Sheep's milk
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Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products. Sheep milk cheeses include the feta of Greece, the Roquefort of France, the Manchego of Spain; the Pecorino Romano (the Italian word for sheep is pecora), the Pecorino Sardo, and the ricotta of Italy; and the Ġbejna of Malta. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheeps' milk. Though sheep produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows do, it is richer in fat, solids, and minerals. This makes it ideal for making cheese.
A minority of sheep breeds is primarily kept for dairy purposes, but these few have been selectively bred for milk production and thus produce a higher volume than most other sheep. The most prolific dairy sheep breeds include the Lacaune, the East Friesian, the Sardinian and the Awassi.
Nutrition by comparison
Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams:[1]
Constituents | unit | Cow | Goat | Water Buffalo | Sheep |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water | g | 87.8 | 88.9 | 81.1 | 83.0 |
Protein | g | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
Fat | g | 3.9 | 3.5 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
Carbohydrate | g | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
Energy | kcal | 66 | 60 | 110 | 95 |
kJ | 275 | 253 | 463 | 396 | |
Sugars (Lactose) | g | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
Saturated | g | 2.4 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Mono-unsaturated | g | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
Polyunsaturated | g | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Cholesterol | mg | 14 | 10 | 8 | 11 |
Calcium | IU | 120 | 100 | 195 | 170 |
Fatty Acids: |
See also
References
External links
- Sheep dairying at sheep101.com
- sheep dairying documentary by Cooking Up A Story