The Benefits of Sheep Milk and Cheese

We were recently out for dinner, and Ron was anxious to order a cheese and meat platter as an appetetizer for the table. You see them on most menus these days. Often you see the basic American cheeses, maybe some local artisan cheeses and handmade salumi. You may even see some sheep milk cheeses, as they are becomming more and more popular. Look for them next time you're out and give sheep's milk cheese a try.

Sheep's milk is highly nutritious in every category. Two cups of sheep milk will provide the daily minimum requiremet for the average person of 800mg. of calcium, wheras it takes three cups of cow's milk to provide the same nutrition. The mdr for riboflavin and five of the essential ten amino acids are included in either 2 cups of sheep milk yogurt or 93 grams of sheep cheese without eating anything else. Compared to cow or goat milk, sheep milk is higher in fat, protein, percent of solids, calcium and calories. I haven't drunk sheep's milk in many years, but I remember not liking it. That must be why it is not more popular. The milk may not be to my liking, but the cheese sure is. Because of the high percentage of solids, sheep's milk produces excellent cheese. It is, however, very expensive, because most of it is hand made in small quantities. Years ago you could only find sheep's milk cheese in Europe, usually Spain, Portugal and France, but we live in a global community now and it is produced in small artisan farms throughout the United States.

High end restaurants will probably include a few choices of sheep's milk cheese on their menu. Some that I particularly like are Serena, a rich, creamy cheese from Spain. It retails for around $22. Pecorino, which you've probably had, is also produced from sheep's milk. It's an old style pressed cheese, with a buttery nutty flavor. Another good cheese is Idiazabel from the Basque region of Spain. It is slightly smoked during the aging process and produces a delicious flavor. It retails for about $22.

Sheep's milk cheese can of course be found in specialty cheese shops around town, but is also available in grocery stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts. Also look on line for sheep's milk cheese and you won't believe what's out there. So next time you're looking to spice up your cheese platter and give your guests something to talk about, include a sheep's milk cheese. I think you, and your friends will like it.