A detailed review of Layol cheese: composition, production technology, calorie content and useful properties. How is cheese eaten, are there any contraindications to its use? Recipes for dishes using Layol cheese.
Layol is a pressed cheese that is prepared only in a few localities in France. Interestingly, only one manufacturer has a license to manufacture this product. Layol is prepared using a special technology and only from cow's milk. The fat content of such a product is at least 45%. The taste of the cheese is sour, there is a light aroma of mountain herbs. Like any hard cheese, Layol has a lot of useful properties for the human body and several contraindications for use.
Features of the preparation of Layol cheese
The traditions of making Layol cheese are quite interesting: milk is obtained only from certain breeds of cows exclusively from late spring to mid-autumn. In the cold season, the intake of raw materials for the production of the product stops. Cows graze and milk at an altitude of more than 800 m above sea level.
The seasonality of making Layol cheese is related to the composition of the milk, which varies depending on the characteristics of the feed. In the warm season, cows feed on vitamin and juicy herbs, therefore they give especially healthy milk, rich in protein and other nutrients.
Interestingly, the breed of cows raised on cheese farms is not dairy. Each dairy animal here can bring no more than 4 liters of milk per day. While on specialized farms around the world, cows produce 25 liters of milk per day and more. Despite this, cows from Laiol's farms produce high quality and extremely healthy milk.
With the growing popularity of French pressed cheese, specialists were forced to replace local cows with imported breeds. Cheese makers tried to cook the product from the milk of Dutch cows. The result was unsatisfactory, because these animals gave record milk yields, but their milk had a poor chemical composition, i.e. was poor in protein and vitamins. After some time, local cheese makers found the best option - Swiss cows, which gave average milk yield and milk with a fairly high-quality composition of nutrients.
Layol cheese production stages:
- Guarding milk;
- Pressing cottage cheese;
- Crushing the curd mass;
- Salting and re-pressing cottage cheese;
- Laiol's room for maturation in a special cellar with low air temperature and high humidity. Ripening can last from 4 to 12 months.
As a result, cheese makers get a cylindrical cheese head that weighs about 48 kg. The height is 40 cm. During ripening, the product is covered with a fairly thick crust (about 3 cm). At the final stage of production, on each head of cheese, the manufacturer applies information about the place of manufacture of the product, as well as a kind of Laiol's symbol - the outline of a bull.
The cheese has a rather soft and fluffy structure, due to which it almost melts in the mouth. This feature is associated with the technology of its preparation. The product belongs to uncooked cheeses. That is, during pressing, it is not heated so that it is better compressed.
Note to the buyer! The pulp in high-quality Layola should be golden yellow in color. Therefore, if you see a product with a too dark color in the store, refuse to buy it. Surely, such cheese was stored in improper conditions.
Composition and calorie content of Layol cheese
The standard composition of Layol cheese includes a small amount of constituent elements: cow's milk (not necessarily pasteurized), rennet and sodium chloride.
The calorie content of Layol cheese per 100 g is 370 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 24.7 g;
- Fats - 30.3 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0.18 g.
Macronutrients that the product is rich in: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P).
Microelements in 100 g of product:
- Copper, Cu - 90 μg;
- Iron, Fe - 0.54 g;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.04 g;
- Selenium, Se - 5.44 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 4, 1 g.
Vitamins in 100 g of Layol cheese:
- Vitamin A, retinol - 140 mcg;
- Vitamin B9, folacin - 19.4 mcg;
- Vitamin E, tocopherol - 0.5 g.
See also the composition and calorie content of Taleggio cheese.
Useful properties of Layol cheese
The benefit of the product lies in the protein, of which there is a lot of it. Including Layol cheese at home in your diet is necessary for everyone who works out in the gym and wants to build muscle. It has a high calorie content, so it helps to quickly recuperate while doing hard physical and mental work.
Other useful properties of the product:
- It has a beneficial effect on the human digestive system due to the presence of various lactic enzymes and amino acids.
- Strengthens bones, joints, nails and teeth - Layola contains a lot of calcium, so it is recommended to use it for people with bone pathologies, as well as for fractures and bruises of bones.
- Heals all internal organs of a person - the product contains a large amount of useful vitamins and important trace elements, without which the healthy functioning of the human body is impossible.
- Optimizes the functioning of the circulatory system thanks to unsaturated fatty acids, which have a high nutritional value.
- Strengthens the immune system - contains a certain amount of iodine and a large amount of useful vitamins.
- Improves a person's condition with anemia - due to its special composition, it is able to increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood, as well as normalize high blood pressure.
- Optimizes the functioning of the nervous system - the delicacy contains B vitamins that can normalize the quality of a person's sleep, protect him from depression and normalize his emotional state.
On a note! To prevent Layol cheese from spoiling for a long time and retaining its useful properties, it should be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap (in extreme cases, you can use a plastic bag).
Read more about the health benefits of Langres cheese.
Contraindications and harm of Layol cheese
The harm of Layol cheese lies not only in the high level of cholesterol, but also in the salt. Sodium chloride, when ingested in large quantities, contributes to the retention of moisture in the body. Due to this, a person quickly recovers, he may experience edema and even problems with blood pressure or heart. Therefore, reducing the consumption of cheese to a minimum is necessary for everyone who is struggling with excess weight, swelling of the legs and acute diseases of the circulatory system.
Also, do not pamper Liole with little children under the age of 1 year. Older children can eat small pieces of cheese several times a week, but not more often.
