Joanna James
Gooey, milky and awesome are just a few of the words to describe the heavenly creation called cheese! Here's a guide to the types of cheese in Sri Lanka and delicious foods you can try with them.
The most gooey-est of all cheeses, mozzarella is simply the very definition of heaven. Mozzarella is a pulled-curd cheese made using cow or water buffalo milk. The process of making mozzarella starts by first heating the curd in warm water and then pulled by hands before being rolled into small, moist balls. These can either be sold fresh or packaged with salty brine to add a bit of flavour. Mozzarella cheese is known for its mild creamy flavour and texture.
Mozzarella is mostly used as a topping for pizza. However, you can put a Sri Lankan spin on the Italian cheese. Make a cheesy pol sambol sandwich by halving a crispy roast paan into two and filling it with delicious homemade pol sambol. Top the sambol with a generous helping of mozzarella and sandwich together the bread. Pop it in the toaster till the mozzarella is melted to gooey, goodness.
Now for some, blue cheese is absolutely deplorable. This is because the taste is too strong and it sort of leaves a pungent smell in your mouth. However, a majority who have tried it seems to be in love with this flavor and mixes it up with ingredients like dried fruit, honey, apple or pear slices, walnuts, and figs; so that their sweet flavor blends harmoniously with the strong flavor of the cheese. When it comes to blue cheese, there are 2 different types to choose from, Roquefort and Gorgonzola. Unfortunately, blue cheese in Sri Lanka is something quite rare, especially the Roquefort. You may be able to find gorgonzola in super stores like Keells Super.
This type of cheese is also quite expensive as it takes about four months for it to mature, and depending on how long it takes to process can also determine the type of Gorgonzola, Gorgonzola Dolce or Gorgonzola Dolce.
The next time you make pizza at home try incorporating blue cheese into it and skip the mozzarella. If you think it's too strong for a topping, wrap it up with bacon or chicken ham to reduce the pungent taste.
With a sultry Italian name of Parmigiano-Reggiano, parmesan is the easiest to find of cheeses. Apparently, it takes anything from three to 18 months for it to mature. One of the main reason that it's loved the world over is the reason that this cheese is so versatile. You can either use it quite generously in pasta and rice dishes or even as an accompaniment to a soup or sauce.
Finally something for the health conscious! Cottage cheese or paneer as it is mostly referred to in Sri Lanka is one of the healthiest options when it comes to cheese. This low-calorie cheese has become very popular throughout the years due to the reason that it has a lot of proteins and essential nutrients. The cheese has a very mild flavor making it great for curries and devilled recipes.
The name 'cottage cheese' originates as far back as 1831 when it was usually made in cottages from milk that was left over after making butter.
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