Characteristics of major traditional regional cheese varieties of East-Mediterranean countries: a review

Abstract

-Traditional cheeses represent a heritage and are the result of accumulated empirical knowledge passed on from generation to generation. Pedoclimatic conditions in most parts of the East-Mediterranean and neighbouring countries are characterised by relatively small and irregular precipitations, hot and dry summers, and a largely hilly terrain. Such environmental conditions are not very favourable for cattle but suitable for sheep and goats. Thus, the majority of traditional cheeses in these countries were -and most of them still are -made from the milk of these two animals. The relatively high ambient temperature, the lack of refrigeration facilities and the fact that most of the cheeses were produced in family enterprises or in small artisanal units led the cheese market to be dominated (> 50%) by "white brined cheeses" (WBC), which are ripened and stored under brine until consumption, e.g. Feta, Domiati and Beyaz-Peynir. WBC have no rind, no gas holes and are soft to semi-hard with an acidic (pH ∼ 4.5), salty and, some of them, piquant taste. To improve keeping quality, the drained curd of some WBC is additionally scalded at very high temperatures (90-100 • C), e.g. Halloumi and Nabulsi. Traditional cheeses of the region also include pasta filata semi-hard cheeses (e.g. Kashkaval), the curd of which after draining and acidification (pH ∼ 5.2) is subjected to a texturising process (heating, kneading and stretching at ∼ 75 • C). They usually have a flat-cylindrical shape, no holes and straw-yellow to yellow colour. Whey cheese production (e.g. Myzithra, Manouri, Lor, Anari, Urda and Skuta) was developed very early in this area, since the whey from sheep's and goat's milk cheese is very rich in protein. The yield can be improved if the milk of these small ruminants and/or cream is added to the whey.East-Mediterranean cheese / white brined cheese / whey cheese / pasta filata cheese / goat's cheese / ewe's cheese Résumé -Caractéristiques des principales variétés de fromages traditionnels régionaux des pays de l'est méditerranéen : une revue. Les fromages traditionnels représentent un héritage ré-sultant des savoirs empiriques accumulés et transmis de génération en génération. Les conditions pédoclimatiques dans la plupart des pays de l'est méditerranéen et ses voisins sont caractérisées par des précipitations relativement faibles et irrégulières, des étés chauds et secs et un terrain générale-ment vallonné. De telles conditions environnementales ne sont pas favorables pour les bovins mais conviennent bien aux ovins et caprins. La majorité des fromages traditionnels de ces pays ont été ou sont encore fabriqués à partir du lait de ces deux espèces. La température ambiante relativement élevée, le manque de réfrigération et le fait que la plupart des fromages sont produits dans des petites unités (familiales ou artisanales) font que le marché du fromage est dominé (> 50 %) par des fromages blancs saumurés qui sont affinés et conservés dans la saumure jusqu'à consommation, par exemple le Feta, le Domiati, le Be...

Traditional Balkan fermented milk products

“…These cheeses are characterized by a semi-hard and elastic consistency, a yellow color of the cutting surface and a water content of over 46% [62][63][64][65][66]. These cheeses are characterized by a semi-hard and elastic consistency, a yellow color of the cutting surface and a water content of over 46% [62][63][64][65][66].…”

Proteolysis and related enzymatic activities in ten Greek cheese varieties

“…The main reason is the higher moisture content of Feta and Kalathaki (53-56%) compared to the other cheese groups and the very high salt-in-moisture of Sfela,~12% (Table 2). Furthermore, migration of whey proteins and soluble proteolysis products into the brine (Alichanidis and Polychroniadou 2008) limits the concentration of these products in the cheese mass. Surprisingly, very high values of soluble N fractions have been found in pasta filata type cheeses, despite the severe thermal treatment of the cheesemass involved in their manufacture, which was expected to inactivate major proteolytic factors.…”

Chemical composition, mineral content and cholesterol levels of some regular and reduced-fat white brined cheeses and strained yogurt (Labneh)

“…The process is a practical means for preserving milk nutrients in a form that can be safely stored for extended periods of time at the high ambient temperatures in the region [16]. White brined cheeses, which continue to be the typical and most consumed group of cheeses in the Eastern Mediterranean region and in some neighboring countries, were traditionally produced from goat's and sheep's milk [1]. Nowadays, large-scale dairy processors are using the more readily available cow's milk to meet the growing demand for these cheeses in the Middle East and export markets [16].…”