Tzfatit

Tzfat Cheese
Country of origin	Israel
Region	Upper Galilee
Town	Safed
Source of milk	Cow, Sheep, Goat
Texture	Semi-hard fresh and hard aged
Aging time	3 to 12 months

Tzfat cheese (Template:Lang-he) is a semi-hard cheese produced in Israel originally from sheep's milk. It was first produced by the HaMeiri dairy in Safed (Tzfat in Hebrew) in 1840 and is still produced there by descendants of the original cheese makers.

Production

It has an elastic texture and low fat content and salinity. The milk used in the production of cheese is pasteurized at a low 72 °C (162 °F), which guarantees the integrity of valuable food proteins of the milk. Trimming is based largely on the action of enzymes contained in a special ferment and on calcium chloride rather than on the action of lactic acid. The fermentation is quick, about an hour. After the separation of most of the whey, the cheese is stored for several hours in straw or plastic baskets to drain the remaining whey and to form its round shape. For the remainder of the draining time, the cheese is inverted several times to help the draining and to form the basket's pattern on all sides.

Use

Safed cheese is used in Sambusak, Bourekas, Salads, and as a topping for flatbread that are being baked in the oven with various spices and vegetables.

See also

• List of sheep milk cheeses