The best Russian cheeses for 2020

August 2020 marks the 5th anniversary of the Russian food embargo. For this small anniversary, the editors of the site "Ya Nashla" prepared an overview of the best cheeses that Russian cheesemakers have learned to produce over the years. The rating includes only the best manufacturers working strictly in accordance with GOST: the basis of their products is natural starter culture and rennet, all additional ingredients are also of natural origin. According to gourmet buyers, some varieties of Russian production are in no way inferior to their European "relatives". Today's review will tell you about them in detail and tastefully.

Hard varieties

The most common and in stable demand due to their characteristics. Firstly, they are the most "tenacious" of all - they are stored from 9 to 11 days in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp cloth or film. You can save it for a longer period by putting it in the freezer - the taste and quality characteristics will be completely preserved.

The second plus is versatility. You can make a sandwich or a hot sandwich with such cheese, fill it with pasta, pizza, and even cook soup from it - flavor nuances in all variants will delight gourmets.

The most honest rating of quality hard cheeses from Russian producers is here.

Belper Knolle

In appearance, its heads are very similar to truffles, corresponding to their name ("Knolle" in translation from German - "truffle"). The texture is crumbling. Garlic and freshly ground black pepper give it a spicy, piquant taste with sour citrus notes. Belper Knolle is crushed into salads with fresh herbs, added to soups and pasta.

One of the best producers in Russia is Sobolev Syr, whose office and production facilities are located in Yekaterinburg.

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Wine

Spicy cheese with wine notes, or Udriaco, is produced by the Istra Russian Parmesan Cheese Factory, whose products received two bronze medals at an international competition held in Austria in 2018.

Udriaco manufacturing technology was born by chance, like many other genius inventions of mankind. During the First World War, peasants in the Italian province of Treviso, trying to save their food supplies from hungry Austrian soldiers, hid the cheese in barrels of grape cake. Subsequently, it was noticed that they were perfectly preserved in such conditions and acquired a beautiful purple color, a spicy taste and aroma of grapes.

The Serbian recipe is more sophisticated: first, the cheese heads are placed in fresh red grapes, then they are “bathed” in wine for a while. The cheese is creamy white, spicy, with delicate grape notes and a delicate aroma of noble wine. The technology for the production of wine varieties is successfully adopted by Russian cheese makers.

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Altaic

An analogue of the Bulgarian Kashkaval, more spicy and rich in comparison with its prototype.LLC "Tretyakovsky Butter Cheese Plant", located in Altai, is one of the leading producers of spicy hard cheese.

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By the way, in Altai, in the city of Barnaul, on September 8, the annual Cheese Festival is held, the purpose of which is to support the Altai cheese-making traditions, which are more than a hundred years old. The festival is international, all lovers and producers of hard cheese can take part in it.

Soft varieties

They contain more liquid, their fat content is much higher, and the ripening period is shorter than that of hard varieties. The shelf life is also shorter - from 4 to 7 days.

Burrata

The "little brother" of mozzarella. It is made from cow's milk and cream according to Italian technology by the Cheese & Beer company located in the city of Korolyov, Moscow Region.

On the outside it resembles mozzarella, on the inside - a fluid filling with a creamy taste. The product is not for those who are accustomed to counting calories, 100 g of this delicacy "weigh" as much as 350 kcal.

Gourmet tip: Warm up the burrata a little before serving. You can emphasize the delicate flavor of the cheese with ripe tomatoes and olive oil with garlic seasoning. You need to cut the burrata just before use with a special knife, since inside there is a tasty and healthy liquid. Its remains are collected with a piece of freshly baked bread.

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Bocconcini

A native of Naples. The heads are small, round, like balls. The taste is creamy, buttery. Traditionally made from buffalo and cow milk. Smoked bocconcini balls are very good. They are made according to the original Italian recipe by the Mega-Master Cheese Factory.

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Balykovy

Balyk cheese slices are sold in two versions: smoked and pickled. Manufacturer: Krasnogvardeisky Dairy Plant LLC. Both options can brighten up a cheese platter, or just be a pleasant snack.

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With mold

The mega-popular German Dor Blue has many "relatives" with no less interesting and refined taste characteristics. In detail about the varieties that are successfully produced in Russia.

Camembert

Dense, soft, with a thin moldy crust. It keeps its shape on a plate and literally "flows" in the mouth, enveloping the tongue with a rich nutty taste. It can be eaten with a freshly baked white baguette and washed down with young red wine.

The best camembert producers in Russia are the cheese makers of the Lefkadia agricultural complex. All products are manufactured under the supervision of specialists invited from France. According to Roskontrol, this is one of the best farms with its own production. On the territory of the agricultural complex, there is a farm that contains the livestock of elite French sheep of the Lacon dairy breed, and cheese is made from their milk.

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Bush

French goat cheese with a noble white mold. Near the crust it is denser, with a pungent pungent taste; closer to the middle, it is soft, with a delicate texture and enveloping creamy taste.

Gourmets recommend trying the Russian "Byush of Lefkadia" made in the cheese dairy of the same name.Manufacturers have carefully treated the recipe for this masterpiece of gastronomy, keeping it up to the smallest nuances.

