Ossetian cheese

Ossetian cheese
Country of origin	Russia
Region	North Caucasus
Source of milk	Cow, sheep or goat milk
Pasteurised	Depends on variety
Texture	Depends on variety

Ossetian cheese or Alanian cheese (Ossetian: ирон цыхт / дигорон цигъд, romanized: iron cyxt / digoron cihd) is a traditional cheese of the national Ossetian cuisine. It is prepared from sheep, goat or whole cow's milk.

Production

To fresh warm milk in an enameled bucket or deep pot is added whey (Ossetian: сылы / сулу, romanized: syly / sulu, from which the old name of cheese is Ossetian: сылыджын / сулугун, romanized: sylydžyn / sulugun, literally translated as "made in whey"), infused with the source of enzymes - pieces of cleaned and salted cow's stomach (rennet). The milk is stirred and left in a warm place for 40–60 minutes, while controlling the curdling process of the milk to prevent over-fermentation. The curdled milk is stirred, then squeezed from the whey and placed in a mold.

Interesting facts

Cheese was one of the main foodstuffs of the ancestors of the Ossetians (Alans) in the conditions of mountain farming. Cheese had a characteristic flavor and could be stored for a long time.