Suluguni everything you need to know
History of Suluguni cheese
They say that in Georgia the most delicious food is Megrelian. In any case, it definitely concerns Suluguni. No wonder it won the status of the canonical Georgian cheese, becoming a symbol of the solar Sakartvelo.
In Megrelian, the name of the local brine cheese, which is attributed to the oldest on the planet, sounds like "selegin" ("sele" means to knead, and "gin" – cattle). There is also a more romantic interpretation of the name: "Suli "("soul") and "Guli" ("heart"). It is believed that Suluguni hails from the town of Samegrelo. No Georgian feast can do without this cheese, it is added to khachapuri and hot dishes. And what a pleasure it is just to cut off a piece of fresh, just made round Suluguni, put it on a slice of soft pita bread and drink a SIP of Saperavi!
02
Technology of production of pork
Before getting on the table or in hot pita bread, soft brine cheese without a hard crust goes a long and difficult way. Delicate layered Suluguni is made from cow's milk, less often – from sheep's, goat's and even Buffalo milk. Pasteurized milk is fermented at a temperature of + 37 °C, adding calcium chloride and bacterial ferment. The already curdled clot is first cut into tiny cubes (6-10 mm), maintained for the outflow of serum, and then proceed to dry the curd grain.
The main feature of the production of pork – chedderizatsii. This is the process of changing the cheese mass under the influence of lactic acid. Thus, the fibrous-layered structure of the cheese is formed, the desired acidity and humidity is achieved. The procedure takes 2-6 hours at a temperature of + 28-35 °C. Control everything manually: for the sample, cut off a long strip and drop it into hot water. If it stretches and does not break-the product is ready for further melting. Then the cheese layer is placed in a cauldron with water or whey heated to 70-80 °C, kneaded, like a dough, and form cheese heads. And only then let them float in 18% solution, where they spend from six hours to one and a half months.
03
Varieties of Suluguni
Because of its origin, Suluguni does not have many variations. The reason for the appearance of brine cheese was a very short life of milk in a hot climate. Accordingly, the degree of salinity of the cheese depends primarily on the required shelf life. It is considered the most delicate salted pork, three to four days of exposure.
Smoking is perhaps the most radical way to extend the shelf life of a product. It also gives the cheese a subtle aroma of smoke and a reddish crust. To get smoked cheese in production, cheese heads are placed in chambers filled with smoke for 40-50 minutes. In households, everything is much more romantic: the cheese is impregnated with the aroma of alder or mulberry wood, hanging over an open hearth.
To give Suluguni more piquancy, tart paprika or fragrant herbs are added to the cheese mass. Housewives often put mint mixed with fresh cottage cheese in the middle of the cheese layer.
Suluguni is made mainly from cow's milk. Although the taste characteristics, of course, win varieties of mixed raw materials (technology allows the presence of up to four different varieties). The color of this cheese varies from white to pale milk. But if you are lucky, and on a generous table you will see Suluguni yellow, keep in mind-before you a rare delicacy of Buffalo milk.
04
How to choose and store Suluguni
The taste of Suluguni is delicate, creamy, moderately salty. The texture is different – from layered to elastic and slightly rubber, but only to the extent that the cheese does not crumble in the mouth. The right Suluguni has a light sour-milk flavor.
When choosing cheese on the market, pay attention to the thickness of the cheese head – the thicker the cheese, the better the prosol. But most importantly, Suluguni should be completely immersed in the brine. This guarantees the safety of the cheese and compliance with the standards of its production. Buying Suluguni by weight, look at its surface. Quality cheese can't be slippery. Mucus is a consequence of a violation of production, when instead of a full-fledged brine (sour-whey brine), an aqueous solution of table salt is used.
Brine is not only a method of preparation, but also a prerequisite for storing Suluguni. In an airtight container, a fully brine-covered cheese slice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months. The main thing is that the temperature does not exceed +6 °C, which means that the place of cheese on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Unopened vacuum packaging Suluguni can wait in the wings for 25 days, of course, subject to temperature conditions. But already started cheese head is better to eat in the next day or put in the brine, which is easy to prepare yourself. Just avoid food wrap and plastic bags as temporary storage – they will not protect the cheese from zavetrivaniya, but significantly spoil its taste. It is better to use waxed or parchment paper.
05
The nutritional properties of pork
The set of vitamins and minerals in Suluguni is the same as in dairy products, which means that in addition to calcium, it has potassium, copper, phosphorus, b vitamins, Riboflavin, folic acid, zinc and iron. The caloric content of cheese is 290 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. Is it much or little? If you compare with other cheeses, there are more. Especially since there are no carbohydrates in Suluguni at all, and the fats in its composition are easily absorbed by the body. You can console yourself with this, reaching out for another piece of hot khachapuri.
