Description of Handkese cheese and features of production in factory and home conditions. Nutritional value, chemical composition, benefits and harms when consumed. Recipe Uses and Variety History.
Handkese is a German cheese made from sour raw cow's milk. The smell after 2 weeks of ripening is sharp (it smells like a barn "), after another 14 days - of sour milk and yeast, and after another 3 weeks - curd and spicy. Taste - cheesy, creamy, aggravated with aging. The sectional view also changes: the fresh one has a soft texture, like a feta cheese, covered with a yellowish crust, the old one has a dense ivory color. It is produced in the form of large "tablets" with a diameter of 8 cm and a height of 2 cm, or in the form of potatoes when made by hand. Head weight - 125-300 g.
How is Handkese cheese made?
The raw material is cow's milk, but it is pre-prepared - acidified. At home, he is allowed to stand in a warm place, and then separated into whey and curd flakes, and in the factory it is distilled through a separator and passed through a centrifuge.
Already at this stage, one can understand that Handkese cheese is not made like other varieties. Lactic acid bacteria for coagulation are added to skim milk, and rennet is not added. Maintain at a temperature of 38 ° C for 3-4 hours (sometimes up to 8 hours).
Sour milk cottage cheese, which farmers receive, is transferred to a cheese dairy, and in industrial conditions it is immediately filtered through a lattice metal sieve, pressed into large blocks, and then ground in special mills resembling a huge mixer.
Cutting is interesting. Directly into the vat with the formed curd layer, a plate is lowered, similar to a comb of many knives made of sharp blades, moving in a circle.
When Handkese cheese is prepared, acidity control is carried out at each stage. Take a sample from the whey, scoop up the cheese grains, analyze the quality of the calcium.
Prepared cottage cheese is mixed with salt, that is, dry salting is carried out. At a dairy factory, cheese "tablets" are formed using an automatic machine. At home, the heads are made by hand. They can be made in the form of briquettes, flattened parallelepipeds, similar to potato tubers.
Excerpt takes place in several stages. 48 hours at temperatures above room temperature - 26-28 ° С. Then they are determined with the holding time, since further processing depends on this. They can apply various types of mold to the surface, sprinkle with caraway seeds, place in brine.
Cheese with a short ripening period spends in a chamber with a humidity of 80% and a temperature of 18 ° C for no more than 7-10 days. During this time, it is covered with a not very thick edible yellowish crust. Such heads are sold in cellophane packaging. It is possible to add caraway seeds or dry dill. The shelf life of such a product is 42 days from the date of pre-sale preparation.
Medium-aged handkese can be covered with spices, salt and white mold. The temperature of the chamber is cooled to 15 ° C in order to slow down the fermentation and activate the fungal cultures. After it goes on sale, you will have to eat it within 3-4 weeks.
Cheese with a long aging process is usually sprayed with red mold crops, even if there are already caraway seeds on the surface. The exposure conditions do not change. There is no white core in such a head, the cut color is uniform - old ivory, slightly lighter than the crust. Shelf life is no more than 7-14 days.
Composition and calorie content of Handkese cheese
The variety is unique in its composition. Fat content on dry matter does not exceed 2%, but most often at the level of 1, 2-1, 3%. This is due to the fact that the feedstock is separated into fractions, and the curd is obtained from sour milk.
The calorie content of Handkese cheese is 126-132 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 30 g;
- Fat - 0.7 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Retinol - 10 mg;
- Thiamine - 0.03 mg;
- Riboflavin - 0.35 mg;
- Niacin - 0.2 mg;
- Pyridoxine - 0.03 mg.
Minerals per 100 g
- Sodium - 1520 mg;
- Potassium - 100 mg;
- Calcium - 125 mg;
- Phosphorus - 270 mg;
- Magnesium - 15 mg;
- Iron - 0.3 mg.
Handkese cheese contains amino acids, most of all valine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan.
Despite the fact that the product contains cholesterol (3 mg per 100 g), its use does not have any negative effect on the state of blood vessels. This strain is the perfect addition to the daily menu for people looking to build muscle. It contains a high amount of easily digestible protein.
Useful properties of Handkese cheese
Thanks to fermentation, all nutrients from the product are quickly absorbed in the human body and assimilated, replenishing the vitamin and mineral reserve.
The benefits of Handkese cheese for athletes and those who are losing weight are not only in supplying the protein needed to build muscle tissue, but also in preventing cramps caused by fluid loss.
Thanks to Handkese cheese:
- The water-electrolyte and acid-base balance is maintained, all metabolic processes are normalized.
- After consuming 100 g of the product, there is enough energy for the whole day - for active training and professional activity.
- The production of red blood cells increases.
- The work of the nervous system is stabilized, impulse conduction is accelerated.
- Visual function is improved, the transition between light modes is facilitated.
- The development of osteoporosis and degenerative-dystrophic changes in bone and cartilage tissue is prevented.
- The appetite increases, the secretion of digestive enzymes increases, and the digestion of food is accelerated.
The flesh of the matured heads, covered with molds, creates favorable conditions for increasing the activity of beneficial flora, which colonizes the small intestine and is responsible for organic immunity.
Additional beneficial properties are provided by caraway seeds. In most cases, it is added to cheese making. Such a supplement increases the effect on the nervous system, stimulates the production of serotonin, improves falling asleep, and prevents the development of depression. Thanks to this addition, the variety has antiseptic and carminative properties, and peristalsis is accelerated.
