sheep milk cheese

Sheep milk cheese is a cheese prepared from sheep milk. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, manchego from Spain, the pecorino romano and ricotta of Italy.{{cite web|url=http://www.frenchcheese.dk/gb/sheep.html|title=Cheeses made from sheep milk |access-date=3 December 2014}}[Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best Max McCalman David Gibbons] Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep milk.

Nutrition and production

Sheep have only two teats,{{cite web | url=http://ansci.illinois.edu/static/ansc438/Mamstructure/comparanat_4.html | title=Comparative Mammary Anatomy: Goats & Sheep | publisher=Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | access-date=3 December 2014 | archive-date=15 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015155423/http://ansci.illinois.edu/static/ansc438/Mamstructure/comparanat_4.html | url-status=dead }} and produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} However, as sheep's milk contains far more fat, solids, and minerals than cow's milk, it is ideal for the cheese-making process. It also resists contamination during cooling better because of its much higher calcium content.{{Cite journal |last1=Flis |first1=Zuzanna |last2=Molik |first2=Edyta |date=2021-04-22 |title=Importance of Bioactive Substances in Sheep's Milk in Human Health |journal=International Journal of Molecular Sciences |language=en |volume=22 |issue=9 |pages=4364 |doi=10.3390/ijms22094364 |issn=1422-0067 |pmc=8122369 |pmid=33921992 |doi-access=free }}{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} Sheep milk contains 4.8% lactose, more lactose than cow milk,{{cite web|url=http://www.sheep101.info/dairy.html|title=Sheep dairy|access-date=3 December 2014}} and is therefore not an alternative for people who are lactose intolerant.

Though sheep's milk may be drunk in fresh form,{{cite web |url=http://www.napcsyr.org/dwnld-files/divisions/tpd/pubs/comd_brf/en/04_cbrf_sheep_en.pdf |title=Sheep Trade in Syria |work=napcsyr.org |publisher=National Agricultural Policy Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Syrian Arab Republic }} today it is used predominantly in cheese and yogurt making. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Bulgaria and Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano (the Italian word for sheep is pecore) and Ricotta of Italy. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep milk.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Fermented Fresh Milk Products: An International Inventory |last=Kurmann |first=Joeseph A. |author2=Jeremija L. Rašić |author3=Manfred Kroger |year=1992 |publisher=Springer |location=New York|isbn=0-442-00869-4 }}p. 343 Many of these products are now often made with cow's milk, especially when produced outside their country of origin. For the cheese to fully ripen takes at least two weeks; it can take between two and three months, and even up to two years.

By country

=France=

French sheep milk cheeses include Abbaye de Bellocq,{{cite web|url=http://www.cheese.com/abbaye-de-belloc/|title=Abbaye de Belloc - Cheese.com|access-date=3 December 2014}} Brique, Berger de Rocastin,{{cite web|url=http://store.agatavalentina.com/Berger-De-Rocastin-Made-With-SheepS-Milk-P16609.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140403111259/http://store.agatavalentina.com/Berger-De-Rocastin-Made-With-SheepS-Milk-P16609.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 3, 2014|title=Berger de Rocastin|access-date=3 December 2014}} Brebicet,{{cite web|url=http://www.cheeselibrary.com/brebicet.html|title=Cheese library: Brebicet|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=11 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011040929/http://www.cheeselibrary.com/brebicet.html|url-status=dead}} Le Claousou,{{cite web|url=http://en.salon-fromage.com/Events/New-Products/Le-Fedou-France-Languedoc-Roussillon-Cheese-maker-Stand-2.1-D-10|title=Le Fédou – France / Languedoc Roussillon – Cheese maker – Stand 2.1 D 10|work=Salon du fromage|access-date=3 December 2014|archive-date=3 April 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140403112420/http://en.salon-fromage.com/Events/New-Products/Le-Fedou-France-Languedoc-Roussillon-Cheese-maker-Stand-2.1-D-10|url-status=dead}} Lévejac, Valdeblore, Roquefort, Ardi-gasna, Agour, Ossau-Iraty, Brocciu,{{cite web|url=http://www.cheese.com/brocciu/|title=Brocciu - Cheese.com|access-date=3 December 2014}} Asco, Brin d'amour,{{cite web|url=http://www.cheese.com/brin-damour/|title=Brin d'Amour - Cheese.com|access-date=3 December 2014}} Faisselle,{{cite news|last1=Labro|first1=Camille|title=La faisselle rafraîchit les idées|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2014/05/02/la-faisselle-rafraichit-les-idees_4410110_4497186.html|access-date=19 March 2016|work=Le Monde|date=2 May 2014}} Fleur de Maquis,{{cite web|url=http://www.gourmetretailer.com/top-story-profiles___trends-all_cheese_considered__brindamour-614.html|title=Gourmet trends Brin d'amour|access-date=3 December 2014}} A filetta,{{cite web|url=http://www.fromages.com/en/fromage/613-filetta-corsica|title=A filetta, Corsica|access-date=3 December 2014}} and Niolo.

