated round of sheep's milk cheese that is coagulated with cardoon thistle instead of traditional animal rennet. Azeitão is named for the village where it was born in the foothills of the Arribida mountain range in Portugal. The pastures where the sheep of Azeitão graze are lush and covered in herbaceous scrub, giving the milk its characteristically rich flavor. Molded in cloth, Azeitão has a rustic appearance that adds to its romance. Its texture ranges from soft and unctuous to firm and chewy; you can cut open the top and scoop its yellow cream onto slabs of nutty bread. Azeitão was awarded name-protection (Denominação de Origem Protegida certification, DOP), elevating its stature in Portugal and abroad. If you have never tasted Portuguese cheese before, this is a great starting place!

Manchego (mahn-CHEH-goh)
Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Semi-Firm
Manchego, Artisanal. the famous Spanish D.O. sheep's milk cheese, is made exclusively from the milk of sheep grazing upon the plains of La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote. The Artisanal Manchego is made from raw milk and aged for several months. The cheese is nutty, sweet, and tangy with a firm texture. After 12 months it becomes tastier, saltier and excellent for grating. Manchego pairs well with roasted peppers and rustic bread.

Tavor (tah-VOR)
Country: Israel
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Semi-soft
Tavor is a Kosher sheep milk cheese from northern Israel. Sheep have been grazing in this part of the world for millennia. The milk that is derived from these free-range herds is especially nutritious and delicious. The texture is semi-soft and the flavor is sweet and buttery.

Serpa (ser-PAH)
Country: Portugal
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Semi-Firm
This sheep's milk cheese comes from Portugal, similar to Serra, however, the flavor of Serpa is tangy, pungent and a more pronounced sour finish

 

Roncal (ron-KAHL)
Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Firm
Roncal comes from the rich sheep's milk of the legendary Lacha and Aragonesa breeds of oveja sheep. Depending on the season, these herds graze in the high Pyrénées or the Bardena area of Navarra, the province that was the setting for Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." Roncal, made in one of seven villages in the Valle de Roncal, has nutty and piquant flavors with a firm, chewable texture. Somewhat similar to Pecorino Toscano and Manchego, Roncal has its own unique, mouth-watering character.

Schaf Reblochon (shahf reh-bloh-SHOHN)
Country: Switzerland
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Soft
This Swiss reblochon-style cheese is made from sheep's milk cheese instead of the normal cow's milk. It has assertive sheep's milk flavors and strong, but not overpowering farm aromas. The texture of Schaf Reblochon is deliciously runny and gooey and it tastes great on a plain baguette or in a Tartiflette - a classic mountain dish consisting of potatoes and cheese.

Zamorano (sah-moh-RAHN-oh)
Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Firm
Zamorano is a hard sheep's milk cheese, generally nuttier and richer than its Spanish cousin, Manchego. The nomadic shepherding families of Castille-Léon have been hand-crafting Zamorano for centuries. Zamorano has a full, deliciously gamey, sheep's milk flavor with a texture that melts in the mouth.

Gilboa (geel-BOAH)
Country: Israel
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Firm
Gilboa is a Kosher pressed sheep milk cheese from northern Israel. Similar to other sheep cheeses from around the Mediterranean, Gilboa's flavor is milder, a little grassier, and less salty. The cheese has excellent keeping qualities due to its firm toothsome texture.

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