Description of Tetilla cheese and method of production, calorie content and effect on the body. Recipes for dishes with this variety and the history of its appearance.
Tetilla is a semi-hard Spanish, more precisely, Galician cheese, often made from cow's milk. There are farm options from cow. Smell - cheesy, not very intense; taste - creamy, salty with sourness, with a taste of lemon and summer herbs; the texture is soft, creamy in the young, and dense in the mature, with small irregularly spaced eyes; color - pale yellow. The crust is artificial, waxy, straw yellow or light brown. The shape of the heads is conical, female breast, diameter and height - 90-150 mm. Required proportions: the height must be less than the diameter, but greater than the radius. Weight - from 500 g to 1.5-1.6 kg. Possible names: Queso de Theta de Vaca or Gallego de Theta, Queso de Perilla or de Theta.
How is Tetilla cheese made?
Milk for this variety is collected from local brown Galician cows. From 10 liters of feedstock, 1-1, 2 kg of the final product are obtained. In farm options, to add color, it is possible to introduce natural additives - olive oil and paprika. If the milk is pasteurized, add calcium chloride. Rennet is best purchased in liquid form.
How Tetilla cheese is made:
- Prepare a water bath and heat the feedstock to 31-32 ° C. Mesophilic starter is poured onto the surface, allowed to soak and mixed. Maintaining a constant temperature, leave for 60 minutes to activate.
- The rennet is poured in and the calcium is formed. Temperature reduction by 2-3 ° C is allowed. When cutting, cheese grains are obtained in sizes 1, 5x1, 5 cm. It is better to use a special tool - "harp" or "lyre". Give the slices a rest.
- The intermediate raw materials are slowly heated to 35 ° C for 30 minutes, and then the temperature is increased by another 5-8 ° C for the same time. Stir slowly. It is necessary to achieve such a texture of the cheese grains so that they stick together when squeezed. Prepare Tetilla cheese at home, having formed the desired shape, if the curd mass is dry, it will not work. You should also check the taste - at this stage it should already become sweetish.
- When the curd has settled, carefully drain the whey so that it only covers the surface, and pour in the same amount of cold water. The temperature should drop to 27 ° C. Shake for 10 minutes and allow to settle. This step is called flushing.
- After 10 minutes, drain all the liquid and stir for a quarter of an hour. In cheese factories, the curd mass is transferred into a special dish - a large colander. The sweetish aftertaste should gradually disappear and at the end of the process should be felt slightly, like an aftertaste.
- Salting is carried out in two stages. First, pour in half of the salt, wait until it intervenes and dissolves, then add the rest.
- In the manufacture of Tetilla cheese, special cone-shaped shapes with small holes are used, which are lined with a fabric of rare weaving. After filling the "bowl", the oppression is set. The weight of the load is increased gradually, you can report the curd mass in the first hours of the process. The initial oppression is held for 15 minutes - at 25-26 ° C, then the weight of the load is increased by 1-2 kg and left for 2 hours under the same conditions. Over the next 3 hours, the initial pressure is tripled.
- The oppression is removed and left for a day for the final separation of the serum at room temperature - not higher than 20 ° C. Drying takes 48 hours.
- Duration of ripening is no more than 5-6 weeks, young cheese can be tasted in 3-4. Chamber microclimate: temperature - 11-12 ° С, humidity - 80-85%. The surface of the head can be coated with light wax or olive oil with paprika. First, the surface of the head is wiped with cool 20% brine, then doused in smoked paprika powder and greased with olive oil.
The first 2-3 weeks in the chamber, the cheese is turned over 2-3 times a day, at the first signs of activity of foreign cultures - molds - wipe the surface with a weak vinegar or saline solution. Repeat the application of paprika and oil. If condensation is released, it is removed - it is necessary to keep the humidity of the chamber constantly. From 4 weeks, it is enough to turn the heads once every 2 days.
Composition and calorie content of Tetilla cheese
No modified substances are used for manufacturing, only natural ones - milk, sourdough, rennet and salt. Additional ingredients do not affect the quality of the product.
The calorie content of Tetilla cheese is 340-399 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 22 g;
- Fats - 34, 5-37 g;
- Carbohydrates - up to 0.5 g.
Vitamins: tocopherol, retinol, vitamin D and complex B, typical for fermented milk products of this type - B2, B4, B6, B9 and B 12. It is enough to eat an ounce per day (30 g) to restore the supply of vitamin A by 15%, by 18 % - folic acid and 12% - choline.
The mineral composition of Tetilla cheese is dominated by: sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, sulfur and zinc. The high sodium content (750 mg per 100 g) is explained by the manufacturing method - salting. There is so much calcium that a piece of 30 g allows you to replenish the daily reserve of this substance by 20%.
Fats per 100 g:
- Cholesterol - 35 mg;
- Saturated Fatty Acids - 14 g.
Fat content of Tetilla cheese on dry matter - 25-31% depending on the quality of raw materials. When using goat milk, the energy value increases.
See the composition and calorie content of Saint-Agur cheese
Useful properties of Tetilla cheese
You should not expect a therapeutic effect from a fermented milk product, even if it contains a balanced complex of nutrients. But the benefits of Tetilla cheese for the body with regular use is difficult to dispute.
Easily digestible fermented protein ensures that the body is quickly saturated with nutrients. It is especially rational to introduce this variety into the diet after debilitating colds or associated with inflammatory processes of the musculoskeletal system.
Due to the high amount of calcium, it is possible to slow down the development of degenerative-dystrophic processes - osteochondrosis and arthrosis, prevent osteoporosis, improve the quality of cartilage tissue and stimulate the production of synovial fluid. This same substance, together with magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins A and E, reduces the rate of onset of age-related changes. Skin tone is enhanced, collagen and elastin production is increased, hair growth is accelerated and hair loss is prevented. The epithelium and mucous membranes are restored much faster.
