Brynza

Brynza is a pickled cheese made from a mixture of cow and sheep milk (rarely goat) ^[1]. Despite the fact that progress has also affected cheese production, the production of feta cheese is approached very carefully and traditionally. The cheese is soaked, given a special shape, spices are carefully introduced (if necessary). Real cheese is white, barely crumbly, but not dense, easily cut and has a salty taste of fermented milk products.

Brynza, made exclusively from sheep’s milk, is the main cheese component of the Romanian, Moldavian, Macedonian and Bulgarian culinary tradition. The product is added everywhere: in salads, pies, snacks, first and second courses. Cheese is fried, marinated, baked and even boiled. Why is cheese so good and how to introduce a new product into our diet?

General characteristics

Brynza is a soft cheese of a standard white shade. Its taste and smell are sour-milk, medium salinity. The consistency of the product is dense, often firm. Cheese breaks easily, but does not crumble. The hue of the cheese is uniform, it can vary from milky white to pale yellow. There is no pattern, a minimum number of irregularly shaped voids is acceptable. The surface is smooth, clean, does not form a crust. The structure of the surface can push back traces of sickle (a special mesh into which cheese is soaked). Slight deformation and slight cracks on the bars are allowed.

Cheese can be easily made at home. Prepare the necessary equipment, ingredients and create your own cheese with a unique flavor palette. Homemade cheese is significantly different from store-bought and saves the family budget.

A Brief Historical Reference

The Arabian East is considered to be the birthplace of the cheese. Seven thousand years ago, thanks to the oriental merchant Kanan, the world received a special soft cheese with specific taste and aroma unlike anything else. Kanan, setting out on another trade route, poured sheep’s milk into a wineskin, covered it with a lid and several layers of cloth so that the milk would not deteriorate from the heat. After a dozen kilometers, Kanan decided to take a break and empty the bowl of milk. As soon as the traveler opened the vessel, a white liquid poured out of it and a dense milk bar fell out. Kanan, without realizing it, got a way to make cheese. The traveler liked the taste and aroma of the dairy product, and he decided to repeat and improve this culinary innovation. So the world got acquainted with cheese.

Useful properties of the product

Natural cheese is the absolute champion in terms of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) content. Consider the amount of fat in its composition and properly distribute the product in the daily diet. It is recommended to consume cheese before 16:00 with a lot of fiber for complete and quick absorption.

High-quality cheese is kept for at least 30 days. It is this product that can benefit the body and favorably affect your appearance. Fats are the key to good health and good looks. The regular presence of cheese in the diet will improve the condition of the skin, moisturize, nourish it with useful substances, and stop aging.

Calcium, which is included in cheese, is more easily absorbed by the human body than a similar nutrient in greens and berries. The substance will strengthen the skeletal system and put the condition of the teeth in order.

Brynza improves digestive function, speeds up metabolism and does not create additional stress on the abdominal organs. The product acts as a kind of disinfectant: it creates a special barrier for bacteria and inhibits the development of putrefactive microorganisms in the digestive tract. ^[2].

Chemical composition

The use of the product in cooking

Recipe for spinach, egg and cheese pie

We need:

• potatoes (it is recommended to take young medium-sized potatoes with thin skins) – 5 pcs;
• fresh spinach – 500 g;
• feta cheese – 300 g;
• chicken egg – 2 pcs;
• butter – 30 g;
• puff pastry (it is recommended to take yeast-free) – 500 g;
• olive / vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons;
• onions – 1 pcs;
• garlic – 2 heads;
• spices and herbs to taste.

Preparation

Peel the potatoes with a coarse brush, boil in salted water. Drain the water when ready, let the potatoes cool, then cut into slices and place in a suitable container. Finely chop the onion, fry in a drop of vegetable oil until a golden crust appears. In the process of frying the onions, add chopped garlic and your favorite spices.

Prepare the spinach: wash the plant, remove the stems, fold the leaves and cut into thin strips.

Cooking Tip: Slice the spinach across the leaf, not lengthwise.

Add the spinach to the skillet with the spicy fried onions. Simmer until the leaves are soft and pliable. Put the prepared mixture of onions, spinach and spices in a container.

Finely chop the cheese, put it in a bowl with spinach, add potatoes and spices. Prepare the filling: beat 2-3 chicken eggs (avoid peaks) and send to the total mass. Stir the resulting mixture carefully. During stirring, bubbles form in the egg mass. It is important that they remain intact and do not burst during the cooking process.

Prepare the form (approximate size – 26 cm): grease with vegetable oil or cover with parchment for baking. Roll out 500 grams of yeast-free dough to a thickness of 2 millimeters and carefully place on the bottom / walls of the form. If there is too much dough or the shape is too small, correct the result with scissors. Cut the remaining dough into small strips to create a braided pattern on the cake.

