Features of making French Berg cheese. Energy value and chemical composition. Useful and harmful properties, use for cooking. Interesting facts about the variety.
Berg is a French cheese produced in the department of the same name in the north of the country. The starting material is a mixture of whole and fat-free cow's raw milk. Each farmer has his own recipe and his own recommendations for the duration of ripening. The texture can be semi-soft and hard, crumbling; pulp color - from creamy white to light yellow; and the rind is orange to reddish brown with a coating that resembles lime or chalk. The smell is strong, pungent, the taste is sweet-milky, with a clear aftertaste of fermented yeast. It is produced in the form of cylinders with a diameter of 18-20 cm and a height of 3-6 cm. Weight varies from 350 g to 2 kg.
How is Berg cheese made?
The raw materials are defatted directly in the cheese dairy. To do this, milk from cows of the Flemish breed is defended, cooled and the top layer is removed. A combination of 1 part whole milk and 2 skim milk is considered ideal. In this case, it is possible to obtain a delicate pasty consistency. Some manufacturers mix whole milk with whey to speed up the process of making Berg cheese, bringing it to the required fat and acidity, but this method is not popular.
A complex of lactic acid bacteria is used as a starter (the bacteria Penicillium camemberti must be included), as a preservative - calcium chloride, and for coagulation - liquid rennet. During the processes, a constant temperature is maintained - 30-32 ° С.
The kale is cut into cubes with edges of 1, 5-2 cm, a third of the whey is poured, the contents of the kettle are mixed until the cheese grains are rounded and reduced in size. Then the curd mass is laid out in shapes and Berg cheese is prepared like other similar varieties - they are set for a day under oppression, turning every 2 hours.
To stop the vital activity of pathogenic bacteria, the heads are dipped several times in a 20% saline solution and each time they are allowed to dry at room temperature. Salting continues for a day.
The dried flattened cylinders are again dried on a drainage mat, creating a cool microclimate - a temperature of 10-12 ° C. And then they pierce the surface of the head with needles, providing drainage. This creates optimal conditions for increasing the activity of mold crops and speeds up fermentation.
The heads mature in caves at a temperature of 6-8 ° C and a high humidity of 92-95%.
And now one feature that explains how Berg cheese is made and why it tastes different from similar semi-soft varieties. The crust is washed daily, but not with brine, but with live beer. The drink is not drained, but collected in a container where mold cultures are activated.
Young cheese is left in the cellar for 3-4 weeks, the ripening period for mature cheese is up to 2 months. As it matures, the smell also changes - it becomes thick, saturated, in the "bouquet" you can clearly feel home brew and sour milk.
Composition and calorie content of Berg cheese
Despite the relatively low energy value, this fermented milk product cannot be called dietary. Patients recovering from debilitating diseases or surgery should not add a variety for the manufacture of which molds were used.
The calorie content of Berg cheese is 272-312 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 18 g;
- Fat - 24-26 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.3 g;
- Inorganic substances - 3, 1-4, 2 g.
Energy value and moisture content vary with aging.
Berg cheese contains: cholesterol; saturated fatty acids, among which palmitic and stearic acid predominates; monounsaturated fatty acids - most of all myristic and stearic; polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. The effect on the body of linoleic and oleic acids can be noted.
In addition, Berg contains a large amount of nonessential and irreplaceable amino acids, due to which an easily digestible protein enters the body.
The product contains a vitamin and mineral complex: retinol, riboflavin, thiamine, calciferol, pyridoxine, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Most of all sodium - as already mentioned, one of the cooking processes is 3-4 times salting.
See the composition and calorie content of Bleu de Bress cheese
Useful properties of Berg cheese
The beneficial effect of the product on the human body is provided by a rich vitamin and mineral complex.
Benefits of Berg cheese:
- Improves the digestive system, creates favorable conditions for increasing the activity of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli that colonize the small intestine. It speeds up the digestion of food, helps to get rid of old toxins and remove toxins. Thanks to probiotics formed during fermentation, it prevents the appearance of putrefactive processes and bad breath.
- Mold, breaking down milk protein, stimulates the synthesis of organic protein complexes, helps to build muscle mass and form the desired parameters. Due to its low fat content, the variety can be introduced into the diet of athletes and people who need to control their weight - there is no fat deposition.
- Reduces blood clotting, prevents the development of atherosclerosis and age-related changes in the cardiovascular system, strengthens the myocardium and normalizes heart rate - there is a lot of potassium in the composition.
- It has an antioxidant effect, isolates free radicals traveling in the intestinal lumen, and prevents the appearance of neoplasms. The rich vitamin and mineral complex strengthens the body's defenses, reduces the production of histamine and reduces the frequency of allergic reactions to milk protein and foods that are consumed with cheese. Fermentation accelerates the absorption of nutrients.
- Amino acids and fatty acids increase the tone of the vascular walls and prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of the veins.
- Potassium and phosphorus strengthen bone tissue, stop the development of osteoporosis, improve the quality of hair, nails and the strength of teeth.
To restore the energy reserve and the supply of nutrients, it is enough for a woman to eat 30-50 g of cheese a day, and for a man - 50-80 g. Vitamins and minerals are best absorbed with vegetables and fruits. In addition, delicious food stimulates the production of the hormone of joy - serotonin, improves mood and stops the development of depression. A breakfast like this is the best way to start your day.