Confirmed to have a beneficial effect on the quality of the intestinal flora. The life cycle of lactobacilli colonizing the small intestine is extended. When a dairy product moves along the esophagus, a protective film forms, stopping the aggressive effect of hydrochloric acid. In addition, like any tasty product, Tetilla cheese stimulates the production of digestive enzymes and the work of the salivary glands, thereby reducing the risk of caries and diseases of the oral cavity - stomatitis, periodontal disease and periodontitis.
Adding to the diet helps to improve falling asleep, calm down, tidy up the nervous system after stress or emotional instability. Serotonin, the hormone of joy, is released and your mood improves.
Contraindications and harm to Tetilla cheese
You should not get acquainted with a new taste if you are intolerant to milk protein. Fermentation is short-lived, no transformation occurs, and even a small piece can cause the appearance of allergy symptoms - digestive disorders, rash and redness of the skin, asthmatic attacks.
The harm from Tetilla cheese can be caused by overeating. Do not abuse it for chronic pancreatitis and gastritis, peptic ulcer, liver dysfunction. Due to the high salinity, you should temporarily stop using it for inflammatory processes of the urinary system and exacerbation of gout.
The raw material for the production of this variety is whole milk. According to the technology, the curd is heated for a long time to 42-45 ° C. However, this temperature is not enough to completely stop the vital activity of pathogenic bacteria - Listeria or Salmonella, which can remain in the curd mass. Therefore, it is better not to treat young children, persons with reduced immunity, pregnant and lactating women. To reduce biohazard, it is advisable to purchase cheese only from a reliable manufacturer or from pasteurized milk.
The recommended daily "dosage" is 60-80 g per day. This portion is quite enough to restore strength and replenish energy reserves. Losing weight and obese people need to limit themselves to a portion of 30 g per day.
Tetilla cheese recipes
This variety is rather unusual in shape than in taste. It is served with exquisite red wine and homemade fortified drinks, is used to make national Spanish and ordinary dishes, and is added as an ingredient in sauces, casseroles and baked goods.
Tetilla cheese recipes:
- Puff pastry cake … The dough can be bought at the store or prepared according to any recipe. The simplest thing is to mix the pieces of butter with flour, sugar and salt, grind into crumbs with your fingers, add water and knead. Roll out several times, lubricating the layer with oil and rolling. After preparation, it is better to keep the batch in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The cakes are baked at 180-200 ° C for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Beat the cream. Mix 50 g of sugar with corn starch - 40-50 g, pour 80 ml into boiling cream, stirring constantly, add cinnamon and zest, and cook until it thickens. Cheese cream is prepared separately - in hot milk - 100 ml, cheese is dissolved, 150 g, and they also wait until it melts. Another type of cream: beat 4 egg whites with sugar, like meringue, to the peaks. Collect the cake: a layer of dough, milk cream, a layer of dough, cheese cream, again a layer of dough. Garnished with meringue, whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Such a cake in Galicia is called milhoja. Eggs should be soaked in baking soda solution for 20-30 minutes before using raw proteins to prevent salmonellosis infections.
- Sweet side dish for meat … Rice is boiled until half cooked, and 2-3 cloves of garlic, 1 grated carrot are fried in a pan. The cereal, which has been thrown into a colander, is poured into a pan, finely chopped red bell pepper is added, a little broth is poured in and stewed. When the rice is almost ready, add the pulp of 2 tomatoes (without skin) and 100 g of diced Tetilla cheese. Once the cheese has melted, check for salt. Season with saffron, parsley, rosemary. Serve hot.
- Stuffed octopus and turnip leaves … Turnip leaves are boiled in salted water for 3 minutes. The octopus tentacles are boiled and cut into pieces. The cheese is cut into the same long pieces. To make the octopus meat soft, the tentacles are immersed in boiling water 3 times for a few seconds and only then they are left in a saucepan and boiled until soft, slightly salting at the end of the process. To make breading, beat eggs with salt, adding a little flour. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan so that deep fat is obtained. Wrap octopus and tetilla slices in turnip leaves, roll in eggs and flour, dip in breadcrumbs. Immerse in deep fat to get a golden brown crust.
See also recipes for dishes with Tête de Moine cheese.
Interesting facts about Tetilla cheese
This variety has gained popularity in Spain not only for its taste and quality, but also for its original shape. The recipe was developed over 800 years ago, and an interesting story is connected with the shape of the head.
On the portal of the cathedral in Santiago, the silhouette of the Queen of Sheba is carved. Next to her is another character - a male. The church authorities, examining the building after the next renovation, expressed their indignation and demanded to reduce the "piquant" forms. This seemed ridiculous to the people: the priests, among many (more than a hundred) other figures, singled out this one. And the commoners, who did not like priests, decided once again to "step" on a weak spot - they began to make cheese heads in the shape of a woman's breast with a nipple and gave the name to the corresponding organ.
Currently, the variety is produced in Central and Northern Galicia, in the provinces of Pontevedra, A Coruña, Lugo. There are documentaries dating back to 1900 that Tetilla was already being sold at a cheese fair at that time. The protected name DOP - by origin - was only given in 1992, after which the heads began to be sold for export.
True, the Spaniards themselves prefer unripe cheese aged from 1 to 3 weeks, with a soft creamy texture, sweetish. But they import a smoked version that matures for at least 6 months. This is what is offered all over the world in restaurants on cheese plates. It is possible to get acquainted with the taste of young tender Tetilla cheese only when visiting Spain.