Contraindications and harm to Handkese cheese
Despite the special taste and popularity of the variety, only people with healthy digestive organs, kidneys and liver can get acquainted with the new taste. This is explained by the high salt content and the peculiarity of manufacturing, because raw cow's milk is used as a raw material, and one of the stages of maturation takes place at a temperature above room temperature.
Handkese cheese can cause harm in young children and pregnant women due to the high risk of contracting listeriosis, tuberculosis or salmonellosis. At the slightest violation of storage or transportation conditions, pathogenic bacteria are quickly activated.
Increased salinity is a contraindication for consumption:
- for people with kidney problems, especially with impaired urinary function;
- with frequent exacerbation of gout and arthritis;
- with inflammatory processes of the gallbladder and liver.
A high amount of tryptophan in the composition can provoke frequent headaches, insomnia, or nightmares. Side effects are especially common in women going through menopause. Therefore, despite the low fat content, overeating should be avoided. The recommended daily dosage is 60-80 g.
Handkese cheese recipes
This variety is rarely eaten by itself. It is served "to the music" - various types of sauces, with olive or rapeseed oil, herbs and spices. Cheese is used as an ingredient for making various dishes: salads, sauces, baked goods. As a filling for pies or salads, it is better to take young heads or medium-aged, with a curd core. The taste of sauces and pasta is best set off with ripened pulp with a uniform texture. Remove the mold from the crust before use.
Handkese cheese recipes:
- Marinade for cheese … For the marinade, half a glass of unclarified cider, 50 ml of apple cider vinegar, a mixture of finely chopped white and red onions are poured into a glass jar. Salt and pepper to taste, add herbs. 200 g of handkese is cut into cubes with 2 cm edges and poured into the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. After the cheese is eaten, the marinade is used for the next batch.
- Cheese snails … All ingredients for the dough are cooled. Dough is placed: 50 g of sifted flour, 10 g of dry baker's yeast, 50 g of sugar and 1/3 cup of warm milk. Stir, let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes. Then pour 300 g of wheat flour, pour in 2-3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, refined so that an unpleasant odor does not appear, knead a soft but elastic dough until it stops sticking to your hands. Roll out the layer. Grind fresh cheese together with a crust, remove the mold, spread it in a layer on the dough, and on top any crushed greens, caraway seeds and flax seeds. Cut into strips 6 cm wide. Roll each strip into a roll, crush, spread on a baking sheet greased with sunflower oil. Bake at 200 ° C for 18-20 minutes. There is no need to salt - there is enough salt in the cheese.
- Cheese soup … Put 1-2 tbsp in a saucepan on the fire. l. butter and immediately pour in a glass of dry white wine, stirring constantly so as not to get lumps. When the color changes to brownish, add 600 ml of vegetable (chicken) broth, leave for 5 minutes over low heat. Pour in a little 200 g of Handkese and melt it until the soup becomes smooth. Whisk separately 200 ml of heavy cream. Remove the pan from the heat, drive in the cream, season with nutmeg, caraway seeds, pepper and, if necessary, add some salt.
- Butter sauce for Handkese … 2 yellow or white onions are finely chopped and squeezed with a spoon to make the juice stand out, pour 4 tbsp. l. balsamic or wine vinegar, 1-2 tbsp. l. rapeseed or olive oil. Generously season with cumin or pepper, add a few grains of sea salt. Mix the sauce with 400 g of Handkese, leave in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Served with homemade bread or used for salads.
- Spicy salad … First, prepare a marinade for shrimp: 50 g of cranberry jam, 3 g of fresh chili pod and 3 garlic prongs are cut, and 10 g of ginger root is finely rubbed there. Place in the marinade 300 g of peeled shrimp - better than king, leave overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, arugula is sorted out on leaves, the greens are torn in half, thin slices of juicy pear, pieces of spicy pickled Handkese are put there. Fry shrimp for 4 minutes on each side and spread on the prepared "pillow". Serve until the shrimp is cold.
See also recipes with Rigott de Condrieu cheese.
Interesting facts about Handkese cheese
The fermented milk product is produced in Hesse, as well as in the Rheingessen and Palatinate regions. The history of the variety began in 1813, when it was first introduced to the cheese market. Since that time, it has acquired a high status in the region. It is not only one of the favorite foods, but also a source of well-being for residents. Thanks to its popularity, the sale of Handkese steadily replenishes the region's budget.
Dairies prefer to source their raw materials from private entrepreneurs living in the Hesse region of Hohelheim, Hüttenberg district. And one of the farms specializing in Handkez is located in a small village in the municipality of Birkenau. They make the product according to an old recipe and annually, on May 1, celebrate the birthday of the variety.
Hesse cheese received a trademark protected by geography. It must be included in the hotel buffet for guests visiting the area. There are other local names for the product: yellow cheese, red (aged, covered with red mold).
The variety is presented as cheese with "music". According to one explanation, "music" is the soundtrack to the pitch. A plate of Handkese under the marinade is served with beer, and the bottles touching each other make a melodic sound. The second explanation is more prosaic: "music" appears in the stomach. A spicy dish with marinade causes increased peristalsis, and it is impossible to hide the rumbling from others.
Cheese fairs in Hesse, in the cities of Birkenau or in the Palatinate, do not take place without Handkese. On them you can try both fresh cheese without additives, and in "music" - a marinade of various types or in different dishes, with beer and wine. The tradition has been maintained for 75 years.
Watch a video about Handkese cheese:
