Sheep Cheese: Exploring Varieties And Flavors

Sheep's milk cheese is a variety of cheese prepared from sheep's milk, or ewe's milk. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt. Some of the most famous imported cheeses are made from sheep's milk, including Feta (Greece, Italy, France, and Bulgaria), Roquefort (France), Manchego (Spain), and Pecorino Romano (Italy). Sheep's milk is much higher in fat, solids, minerals, and protein than cow's or goat's milk, making it ideal for the cheese-making process.

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Feta from Greece, Italy, and France

Feta is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, crumbly, and slightly grainy, and is formed into large blocks and aged in brine. Its flavour is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. Feta is used in Greek salads, pastries, notably the phyllo-based dishes spanakopita (spinach pie) and tyropita (cheese pie), and is often served with olive oil or olives, and sprinkled with aromatic herbs such as oregano. It can also be served cooked (often grilled), as part of a sandwich, in omelettes, and many other dishes.

Feta has been made in Greece for thousands of years, with the earliest documented reference to cheese production dating back to the 8th century BC. The technology used to make cheese from sheep-goat milk is similar to the technology used by Greek shepherds today to produce feta. In the Odyssey, Homer describes how Polyphemus makes cheese and dry-stores it in wicker racks. E.M. Antifantakis and G. Moatsou state that Polyphemus' cheese was "undoubtedly the ancestor of modern Feta".

In 1994, Greece first requested the registration of feta as a designation of origin in the EU, which was approved in 1996. However, this decision was appealed by Denmark, France, and Germany, which annulled the decision as the Commission did not evaluate sufficiently whether the term feta had become generic. In 2002, the European Commission re-evaluated registering feta as a PDO, taking into account production in other EU countries, and re-registered feta as a PDO. This decision was again appealed by Denmark and Germany, but in 2005, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld the Commission Regulation. The court indicated that the term was generic in some EU countries and that production took place outside Greece, but that the geographical region in Greece was well-defined.

Despite the protected designation of origin, feta is also produced in other countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Bulgaria, Israel, and the United States. According to EU regulations, feta produced outside of Greece should be called a "feta-style" cheese or given another name. French feta is typically made with sheep's milk, sometimes from the excess sheep's milk not used for making Roquefort. It is usually mild and creamy, although goat's milk feta made in France can be drier and tangier.

Roquefort from France

Roquefort is a sheep milk blue cheese from southern France. It is white, tangy, creamy, and slightly moist, with veins of blue mould. It has a characteristic fragrance and flavour with a taste of butyric acid; the blue veins provide a sharp tang. It has no rind; the exterior is edible and slightly salty. A typical wheel weighs between 2.5 and 3kg (5.5 to 6.6lbs) and is about 10 cm (4 in) thick. Each kilogram of finished cheese requires about 4.5 litres of milk to produce. In France, Roquefort is often called the "king of cheeses" or the "cheese of kings".

Roquefort is made entirely from the milk of the Lacaune breed of sheep. The cheese is produced throughout the department of Aveyron and part of the nearby departments of Aude, Lozère, Gard, Hérault and Tarn. As of 2009, there were seven Roquefort producers. The largest-volume brand is Roquefort Société, made by the Société des Caves de Roquefort, a subsidiary of Lactalis. Other producers include Papillon, Carles, Gabriel Coulet, Fromageries Occitanes, Vernières and Le Vieux Berger.

The process of making Roquefort is governed by Appellation d'origine contrôlée regulations. These include that all milk used must be delivered at least 20 days after lambing has taken place, the sheep must be on pasture, and at least 75% of any grain or fodder fed to them must come from the area. The Penicillium roqueforti used in the production must be produced in France from the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. The salting process must be performed using dry salt. The whole process of maturation, cutting, packaging and refrigeration of the cheese must take place in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is a commune in the Aveyron department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Much of the activity in the commune centres on the production and distribution of Roquefort cheese. To be legally termed Roquefort cheese, it must follow the rules laid down by the federal standards of the Appellation d’Origine. According to archaeologists, the cheese-making process in the specific caves dates back to 900 CE. A visitor centre illustrates the process of making Roquefort cheese and offers guests a chance to sample and purchase the product.

