Cheese vats

Chanakh is a pickled cheese that is popular in Georgia and Armenia. Its fat content is 45%. The product is prepared in the form of a square bar weighing up to 4 kilograms. A distinctive feature of chanakh is the absence of a crust. The product is salty with light creamy notes, colored white. Ripening and storage of cheese occurs in a solution of salt. After 40 days in solution, the cheese is ready for use.

What you need to know about the traditional cheese product, with which to combine it and is it safe to include in your daily diet?

General product characteristics

Chanakh is classified as a pickled cheese. The process of its maturation takes place in a special marinade. The recipe for the marinade necessarily includes salt, the remaining components vary depending on the personal preferences of the manufacturer. The composition may include special syrups, spices, honey and even alcoholic beverages. The variability of tastes is the advantage of pickled cheeses. From one batch of milk heads, you can create a dozen different combinations of tastes and aromas both on an industrial scale and in your own kitchen.

The name of the product comes from the pot of the same name. The first batches matured in large vats filled to the brim with spiced brine and cheese bars of various shapes. The basic raw material for chanakh is milk of animal origin. In Armenia and Georgia, sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s milk is traditionally used. Modern manufacturers prefer only cow’s milk in order to reduce the cost of production and reduce the price of the finished product.

The taste of the traditional chanakh consists of a salty and spicy palette. Depending on the composition of the brine flavor may vary. The structure of the dairy product is fragile, but rather elastic. The product does not crumble, but breaks easily and has a very pliable texture.

Important: the vats should not fall apart into grains or crumble. If you have a product with such characteristics in front of you, refuse to purchase. Probably, the manufacturer violated the production method or storage rules.

The modern gastronomic market is full of various types of dairy products, but Armenian cheese attracts special attention. On the food shelves, it falls into the unusual shape of a truncated cone. Chanakh, like any other variety of pickled cheese, has no crust at all. Its color varies from pure white to pale yellow. The composition of the brine, the variety and the concentration of the milk may influence the color.

The milk mixture is prepared and made from it a viscous liquid mass. The mass is stirred, poured into special forms and waiting for its settling. Fresh cheese is sent to the solution and kept at a temperature of 10-12 ° С, gradually rising to 15 ° С. By the end of ripening, the temperature is lowered to 8-12 ° C.

Important: it is recommended to eat ripe cheese for 2’s months. After this period, the vats loses its beneficial properties, changes its structure and taste. Be sure to check the manufacturing date before purchase and evaluate the external characteristics of the product.

Useful properties of the product

The most useful is considered to be vats based on sheep’s milk. The risk of the presence of hormones and harmful antibiotics in sheep’s milk is an order of magnitude lower than in cow’s milk. Moreover, it contains less milk protein, which the human body ceases to absorb in adulthood.

But in a cow’s milk canal, there are also advantages. The composition of the cheese includes a number of nutrients that are necessary for quality life. Cheese normalizes the nervous system and the function of muscle tissue due to vitamins, improves skin quality and the condition of the teeth / bone system due to mineral substances.

Important: do not forget that dairy products can harm an adult. An adult cannot break down lactose. This is fraught with hormonal imbalance, rashes on the skin, problems with the intestines and the entire gastrointestinal tract. Nutritionists advise switching to vegetable dairy products and minimizing the consumption of animal milk.

Use in cooking

Salty vats are usually served as an independent snack. It is placed on the table in brine, which can be drunk, or cut into convenient portions. The product can serve as an aperitif. It will whet the appetite, start the process of salivation and prepare the guests’ stomachs for the meal.

The scope of chanakh is no different from other cheeses. It is added to salads, fruit / vegetable / cheese plates, rubbed into soups, served with pasta, meat, fish. The product can be combined with viscous honey, flower wine and served as a gourmet dessert. Chanakh perfectly tolerates heat treatment. If you need a soft, tender cheese crust, grate it 5-7 minutes before the dish is ready.

Advice. If the taste of chanakh seems too salty, soak it in ordinary filtered water. Taste the cheese periodically to assess the degree of salinity.

What is dangerous cheese

The body uses an enormous amount of resources to digest animal dairy products. In addition to energy costs, the balance of nutrients is disturbed. For example, for high-quality assimilation, the body releases the available calcium (Ca) from the bone skeleton. Calcium from milk is absorbed in a minimal concentration and cannot make up for losses. Milk does not strengthen bones and teeth; on the contrary, it makes them thinner and more vulnerable.

Milk protein puts a huge strain on the gastrointestinal tract. The body may simply not have time to cope with the volume of food that is ingested. The result is poor health, sharp pains in the abdomen, problems with the work of the intestines, a violation of the microflora and a skin rash. These symptoms can be eliminated with the help of pills, but much more serious consequences are possible.

In the liver of a cow, a specific substance is synthesized, the composition of which is very similar to a drug. This substance passes into the milk, and from there – into the cheese and onto the plate. Each of us felt the narcotic effect on ourselves – it is very difficult to stop at 1-2 pieces of cheese. We eat at least half the planned portion, but the receptors ask for more and more. This effect brings benefits to producers, but can result in serious health problems for the consumer.

Important: do not forget about the high fat content and calorie content of dairy products. They are best avoided by obese people and those who are unhappy with the quality of their body.

Another hidden danger is hormones and antibiotics. Hormones are synthesized in the body of the animal and must pass into the milk. Antibiotics become part of the cheese because of unscrupulous producers. They can additionally introduce special solutions that increase performance and affect the behavior of the animal. All these substances cannot be “gotten” from milk, so they move to the top of the food chain – to humans.

Is it dangerous? Yes. The human body is arranged differently and can react with a hormonal imbalance, sharp weight jumps in both directions, psycho-emotional disorders, and so on. It is impossible to predict the reaction of the body. The only way out is to prevent unpleasant symptoms. Eat 10-30 grams of cheese per day, making sure to dilute your meals with fiber and fresh healthy foods (fruits/fish/grains/nuts/superfoods).