Frederic Melton
Cheese is a dairy product made from the milk of various animals. The most common types of cheese are made from the milk of cows, goats, or sheep. However, cheese can also be made from the milk of other animals, such as reindeer, donkeys, camels, and even yaks. The variety of cheese depends on factors such as the origin of the milk, processing techniques, and aging time. With over 500 types of cheese recognized by the International Dairy Federation, the world of cheese offers a diverse range of flavors, textures, and forms to explore and enjoy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of recognised cheese varieties | 500 (as per the International Dairy Federation) |
| Number of identified cheese varieties (as per Walter and Hargrove) | 400+ |
| Number of identified cheese varieties (as per Burkhalter) | 500+ |
| Number of identified cheese varieties (as per Sandine and Elliker) | 1000+ |
| Common animals whose milk is used for making cheese | Cows, buffalo, goats, sheep |
| Other animals whose milk is used for making cheese | Reindeer, moose, donkeys, horses, alpacas, camels, yaks |
| Animals whose milk is not used for making cheese | Pigs |
| Reason for not using pig milk for making cheese | Pigs have teats instead of udders, and they produce a much smaller quantity of milk than cows |
| Types of cheese made from whey | Ricotta, mizithra, brunost |
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What You'll Learn
Donkey cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product with over a thousand varieties, produced in a range of flavours, textures, and forms. The process of making cheese was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal. This caused the milk to turn into curd and whey, resulting in cheese. While most cheeses are made from cow's milk, some are made from the milk of other animals, including reindeer, moose, alpaca, camel, and donkey.
The process of making donkey cheese was pioneered by Slobodan Simić, a former member of the Serbian parliament. Simić began rescuing mistreated Balkan donkeys and placing them in the Zasavica Nature Reserve in 1997. With the excess donkey milk produced by the donkeys, Simić decided to make cheese. However, donkey milk lacks the protein casein that helps milk to coagulate, so he collaborated with a Belgrade-based scientist named Stevan Marinković to develop a process that includes 60% donkey milk, 40% goat's milk, some rennet, and a secret concoction of additives. The cheese is then aged for a month before being sold.
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Reindeer cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product with over a thousand varieties, produced in a range of flavours, textures, and forms. The most common type of milk used to make cheese is that of cows, but the milk of other animals can also be used. One such example is reindeer milk, which is used to make cheese in Scandinavia. Reindeer cheese is yellow on the outside and white on the inside, but when cut open, the white part turns to a golden yellow. It has a mild and creamy taste, with a fine aroma, and melts easily in the mouth. However, it can quickly turn rancid, after which it acquires a strong odour and a burning taste.
Reindeer milk is among the richest and most nutritious of milks, with 22% butterfat and 10% protein. However, reindeer can only be milked for a small amount of milk per day, and they are also notoriously difficult to milk. Reindeer are semi-domesticated, meaning that they are wild animals farmed by humans. They tolerate human presence but are difficult to approach and milk. This, coupled with the small amount of milk they produce, makes reindeer cheese hard to find and expensive.
In the past, Finnish cheeses like leipäjuusto and modern Scandinavian cheese Juustoleipa were made with reindeer milk. Today, reindeer cheese is likely only produced by small dairies in the far north of Scandinavia as a specialty product. Reindeer milk is occasionally sold in Lapland for 120€/litre, and reindeer cheese is considered a rare delicacy.
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Moose cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product with over a thousand varieties, produced in various countries. The types of cheese are classified based on several criteria, such as length of ageing, texture, methods of making, fat content, animal milk, country or region of origin, etc. The most common method of classification is based on moisture content, further discriminated by fat content and curing or ripening methods.
One such type of cheese is the moose cheese, which is made from moose milk. Moose cheese is produced at the Elk House Farm in Sweden, also known as Älgens Hus, which translates to The Moose House in English. The farm is located in Bjurholm, Sweden, and is the only producer of moose cheese in the world. The entire world's supply of moose milk comes from three lactating moose at the Elk House Farm, which are milked for five months every year, from May through the end of September. The process of milking a moose is challenging and requires a quiet, calm, and delicate approach. The milk produced is high in protein and is used to make four varieties of cheese: a soft, white-mold variety similar to Camembert; a creamy blue cheese; a dried blue cheese; and feta, which is the bestseller. The feta variety is preserved in a neutral vegetable oil and is described as having a mildly acidic flavour and smooth texture. The cheese is available at select restaurants in Sweden and can cost up to $500 per pound, making it one of the most expensive cheeses in the world.
The origins of cheesemaking are ancient and predate recorded history. While there is no conclusive evidence, it is believed that cheese was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, causing the milk to curdle and separate into solid curds and liquid whey due to the rennet in the stomach. The earliest evidence of cheesemaking dates back to 5500 BCE in what is now Kuyavia, Poland, where strainers coated with milk-fat molecules have been found.
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Alpaca cheese
Cheese is typically made from the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. However, in some parts of the world, cheese is made from the milk of other animals, including alpacas.
Making cheese from milk is an ancient practice, with the earliest proposed dates for its origin ranging from around 8000 BCE when sheep were first domesticated. The process was likely discovered by accident when milk was stored in a container made from an animal's stomach, causing the milk to curdle and separate into curds and whey.
Today, there are over 1000 types of cheese, produced in various countries, and some enthusiasts seek out unique cheeses made from the milk of untraditional animals, including alpacas, llamas, and even camels.
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Camel cheese
Cheese is typically made from the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. However, in some parts of the world, cheese is made from the milk of other animals, including camels. Camel cheese is made from camel milk, which has been used by nomadic tribesmen in North-East Africa for centuries. It is said to be far more nutritious than cow's milk and can be used to make a sour, pungent, and powerful cheese.
Camel milk cheese is often dried, as in the case of the variety produced in Mongolia. However, there is also a soft, smooth, Persian Feta-style camel milk cheese produced in Australia. This variety is described as rich and creamy, with delicate flavors and a clean finish. It is made with pasteurized camel milk, salt, non-animal rennet, and cultures. The cheese is then infused with an oil blend of non-GMO canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, peppercorns, fresh thyme, and garlic, resulting in a mildly-flavored, herbed cheese.
The use of camel milk in cheese-making is not a recent development. In fact, cheese-making is an ancient practice that predates recorded history, with the earliest proposed dates for its origin ranging around 8000 BCE when sheep were first domesticated. The discovery of cheese-making may have occurred accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, causing the milk to curdle and separate into curds and whey due to the rennet from the stomach.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheese is usually made from the milk of cows, goats, or sheep.
Yes, in some parts of the world, cheese is made from the milk of other animals, including yaks, water buffalo, camels, reindeer, horses, donkeys, and moose.
Cows, goats, and sheep have udders, which makes them easier to milk than animals with nipples, such as pigs.
Pule, a donkey cheese made in Serbia from the milk of endangered Balkan donkeys, is considered the most expensive cheese in the world, selling for about $1,000 per pound.
Yes, there are now many vegan cheeses made from plants such as cashews, soy, or pumpkin seeds that taste and behave similarly to dairy cheeses.