Manchego from Spain

Manchego, or queso manchego in Spanish, is a cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of Manchega sheep. It is a semi-hard cheese with a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, often containing small, unevenly distributed air pockets. The colour of the cheese varies from white to ivory-yellow, and the inedible rind from yellow to brownish-beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour that is well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves an aftertaste characteristic of sheep's milk.

Manchego is typically aged between 60 days and 2 years, with older cheeses having increased piquancy, spice, and granularity. The cheese is first soaked in brine, a mixture of water and salt, and then brushed in olive oil, locking in moisture and flavour while still allowing it to breathe. The moulds in which the cheese is pressed are barrel-shaped, and the top and bottom surfaces are impressed with a design of a head of wheat. During the maturation process, Manchego develops a natural rind that can be washed, coated in paraffin, dipped in olive oil, or treated with certain approved transparent substances.

Manchego is a staple in Spanish cuisine and is one of the most important ambassadors of Spain's national gastronomy, with almost 60% of Spanish cheese with Denomination of Origin being Manchego. The designation "queso manchego" is protected under Spain's denominación de origen regulatory classification system, and the cheese has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union. To be marketed as Manchego, the cheese must be produced within designated parts of the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo, all in the La Mancha region.

In Mexico and Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, "Manchego" or "queso tipo manchego" is used to refer to an industrialised cow's milk cheese similar in taste to Monterey Jack. This cheese is not the same as the Spanish Manchego and is made from cow's milk, not sheep's milk. However, this has been a source of controversy between Spain and Mexico for years, as Spain argues that Manchego cheese should only come from La Mancha and be made from Manchega sheep's milk.

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Ricotta from Italy

Ricotta is a product made from sheep's milk that originated in Sicily, Italy, and dates back to the Bronze Age. It is not technically classified as a cheese, although it is widely used in the same way. The production process involves heating the whey from other cheeses, such as mozzarella or provolone, to a near-boiling temperature, causing the remaining proteins and fats to curdle and form ricotta.

Italian ricotta is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk. It is naturally sweet, in contrast to American ricotta, which is usually made from cow's milk whey and is saltier and moister. Ricotta Romana, a variety produced in Italy, is specifically made from the whey of sheep's milk and is protected by the European Union's protected designation of origin regulation.

Ricotta is a versatile ingredient used in both savoury and sweet dishes. In Sicily, it is a staple of the local cuisine, featuring in pasta dishes and desserts. It is used in traditional baked pasta shell dishes, such as those with a meat ragu filling or spinach and ricotta. It is also used in recipes for lasagne, ravioli, and gnocchi. In terms of desserts, ricotta is a favourite component of many Italian sweets, including cheesecakes, cannoli, cookies, and gelato. The Sicilian cassata is a notable dessert made with layers of sponge cake, liqueur, ricotta cream, and candied fruit, covered in marzipan and white icing.

Pecorino Romano from Italy

Pecorino Romano is a hard and salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is often grated over pasta or other dishes to add a rich, savoury flavour. The name "pecorino" means "ovine" or "of sheep" in Italian, and "Romano" means "of Rome" or "Roman". It is one of the oldest varieties of cheese and has a strong reputation in Italy and around the world.

Pecorino Romano originated in Lazio, the region surrounding Rome, and was first created about 2,000 years ago. It was used to feed Roman legions due to its long-term storage capacity and high energy content. In the 1950s, the Sardinian president of Italy expanded the approved production area to include Sardinia, and today, most of its production takes place on the island. It is also produced in the Tuscan Province of Grosseto.

The cheese is made from high-quality, pasture-raised sheep's milk, which is heated to a specific temperature and mixed with rennet, causing the milk to coagulate and form curds. The curds are then cut into small pieces to release the whey. The cheese is then removed from the moulds and salted, either by rubbing salt on the surface or by immersion in a saltwater brine. This step helps to preserve the cheese and develop its flavour. Finally, the cheese is aged for a minimum of five months, sometimes up to a year or more, in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments. During this time, it develops its characteristic hard texture and sharp, tangy flavour.

Pecorino Romano is recognised and protected by the laws of the European Union, which upholds its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. This ensures the quality and authenticity of the cheese.

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