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A wealth of cheese
Publicado el 17/03/2015
Sheep’s cheese has centuries of history and properties which you surely don’t know about.
Sheep’s cheese is a product which has been around for a long time. It is said that the Greek gods taught humankind how to make it, but its real origin is very different given that it was discovered by chance. A shepherd kept some of his sheep’s milk for a period of time, and it curdled, giving rise to this delicious dairy product. There are many anecdotes about sheep’s cheese, but one of the best-known is that thanks to its size (not normally very big) and the fact it keeps well for a long time, it was one of the foods eaten on Columbus’s voyage to the Americas.
But anecdotes apart, sheep’s cheese has many properties which you surely don’t know about. To begin with, like goat’s milk, sheep’s milk has less lactose than cow’s milk. Therefore, it is a good alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. What’s more, compared with cow’s cheese, sheep’s cheese has many more minerals and vitamins. Its high calcium content is a help for people who have problems with their bones. And the iron in it means that people with anaemia should be among its biggest consumers.
There isn’t just one type of cheese made with this milk – we can find a wide range of styles. You undoubtedly eat sheep’s cheese without knowing it, given that many famous cheeses, for example, Roquefort, are made with this animal’s milk. And not only do we find cured or semi-cured cheeses, there is also fresh cheese made with sheep’s milk, although it isn’t the most common.
Despite the fact that last year average cheese consumption in Spain fell slightly, sales of sheep’s cheese grew almost 6%. Maybe this is a consequence of its properties, the fact it is easy to keep, and also its exquisite flavour, all of which make this cheese a luxury fit for any palate.