They say that in Georgia the most delicious food is Megrelian. In any case, it definitely concerns Suluguni. No wonder it won the status of the canonical Georgian cheese, becoming a symbol of the solar Sakartvelo.
In Megrelian, the name of the local brine cheese, which is attributed to the oldest on the planet, sounds like "selegin" ("sele" means to knead, and "gin" – cattle). There is also a more romantic interpretation of the name: "Suli "("soul") and "Guli" ("heart"). It is believed that Suluguni hails from the town of Samegrelo. No Georgian feast can do without this cheese, it is added to khachapuri and hot dishes. And what a pleasure it is just to cut off a piece of fresh, just made round Suluguni, put it on a slice of soft pita bread and drink a SIP of Saperavi!
02
Technology of production of pork
Before getting on the table or in hot pita bread, soft brine cheese without a hard crust goes a long and difficult way. Delicate layered Suluguni is made from cow's milk, less often – from sheep's, goat's and even Buffalo milk. Pasteurized milk is fermented at a temperature of + 37 °C, adding calcium chloride and bacterial ferment. The already curdled clot is first cut into tiny cubes (6-10 mm), maintained for the outflow of serum, and then proceed to dry the curd grain.
The main feature of the production of pork – chedderizatsii. This is the process of changing the cheese mass under the influence of lactic acid. Thus, the fibrous-layered structure of the cheese is formed, the desired acidity and humidity is achieved. The procedure takes 2-6 hours at a temperature of + 28-35 °C. Control everything manually: for the sample, cut off a long strip and drop it into hot water. If it stretches and does not break-the product is ready for further melting. Then the cheese layer is placed in a cauldron with water or whey heated to 70-80 °C, kneaded, like a dough, and form cheese heads. And only then let them float in 18% solution, where they spend from six hours to one and a half months.
03
Varieties of Suluguni
Because of its origin, Suluguni does not have many variations. The reason for the appearance of brine cheese was a very short life of milk in a hot climate. Accordingly, the degree of salinity of the cheese depends primarily on the required shelf life. It is considered the most delicate salted pork, three to four days of exposure.
Smoking is perhaps the most radical way to extend the shelf life of a product. It also gives the cheese a subtle aroma of smoke and a reddish crust. To get smoked cheese in production, cheese heads are placed in chambers filled with smoke for 40-50 minutes. In households, everything is much more romantic: the cheese is impregnated with the aroma of alder or mulberry wood, hanging over an open hearth.
To give Suluguni more piquancy, tart paprika or fragrant herbs are added to the cheese mass. Housewives often put mint mixed with fresh cottage cheese in the middle of the cheese layer.
Suluguni is made mainly from cow's milk. Although the taste characteristics, of course, win varieties of mixed raw materials (technology allows the presence of up to four different varieties). The color of this cheese varies from white to pale milk. But if you are lucky, and on a generous table you will see Suluguni yellow, keep in mind-before you a rare delicacy of Buffalo milk.
04
How to choose and store Suluguni
The taste of Suluguni is delicate, creamy, moderately salty. The texture is different – from layered to elastic and slightly rubber, but only to the extent that the cheese does not crumble in the mouth. The right Suluguni has a light sour-milk flavor.
When choosing cheese on the market, pay attention to the thickness of the cheese head – the thicker the cheese, the better the prosol. But most importantly, Suluguni should be completely immersed in the brine. This guarantees the safety of the cheese and compliance with the standards of its production. Buying Suluguni by weight, look at its surface. Quality cheese can't be slippery. Mucus is a consequence of a violation of production, when instead of a full-fledged brine (sour-whey brine), an aqueous solution of table salt is used.
Brine is not only a method of preparation, but also a prerequisite for storing Suluguni. In an airtight container, a fully brine-covered cheese slice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months. The main thing is that the temperature does not exceed +6 °C, which means that the place of cheese on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Unopened vacuum packaging Suluguni can wait in the wings for 25 days, of course, subject to temperature conditions. But already started cheese head is better to eat in the next day or put in the brine, which is easy to prepare yourself. Just avoid food wrap and plastic bags as temporary storage – they will not protect the cheese from zavetrivaniya, but significantly spoil its taste. It is better to use waxed or parchment paper.
05
The nutritional properties of pork
The set of vitamins and minerals in Suluguni is the same as in dairy products, which means that in addition to calcium, it has potassium, copper, phosphorus, b vitamins, Riboflavin, folic acid, zinc and iron. The caloric content of cheese is 290 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. Is it much or little? If you compare with other cheeses, there are more. Especially since there are no carbohydrates in Suluguni at all, and the fats in its composition are easily absorbed by the body. You can console yourself with this, reaching out for another piece of hot khachapuri.