Also worthy of attention is the "Goat log" made from goat milk from the Russian cheese dairy "Cosa Nostra". A moldy crust is additionally covered with a layer of food ash, which gives a special flavor.

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Roquefort

Young cheese is creamy white with blue streaks of mold. Aged - dark yellow, with blue-black "marble" veins, slightly crumbling consistency, with a distinctly sweet aftertaste. The most "roquefort" Roquefort is produced at Maria Koval's cheese dairy - they scrupulously follow the recipe and production technology, all products are manufactured in accordance with GOST, in accordance with the requirements and quality standards.

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Raw

Another name is curd. The recipe for cooking is described in Homer's Iliad, created in the 8th century BC. e. There Cyclops Polyphemus poured goat and sheep milk into skins of skins, and when it rolled up, squeezed the resulting curd from the whey and hung it in wicker baskets under the ceiling of his cave. The main stages of the technology have remained unchanged until now, the process itself has improved: the milk is heated so that it curdles, the whey is drained, the curd mass is tied in linen bags and suspended in a cool place so that the remaining liquid glass. The resulting mass is pressed and placed in a special serum-brine. So, for example, the Feta and Brie varieties are prepared.

Feta

Semi-soft variety made from goat and sheep milk. The name "Feta" is translated from Italian as "hunk", "piece". The pronounced "salt meat" will well set off the taste of fresh vegetable salad, in combination with olive oil and basil, it will add a spicy addition to light wine. Particularly popular is a product from a village located in the Kaluga Region - there, on the territory of the Yaroslavets Agrofirm, there is a cheese dairy that supplies this and other types of cheese to Moscow restaurants and shops.

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Adyghe Home

It is prepared according to an old Circassian recipe known to cheese makers hundreds of years ago. In the 50s of the last century, a large-scale production was launched at the Shovgenovsky Dairy Plant. Today, the best Adyghe cheese is produced by the Giaginsky dairy located in the Republic of Adygea. Its products can be found in renowned chain stores across the country. For example, in Perekrestok you can buy 300 g of Adyghe cheese at a price of 190 rubles.

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Cheese makers' tips: delicious Adyghe cheese can be prepared on your own at home.

To do this, you will need 4 liters of milk (better than homemade milk, which has stood for at least a day in the refrigerator), a liter of dairy starter culture or kefir, and two large pots. While the milk is heated in one pan, put a prepared colander lined with gauze in 3-4 layers on the other. As soon as the milk begins to boil, you should pour kefir or sourdough into it and mix. Continue stirring, if possible, without reducing the heat - the higher the temperature, the more actively the whey will separate.When the mass is close to boiling, the whey will be almost transparent, and the curd flakes will be large, you can turn off the heat and discard the curd mass in a colander. Cool slightly so that you can squeeze out the mass properly, add salt, herbs or spices to taste and send to a cool place under a press. This could be a cold cellar or refrigerator. After a day, you can eat.

Brynza

It is made from goat or sheep milk and is aged in brine immediately until the moment of consumption. The Krasnogvardeisky Dairy Plant in the Republic of Adygea produces 100% natural feta cheese, which is confirmed by the testing center of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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Expert Advice: Many people make the same mistakes when choosing feta cheese, as a result, the purchased product causes nothing but disappointment. As a result, 80 people out of 100 will undeservedly cross it out of their diet, having run into low-quality goods or goods that have been stale at a rogue seller.

In order not to deprive yourself of the pleasure of trying delicious feta cheese, you need to know what to look for when choosing:

• Raw materials. Cheese from sheep's milk is dry and crumbles more, from goat's milk - more fat, homogeneous in consistency. The most salty feta cheese is obtained from cow's milk. Knowing this, you can choose the cheese to your liking.
• Composition. There should be nothing in feta cheese except milk, rennet, leaven and salt. If the composition is replete with capital letters E, and the seller, knocking on his chest, claims that these are "just milk thickeners" - it is better to refuse such "feta cheese". Most likely, the product has only a name from this type of cheese.
• Colour. Good, fresh feta cheese is white. Gray, rich yellow or brownish - no longer feta cheese. That is why it is better to buy feta cheese without additives in the form of olives, herbs and olive oil - all this can be just an entourage that masks the color of a far from fresh product.
• Consistency. The correct cheese has no crust because it must be sold in brine. If there is a crust, it means that this cheese has been waiting for the buyer for too long and, most likely, has deteriorated.

If you take this into account, the likelihood of buying a good cheese will increase significantly.

And finally, the news: from August 9 to 11, 2020, an annual Cheese Festival will take place in the Istra district, in which the manufacturers included in today's review, and many others, will take part - Russian farmers-cheese-makers are getting better at feeding their compatriots with high-quality cheeses of their own production.

Everyone will have the opportunity to see with their own eyes what kind of cheeses there are, find out which cheese is better from which company, and buy the one they like. Sales consultants will be happy to advise you on how to choose the right one.

Technologies are successfully mastered, supplemented and improved, new, original recipes are created. Even now, after 5 years have passed, it is noticeable that Russian cheesemakers have understood the main thing: how to make cheese making art, and not just a production process within the framework of import substitution. Judging by the demand for products and enthusiastic reviews not only of amateurs, but also of gourmets, they did it.