Sheep Cheese: Exploring The Cheesy Side Of Sheep

Sheep's milk has been used to make cheese for thousands of years, and it has nearly twice the fat and protein content of cow's or goat's milk. This gives sheep's cheese a rich, smooth texture and a distinctive tang. Some of the most popular sheep's milk cheeses include feta, ricotta, pecorino, and manchego. Sheep's milk is also used to make yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt.

Sheep's milk has a higher fat content than cow's milk

Sheep's milk is creamier and sweeter than cow's milk, and its higher fat content gives it a richer and creamier mouthfeel. It also has a subtle, almost sweet flavour that isn't too dissimilar from cow's milk, but is milder than goat's milk.

The higher fat content of sheep's milk means that cheeses made from sheep's milk will also have a higher fat content. This is true of feta cheese, for example, where cow's milk feta has 5.3g of fat per oz, while sheep's milk feta has 7g per oz.

The higher fat content of sheep's milk is due to it containing more "healthy" medium-chain fatty acids that are easier to digest, such as caproic, caprylic and capric acids. It also contains a type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of omega-6, which is believed to have cancer-fighting and immune-boosting properties and can help with weight loss by reducing body fat deposits and increasing fat burning.

In addition to its higher fat content, sheep's milk also contains more protein than cow's milk, and it is a good source of vitamin A, B, E and calcium.

Sheep's milk cheese is tangier than cow's milk cheese

Sheep's milk cheese is often tangier than cow's milk cheese. This is because sheep's milk contains nearly twice the solids (fat and protein) of cow's milk, resulting in a decadent, palate-coating texture. Sheep's milk cheeses are fatty and sweet, with primary tasting notes of candy corn, sweet cream, and a waxy lanolin flavour that tastes a bit like wool.

Sheep's milk has the highest fat content of the three main types of milk used in cheesemaking (the other two being cow's and goat's milk). This often produces creamier cheese. For example, Nancy's Camembert gets its creaminess from added cream, but a lot of it also comes from the fatty sheep's milk. Sheep's milk also contains more butterfat than cow's or goat's milk, with smaller fat globules that are more easily digested and less likely to cause high cholesterol.

Sheep's milk cheese ranges from subtle and approachable, with an undercurrent of sweetness, to tart and briny, to caramelly and butterscotchy, to piquant and intensely gamey. Brebisrousse d'Argental, a French cheese, is buttery, soft, and smearable, with a thick fattiness distinct from cream-enriched double or triple crèmes. It's slick and sweet but also briny, with a meatiness that keeps it interesting.

Another example is Rivertown from Many Fold Farm in the US, which is produced seasonally and has a savoury complexity of mushroom and garlic flavours.

The high fat content of sheep's milk cheese means that it should be treated with some care. If left out of the fridge for half an hour or more, it starts to sweat liquid butterfat, which can cause the edges to turn dry and waxy.

Sheep's milk cheese is starchier than other types of cheese

Sheep's milk cheese is a delicious and decadent treat, with nearly twice the fat and protein content of cow's or goat's milk cheese. This gives sheep's milk cheese a rich, smooth, and sometimes sweet flavour. But did you know that it's also starchier than other types of cheese?

Starchiness might not be the first thing you associate with cheese, but it's a defining characteristic of sheep's milk varieties. This starchiness is likely due to the higher levels of butterfat and calcium found in sheep's milk. When brought to room temperature, sheep's milk cheese often glistens as the fat content rises to the surface. This phenomenon is so common that some cheese connoisseurs use it as an indicator of when the cheese is ready to eat, saying, "when it's sweaty, it's ready"!

Sheep's milk cheese has a long history, with evidence of its production dating back to the 8th century BC in Homer's "The Odyssey". Today, it is used to make a variety of cheeses, including feta, manchego, and pecorino. Despite its versatility, sheep's milk cheese might seem less familiar than cow's or goat's milk cheese. This may be because sheep's milk cheese doesn't have a telltale colour or a distinct tang that sets it apart. However, once you know what to look for, you'll be able to spot sheep's milk cheese in any lineup.

So, the next time you're at the cheese counter, keep an eye out for the "sweaty" sheep's milk cheese. With its higher fat content and starchiness, it's sure to add a decadent touch to any dish.

Sheep's milk cheese is more nutritious than cow's milk cheese

Sheep's milk cheese is also an excellent source of three fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, E, and D. These vitamins play a critical role in many important functions of the body, such as supporting immune function, bone health, and eye health. In addition, sheep's milk cheese contains high amounts of vitamin B12 and folic acid in its natural form of folate. It is important to get B12 and folate in their natural form, as synthetic versions do not have the same effects on the body.

Sheep's milk cheese is also a good source of healthy fats. It contains double the amount of butterfat found in cow's milk cheese. Sheep's milk cheese is also rich in a polyunsaturated fatty acid known as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been proven to be protective against neurological and cancer diseases. CLA can also help with weight loss and potentially increase muscle strength, exercise endurance, and metabolic rate, all while strengthening the immune system.

Sheep's milk cheese is also a good source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs), which have several health benefits. MCTs are a powerful source of energy and have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. They also play an important role in colon health and may even decrease the risk of cancer.

In addition to its high nutritional value, sheep's milk cheese is also easier to digest than cow's milk cheese. This is because sheep's milk contains A2 casein, which is also found in human milk. People who are lactose intolerant often find that they can tolerate A2 dairy products without digestive issues. Sheep's milk cheese is also less likely to cause digestive problems than cow's milk cheese due to its higher protein content and the fact that it has a lower lactose content after the bacteria have consumed the lactose during the fermentation process.

Sheep's milk cheese is more expensive than cow's milk cheese

Sheep's milk cheese is often more expensive than cow's milk cheese due to a variety of factors, including production costs, supply and demand, and the labour-intensive nature of sheep farming.

Firstly, sheep produce less milk than cows, requiring more sheep to yield the same amount of milk as cows. This lower yield drives up the cost of production. Additionally, sheep require more specialised care and feeding than cows, which further increases expenses. The higher mortality rates of sheep due to their susceptibility to predators and other environmental factors also contribute to the higher production costs of sheep's milk.

Secondly, the demand for sheep's milk cheese often exceeds the supply. Sheep produce about half a gallon of milk per day, whereas cows can produce up to 20 gallons in the same period. This disparity results in a lower supply of sheep's milk, making it more expensive. Furthermore, cow dairies often receive substantial funding, subsidies, and marketing support from government and state associations, which is not typically available to sheep dairies.

Lastly, the labour-intensive nature of sheep farming and cheese production also influences the price. Sheep's milk cheese often employs traditional, artisan methods that require trained experts to monitor various factors such as humidity, temperature, pH, and wheel rotation during the ageing process. The time and expertise needed to produce high-quality sheep's milk cheese contribute to its higher cost.

The higher fat and protein content of sheep's milk, which results in a decadent, palate-coating texture, also makes sheep's milk cheese more expensive. The ageing process of sheep's milk cheese can bring out deeply sweet, English toffee flavours, further enhancing its flavour and justifying its higher price tag.

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