Ossetian cheese

Ossetian cheese is a traditional fermented milk product of the Republic of Ossetia. This kind of cheese is very popular and loved in the Caucasian region. Highlanders have used Ossetian cheese since ancient times as the basis for many dishes.

Cheese has a pronounced aroma and unsurpassed taste (slightly salty aftertaste), a whole range of useful qualities and a peculiar look – a curd texture.

The history of Ossetian cheese dates back to ancient times, when the Alans, mostly pastoralists, used it as one of the main components of their food.

Ossetian cheese with its characteristic taste is close to feta, a cheese of Greek origin. Ossetians initially used sheep, goat or cow milk to make cheese.

Today, most people make it using cow’s milk. To obtain a dairy product, dry and salted cow or sheep abomasum is used. Ossetians have a lot of dry abomasum, because traditionally they kill sheep for every holiday (kuvd), wedding, as well as funerals and commemorations. To make cheese, they put a piece of rennet in a cup (0,5 liters) with whey. It takes several days to get the finished rennet mixture.

Ossetian cheese can be used both fresh (as a cheese product) and for making famous Ossetian pies. To keep it longer without refrigeration, the Ossetians put it in brine several times until the brine dries out and the salt soaks all the cheese. With this salting technology, the shelf life of cheeses increases to two years.

Ossetian cheese recipe

To prepare Ossetian cheese at home, you need to take eight liters of fresh milk (not skimmed), one hundred and fifty grams of kefir, one hundred grams of whey solution. How to cook Ossetian cheese? Milk must be poured into a metal container and put on fire. You need to heat the milk to thirty degrees. Remove from heat and add kefir.

It is important to mix everything until smooth so that the fermented milk product is distributed as evenly as possible through the milk. Leave the milk mixture for two hours – during this time the cheese ripens. Prepare abomasum (serum solution). Slowly pour the rennet into the milk, whisking constantly. Mix for at least five minutes. Let the milk stand for 3-5 hours until a firm curd appears and a clean break can be obtained by cutting out the curd. Gently mix the cottage cheese leaving large pieces. Let the cheese brew for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ossetians carefully and slowly pick up the pieces of cottage cheese at the bottom of the pot with their hands (a bucket can also be used), and then take the cheese from the whey. For the first few days they keep it in a 10-12″ cup once a day, pouring out the accumulating serum.

The Greeks prepare cheese using the same technology, only the last action is different. Using gauze, the whey will separate from the curd, tie the gauze with a bag and hang it up for five hours so that all the whey has completely escaped. Transfer dry cottage cheese into a rectangular shape, and put it under oppression for at least one day.

Ossetian cheese can be used fresh for traditional pies, as well as a salty and original snack. To keep the cheese for a longer time, preserving its taste and quality, the Ossetians prepared some brine (khanda) in a special barrel (migan). They put about 30-50 pieces of cheese in a barrel.

To determine the desired consistency of the brine, an ordinary raw egg was used. When the egg floats freely on the surface of the brine, then there is enough salt.

In Ossetia, there are traditional pies filled with Ossetian cheese. There are many recipes for making Ossetian pie, below are the most popular recipes.

Useful properties and calories

This fermented milk product is able to saturate the body with a whole group of vitamins such as E, C, B12, B9, B6, B2, B1, PP, A. In addition, Ossetian cheese is rich in minerals, including:

• calcium;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• manganese;
• copper;
• zinc;
• iron.

This product is recommended for use by people with hard work, which involves strong mental and physical stress, as well as adolescents, children, women during pregnancy and lactation.

Ossetian cheese has a high calorie content, therefore, those who want to lose weight should use it carefully and preferably in the morning.

Ossetian traditional pie

We will need anhi jan, this is a mixture that you can make yourself. Also flour, butter, milk, salt and water. To make a cup of anhi jan, combine one teaspoon flour, one teaspoon yeast, one teaspoon sugar, and 3/4 cup warm water.

Use it after about ten minutes. About six cups of whole wheat white flour is enough to make three balls about the size of a medium grapefruit. Add salt. Pour the anhi jan into a large bowl of flour. Add warm water or 1/2 cup milk, start kneading the dough. Important: mix by hand.

When it stops sticking to your hands, you have added enough consistency. Optionally, add an egg for satiety. One hundred grams of milk can be added to the dough. The dough is ready. If you add 30 g of vegetable oil, it will not be as sticky. Now cover the dough with a towel and let it rise (2-3 hours). It’s time to prepare the filling.

This time we will make tsakharajyn – Ossetian pie with cheese and beets. We can also use dill, parsley and onion, although some Ossetians make tsakharajin without them. Chop the beetroot leaves into very small pieces. Do the same with other ingredients. The dough has risen. It is time to form an Ossetian pie with cheese and herbs.

Put the dough on a wooden board with flour. Divide the dough into three even balls. Now we can salt the filling. This is not recommended before. Add 0,5-0,7 kg of fresh Ossetian cheese. If the filling is too wet, you can add flour. The filling is ready. Preheat the oven. Roll out the dough with your hands. Place some filling in the center. Connect the edges in the center. Roll out the cake so that the filling is visible through it.

Transfer onto a baking sheet. Bake the cake until the top is browned, but don’t overcook. After you take the cake out of the oven, use a stick of butter to soften the top and sides.

Ossetian pie with potatoes and cheese

To prepare an Ossetian pie with potatoes and cheese, you will need: 7-9 rosset potatoes (depending on size), cut into pieces; 2 cups suluguni or mozzarella, chopped; 2 cups Ossetian cheese or Greek feta, grated; milk; salt; whole or bread flour; melted butter.

The first thing to do is put the potatoes on the boil. While the potatoes are cooking, you need to chop all the other ingredients, for this we use a grater. Mozzarella first, then feta. All pieces of cheese should be small so that they do not tear the dough during baking. Potatoes are cooked, drain off excess water and mash them.

Allow the puree to cool slightly and only then add cheese to it (so that the cheese does not instantly dissolve). You can use milk to adjust the consistency. Spices are added to taste. Previously prepared dough according to a standard recipe should already increase several times. We divide the dough into even pieces and form pies, in the filling of which we put the potato-cheese filling. Bake the cake in a preheated oven until golden brown.

Ossetian pies with cheese calorie content depends directly on the chosen filling. For example, the calorie content of an Ossetian pie with cheese and spinach is one hundred and eighty-three kilocalories per one hundred grams of product, and a meat pie is one hundred and seventy-three kilocalories. The average calorie value of pies with Ossetian cheese per hundred grams of the product is one hundred and eighty-two kilocalories.

Do not deny yourself such a tasty and incredibly healthy fermented milk product – like Ossetian cheese, especially since it is so easy to cook at home.