Put the filling in a baking dish, smooth and lightly wrap the edges of the filling dough (to make a basket). Put the required amount of cheese on top of the filling. Take the cut strips and form a classic square pie pattern. You can be creative or completely abandon such decoration. Mix 1 raw egg with 1 tablespoon of milk, beat thoroughly and apply with a silicone brush to the cake.

Preheat the oven to 160°C and bake the cake for 40-50 minutes. Serve immediately after preparation. Try dipping a piece of pie in low-fat sour cream, pick up your favorite sauce or drink that will create a great flavor tandem with the main course. Now you have a good reason to gather the whole family at one table!

Features of local production and consumption of cheese

Brynza is a frequent guest of national cuisine:

• Ukraine;
• Russia;
• Bulgaria;
• Romania;
• Moldavia;
• Balkan Peninsula.

The product is added to vegetable salads, meat / fish dishes, used as a separate snack or main course. Cheese is even combined with first courses and served with tea. Despite the differences in the culinary traditions of each country, cheese is eaten with a characteristic side dish: fried onions, garlic, rye or wheat bread, boiled or baked potatoes, eggplant ^[5].

The Ukrainian city of Rakhiv hosts annual cheese festivals. In the “center of Europe”, the streets are filled with an impromptu market, where they sell home-made cheese for a symbolic price. Soft cheese is the most important component of hominy (a traditional Carpathian dish). Poles from the Podhale region fell in love with cheese so much that they decided to protect the product at the legislative level ^[6]. Podhale cheese is considered a regional product, and the standards for its preparation are excessively high. The inhabitants of the North Caucasus also cannot imagine life without a cheese product. Cheese is included in the daily diet of every adult. No wonder the North Caucasus is known for its centenarians.

Cheese is an easily digestible product that nourishes the body with vitamins, protein, healthy fats and nutrients. Milk protein, which is part of the cheese, is easier, faster and more efficiently absorbed by the body, which gives more energy, strength and muscle mass growth. ^[7].

Possible consequences and contraindications

Cheese is contraindicated in diseases:

• kidney;
• liver;
• bile ducts;
• stomach;
• pancreas;
• circulatory system;
• nervous system.

What is the rationale for this? Cheese contains too much salt. The accumulation of salt in the body is fraught with disease, swelling and poor health, so our bodies work hard to remove it. An organ that is affected by a disease cannot perform its functions in full, and the quality of salt excretion will also suffer. The body’s systems will begin to reduce performance one after another, which can lead to tragic consequences. Do not put your body in danger for the sake of momentary happiness.

Is it possible to “bypass” contraindications? Yes! The amount of salt is reduced by heat treatment of the food product. Send the cheese to boiling water for a few minutes, soak in water, fry or bake in the oven. Such a trick can only be used with the permission of the doctor.

Another absolute contraindication is lactose intolerance. The body simply will not be able to absorb the product and provoke side effects in the form of nausea / vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, bloating, the development of pain and seizures.

How to choose and store cheese

The cheese is sold after 20 days of soaking in a special brine. 20 days is the minimum threshold, which can be increased by the manufacturer to 60 or more days. Transportation can take both several hours and several calendar days (depending on the territorial location of the manufacturing factory and points of sale). The buyer, looking at the label data, will never be able to determine the exact date of manufacture and soaking time of the product. ^[8].

Cheese with filling or marinade is soaked several times longer than usual.

How to choose high-quality cheese if the information on the label is not always true ^[9]?

Crust

Brynza, unlike most varieties of cheese, does not have a crust. A dried dense edge indicates that the implementation period has been exceeded. It is better to refuse such a bryndza. The longer a product sits on the counter, the fewer beneficial bacteria survive and end up on the consumer’s plate.

Surface specificity

The cheese should not have a perforated pattern, like some hard cheeses. The interior of the product must be completely filled. 1-2 voids of irregular shape are allowed for the entire head of cheese. The presence of more voids indicates an incorrect technique for preparing, soaking, transporting or storing the product.

Fatness

Fats are the most important structural element for the human body. He is responsible for our well-being, hormonal levels, the beauty of hair / nails / skin. Women need more fat than men. Lack of fat provokes menstrual irregularities and problems with the possible bearing of a baby.

Don’t be afraid to buy high-fat foods: they taste better and provide more benefits. Cheese with a fat content of less than 40% will not affect your health in any way, but, on the contrary, will create problems. The body does not absorb low-fat foods well, an adverse reaction is possible in the form of indigestion, the appearance of rashes.

Learn to calculate the daily rate of KBJU. Introduce fatty foods into the diet, but do not go beyond the number of calories that is necessary for your goals.

Cheese should be stored in the refrigerator in any container. Do you want to extend the implementation period? Place the cheese in a glass bowl. To minimize the risk of mold and rot, place a few cubes of refined sugar under the cheese container.

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