Mallorca cheese . Mallorca cheese is a traditional artisan cheese made with raw sheep’s milk , or with a mixture of raw sheep’s and goat’s milk.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Majorcan cheese in Catalan medieval cuisine
- 3 Features
- 4 Shape
- 5 Elaboration
- 6 varieties
- 7 Sources
History
The first information of the cheese of Mallorca appears in the XXXIII century with the shipment in Montpellier and Marseille of XX quarterias te duas rovas te medie caseorum . It was a product made with milk from sheep, very careful preparation, with cheeses of a very regular size and weighing approximately 2.5 kg, prepared especially in the Llucmajor . Llucmajor cheese gained popularity for its quality and since 1345 the kings and princes of the house of Barcelona, as well as those of Trastamara, requested them. The importance of production is reflected by the large number of merchants in this guild who registered with it in the second half of the 14th and early 15th centuries. It is documented that the cheese from the Majorcan peasantry was never missing from the table of the Kings of Mallorca . According to Teresa M. Vinyoles and Vidal in the late medieval period, Mallorca cheese is the most commercialized cheese in Barcelona , followed by the cheeses of Aragon, and the one that has been most recorded in the documentation. It was also very present in the city of Valencia. It was a cured cheese that arrived at the ports of Barcelona and Valencia in the form of round pieces weighing between one and two pounds. Maria de Luna , between January and September 1403, bought 230 pieces of cheese from Mallorca. The King Martin , through his attorney kill of Loscos, Majorcan cheese bought in large quantities. The reconversion towards the production of cheese made from cow’s milk that took place in the past centuries on the island of Menorca has not been so intense in Mallorca , where, throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, it has continued making cheese especially with sheep’s milk and even goat’s milk . The use of cow’s milkIt has been linked to various business initiatives, of an industrial nature, that have been carried out throughout the 20th century . In general, these Mallorcan cheeses with cow’s milk have followed the generic patterns, even in the shape of the piece, of the Menorcan cheese.
Majorcan cheese in Catalan medieval cuisine
Vinyoles mentions the following culinary specialties in which the use of Majorcan cheese is documented:
- The sauce known as allimantegamade with garlic , butter , Mallorca cheese and eggs .
- The sauce known as almadrocmade with garlic and cheese from Mallorca .
- Noodles(grated).
- Macaroni(grated).
- Rubiols( fresh cheese , cheese Mallorca and eggs ).
- Stuffed with goats(this filling is documented on the Pere III table : parsley leaf , mescalla , honey and cheese from Mallorca ).
- Fregidor cheeses(documented on King Pere III’s table ).
- Majorcan cheese with pears.
features
Mallorcan cheese can be marketed for a very long period of up to 12 months or more. Its water content presents great differences according to the maturation time. Thus, a freshly made fresh cheese can have between 48% and 56% water; a 2-month cheese between 35% and 45% and a three-month cheese between 27% and 36%. In general, the loss of water is high, and occurs fundamentally throughout the first two months of the process.
Shape
The piece of Majorcan cheese is rather small, measuring about 6 x 15 cm, weighing between 500 and 1500 grams. The shape is square and with rounded sides.
Elaboration
Herds are milked twice a day. The milk raw heated to 32 ° C, is added vegetable rennet and the curd takes about 30 minutes. The curd is cut and shaped into cotton loaves that give it the traditional shape (fogasser). It is pressed for 8 hours and then salted. The curing is carried out in fresh premises for about two months. When the cheese is dry, the scab is smeared with oil .
Varieties
- Soft cheese
Cheese of a white color at the beginning and slightly yellowish on the outside after ten or fifteen days. It has a mild, aromatic and slightly salty taste. It is made with sheep’s or goat’s milk and dairy ferments. The milk curdles at about 32 ° C for 30 minutes. Once we have the curd, it is cut to separate it from the whey . Then it is molded, pressed and salted. It is kept at a cool temperature from one week to fifteen days. It must be consumed during the first month after its elaboration. Young cheeses made from sheep’s or goat’s milk are very traditional in Mallorca .
- Majorcan red sheep cheese
Red sheep cheese has a characteristic flavor, since the milk is very fat and the rennet is of vegetable origin (maceration of thistle pistils . The size of the pieces of cheese is variable, according to the manufacturer, but they are usually small. The production process is very simple: the raw milk from the two milkings is heated daily to 32 ° C, the vegetable rennet is added , curdling for approximately 30 minutes, and the curd is cut and shaped into cotton patches, which give it the traditional characteristic form. It is pressed for 8 hours and then salted. The curing takes place in cool places for approximately two months. When the cheese is dry, the rind is smeared with oil-based mixtures. Red sheep cheese, as a dairy derivative, is one of the most complete foods. 40% of its content is proteins of high biological value and 48% are fats, mostly saturated, which is why it is a caloric food (450 kcal / 100 g when cured). It provides calcium , phosphorus , magnesium , zinc , iron , sodium , potassium and selenium , in addition to vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B12, D, E, K and folic acid).
