Kashkaval Cheese: A Tasty Variety Of Eastern Mediterranean

Kashkaval is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. It is typically made from sheep's or cow's milk, though some varieties are made from buffalo or goat milk. The cheese has a tangy, slightly nutty flavour and is used in a variety of dishes, including pastries, pizzas, and salads. In some countries, such as Albania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, the term kashkaval is used to refer to all yellow cheeses. The cheese is believed to get its name from the Latin caseus (cheese) and caballus (horse), due to the traditional method of drying the cheese by hanging two gourd-shaped balls over a wooden pole, resembling a horse's back.

Kashkaval is made from cow's milk, sheep's milk, or both

Kashkaval is a semi-hard cheese with a tangy, slightly nutty flavour that originated in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. It can be made from either cow's milk or sheep's milk, or a combination of both. In Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania, the term "kashkaval" is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses, or any cheese that is not "sirene" (white cheese).

In Bulgaria, for example, "kashkaval vitosha" is made from cow's milk, while "kashkaval balkan" is made from ewe's milk, and "kashkaval preslav" is made from a mixture of both. Similarly, in North Macedonia, Kashkaval is mostly made from cow's milk, but a variation made from sheep's milk or a mixture of both kinds of milk is also available.

In Serbia, "kačkavalj" is traditionally made from sheep's milk and is a protected brand of the city of Pirot. However, other cheeses made from a mix of cow and sheep milk are also sometimes branded as "kačkavalj".

Kashkaval is a very popular cheese in Israel due to the large Jewish population of eastern and southeastern European origins. It is also a major substitute for all other kinds of cheese in the Balkans, especially in pizzas.

It is a semi-hard cheese with a tangy, nutty flavour

Kashkaval is a semi-hard cheese with a tangy, nutty flavour. It is made from cow's milk, sheep's milk, or a combination of the two. The cheese originates from the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and its name may derive from the Latin 'caseus' ('cheese') and 'caballus' ('horse'), owing to the traditional method of hanging the cheese to dry, which is said to resemble a horse's back.

In terms of flavour chemistry, the presence of specific amino acids and fatty acids contributes to Kashkaval's unique taste. The cheese has a high concentration of glutamic acid, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, and tyrosine, as well as butyric, caproic, caprylic, and capric acids. These components work together to create the tangy, nutty notes that characterise Kashkaval.

The process of making Kashkaval involves several steps that impact the cheese's texture and structure. Initially, during the scalding and kneading stages, the casein aggregates lose their spherical shape and form a fibrous network with cavities. As the cheese ripens, the protein fibres undergo dissociation and fusion, resulting in a more homogeneous and compact structure. This transformation gives Kashkaval its semi-hard texture.

Kashkaval is a versatile cheese used in a variety of dishes. It is commonly used as a substitute for other cheeses, especially in pizzas and pastries. In some countries, such as Albania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, the term "Kashkaval" is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses. The cheese is also a popular side dish, served raw or fried, and is frequently included in breakfast pastries.

It is a traditional food in Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania

Kashkaval is a traditional food in Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania. In these countries, the term kashkaval is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses or any cheese other than sirene (which is usually translated as "white cheese"). In Bulgaria, for example, kashkaval is a common ingredient in breakfast pastries, and it is also used as a substitute for other kinds of cheese, especially in pizzas. In Albania, it is the most popular type of cheese after djathë i bardhë (white cheese) and is widely used as a side dish. In Romania and Moldova, cașcaval is used to refer to a number of types of yellow, medium, and semi-hard cheeses made from sheep's or cow's milk.

In terms of production, kashkaval is made from cow's milk, sheep's milk, or both. In Bulgaria, there are variations of kashkaval made from either type of milk, as well as a mixture of both. In North Macedonia, kashkaval is primarily made from cow's milk, but variants made from sheep's milk or a mixture of both are also available. Similarly, in Serbia, traditional kashkaval, known as kačkavalj, is made from sheep's milk, while other varieties are made from a mix of cow and sheep milk.

The process of making kashkaval involves changes in its microstructure and chemical composition during ripening. The percentages of fat, protein, soluble nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, and total free fatty and amino acids increase during this process. The presence of certain acids and amino acids contributes to the formation of kashkaval's flavour.

It is a popular cheese in Israel and Russia

Kashkaval is a type of semi-hard cheese that originated in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. It is usually made from sheep or cow's milk, and it has a tangy, slightly nutty flavour. The cheese gets its name from the Latin 'caseus' ('cheese') and 'caballus' ('horse'), as it was traditionally dried by attaching two gourd-shaped balls of caciocavallo with a single rope and hanging them to a wooden pole as if placed on a horse's back.

It is a popular cheese in Israel due to the large Jewish population of eastern and southeastern European origins. In the Levant (Syria, Jordan, Palestinian territories, Israel, and Lebanon), qashqawān (a type of Kashkaval cheese) is widely used as a melting cheese, particularly in pastries.

Kashkaval is also popular in Russia, where there is a Russian version of the cheese. It is also a common cheese in Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania, where the term is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses. In Bulgaria, Kashkaval made from cow's milk is known as Kashkaval vitosha, while a variation made from ewe's milk is called Kashkaval balkan, and a mixture of both is called Kashkaval preslav.

It is similar to cheeses like Gouda, Cheddar, and Parmesan

Kashkaval is a semi-hard cheese with a tangy, slightly nutty flavour. It is traditionally made from sheep or cow's milk. In Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania, "kashkaval" is often used as a catch-all term for yellow cheeses, or any cheese that is not "sirene" (white cheese).

Kashkaval is similar to other semi-hard yellow cheeses like Gouda, Cheddar, and Parmesan. In fact, in Romania and Moldova, "cașcaval" is used as a generic term for all semi-hard yellow cheeses, including Dutch Gouda and British Cheddar. While Kashkaval is typically made with sheep or cow's milk, both Gouda and Cheddar are also commonly made with cow's milk, giving them a similar texture and flavour profile to Kashkaval. Parmesan, on the other hand, is often made with cow's milk as well, but it can also be made with sheep's milk, which is another similarity to Kashkaval.

All three cheeses, Gouda, Cheddar, and Parmesan, can be used as substitutes for Kashkaval in recipes. They have a similar tanginess and nuttiness to Kashkaval, though each has its own unique characteristics. For example, Gouda has a slightly sweet taste, Cheddar is tangy and creamy, and Parmesan is sharp and crumbly. Despite their distinct qualities, these cheeses can be used in similar dishes as Kashkaval, such as sandwiches, pizzas, pasta dishes, and salads.

In terms of texture, Gouda and Cheddar are semi-hard cheeses, similar to Kashkaval, which makes them ideal melting cheeses. Parmesan, on the other hand, is a harder, crumbly cheese, but it can still be grated or shredded and used as a topping for dishes where Kashkaval may be used, such as pasta or salads.

Frequently asked questions