Ossetian cheese
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Ossetian cheese | |
---|---|
Country of origin | Russia |
Region | North Caucasus |
Source of milk | Cow, sheep or goat milk |
Pasteurised | Depends on variety |
Texture | Depends on variety |
Ossetian cheese or Alanian cheese (Ossetian: ирон цыхт / дигорон цигъд, romanized: iron cyxt / digoron cihd[1]) is a traditional cheese of the national Ossetian cuisine. It is prepared from sheep, goat or whole cow's milk.
Production
[edit]To fresh warm milk in an enameled bucket or deep pot is added whey (Ossetian: сылы / сулу, romanized: syly / sulu, from which the old name of cheese is Ossetian: сылыджын / сулугун, romanized: sylydžyn / sulugun, literally translated as "made in whey"), infused with the source of enzymes - pieces of cleaned and salted cow's stomach (rennet). The milk is stirred and left in a warm place for 40–60 minutes, while controlling the curdling process of the milk to prevent over-fermentation. The curdled milk is stirred, then squeezed from the whey and placed in a mold.
Interesting facts
[edit]Cheese was one of the main foodstuffs of the ancestors of the Ossetians (Alans) in the conditions of mountain farming. Cheese had a characteristic flavor and could be stored for a long time.
References
[edit]- ^ Takazov, Fedar Magometovič (2015). Digorsko-russkij slovarʹ, russko-digorskij slovarʹ: = Digoron-urussag dzurduat, urussag-digoron dzurduat. Vladikavkaz: Verlag nicht ermittelbar. ISBN 978-5-98585-121-2.