File:Cheese-France-Brin-dAmour.jpg|Brin d'Amour

File:Brocciu2.jpg|Brocciu

File:Fromage-levejac.jpg|Levejac

File:Fromage du Niolu.jpg|Niolo

=Cyprus=

Cypriot sheep milk cheeses include Anari and Halloumi.

=Greece=

Greek sheep milk cheeses include Feta and Kefalotyri.

File:Feta Greece 2.jpg|Feta

=Italy=

Italian sheep milk cheeses include Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Siciliano, Pecorino Toscano{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmRuoa40mQgC&pg=PT268|title=Cheese Primer|page=240|isbn=9780894807626|access-date=3 December 2014|last1=Jenkins|first1=Steven W.|date=January 1996|publisher=Workman }} and Ricotta.

File:Pecorino Sardo Cheese.jpg|Pecorino Sardo

File:Pecorino Rosso Volterrano one Quarter on whole TOTAL.jpg|Pecorino Toscano

File:Casu Marzu cheese.jpg|Casu marzu is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae and cheese mites from the cheese flies. A variation of this cheese exists also in Corsica (France), where it is called casgiu merzu and is especially produced in some Southern Corsican villages like Sartene.

= Croatia =

Croatian sheep milk cheeses include Pag cheese and Ovidur.

File:Paski-round.jpg|Pag cheese is hard, distinctively flavored sheep milk cheese originating from the Adriatic island of Pag

=Poland=

Polish sheep milk cheeses include oscypek and bryndza.

File:Oscypki.jpg|Oscypek cheese.

File:00932 Beskider Bundz-Käse aus Schafsmilch 2013; Sheep's-milk cheeses from Poland; Northern Subcarpathians.JPG|Artisanal sheep's-milk cheeses from the local market, made by sheepherders in Poland

=Portugal=

Portuguese sheep milk cheeses include Castelo Branco, Azeitão, Rabaçal, Saloio, Serpa and Serra.

=Spain=

Among the very many cheese varieties in Spain made from sheep's milk and protected by the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) there is Roncal,{{cite web|url=http://www.cheese.com/roncal/|title=Roncal|access-date=3 December 2014}} made in the Roncal Valley; Idiazabal cheese, made in both Basque Country and Navarre regions from Latxa and Carranzana sheep's milk; Torta del Casar, made in Extremadura region from Merino sheep's milk; Manchego cheese, made in La Mancha region from Manchega sheep's milk.

File:Manchego.jpg|Manchego

File:Torta del Casar.jpg|Torta del Casar served with biscuits

=Hungary=

Hungary produces Parenyica, a sheep's milk cheese described as lightly smoked rolled cheese usually made from ewe's milk, but also from cows milk; surrounded by an edible cheese twine.{{Cite book|title=Culinaria Hungary|last=Gergely|first=Aniko|publisher=H F Ullman, an imprint of Tandem Verlag GmbH|year=2006|isbn=3-8331-2184-X|location=Germany|pages=108}}

In the Northern region of Hungary another ewes milk cheese, Gomolya is made and it is allowed to ripen outside in the sun for 3 weeks while slung in cheesecloth under an open-roofed shelter. It will develop a stronger flavour when allowed to mature on wooden boards. p218.

=Denmark=

Danish sheep milk cheeses includes

Mønsk Mangcego and salad cheeses and white cheeses.

=Ukraine=

Ukrainian sheep milk cheeses includes bryndza and feta, salad cheeses and white cheeses.

File:Aged Bessarabian bryndza.jpg|Aged Bessarabian sheep milk bryndza from a market in Izmail