Sheep milk cheese is a

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

prepared from

sheep milk Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France). Sheep breed ...

. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the

Feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it ...

of Greece,

Roquefort Roquefort is a sheep milk cheese from Southern France, and is one of the world's best known blue cheeses. Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, EU law dictates that only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur ...

of France, Manchego from Spain, the

Pecorino Romano Pecorino Romano () is a hard, salty Italian cheese, often used for grating, made with sheep's milk. The name "pecorino" simply means "ovine" or "of sheep" in Italian; the name of the cheese, although protected, is a simple description rather t ...

and

Ricotta Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain afte ...

of Italy.

Yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

s, especially some forms of

strained yogurt Strained yogurt, Greek yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, or kerned yogurt is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive ...

, may also be made from sheep milk.

Nutrition and production

Sheep have only two

teat A teat is the projection from the mammary glands of mammals from which milk flows or is ejected for the purpose of feeding young. In many mammals the teat projects from the udder. The number of teats varies by mammalian species and often corr ...

s, and produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows. However, as sheep's milk contains far more fat,

solids Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural ...

, and minerals than cow's milk, it is ideal for the cheese-making process. It also resists contamination during cooling better because of its much higher

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...

content. Sheep milk contains 4.8%

lactose Lactose is a disaccharide sugar synthesized by galactose and glucose subunits and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from ' (gen. '), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix ' ...

, more lactose than cow milk, and is therefore not an alternative for people who are

lactose intolerant Lactose intolerance is a common condition caused by a decreased ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Those affected vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pa ...

. Though sheep's milk may be drunk in fresh form, today it is used predominantly in cheese and yogurt making. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

of France, Manchego from Spain, the

(the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

word for sheep is ''pecore'') and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Yogurts, especially some forms of

, may also be made from sheep milk. Many of these products are now often made with cow's milk, especially when produced outside their country of origin. For the cheese to fully ripen takes at least two weeks; it can take between two and three months, and even up to two years.

By country

France

French sheep milk cheeses include

Abbaye de Bellocq Abbaye de Belloc ( eu, Belokeko Abadia) is a French Pyrenees, traditional farmhouse, semi-hard cheese from the Pays Basque region, made from unpasteurized sheep milk, with a fat content of 60%. The cheese is still made in the traditional manner ...

, Brique, Berger de Rocastin, Brebicet, Le Claousou, Lévejac, Valdeblore,

, Ardi-gasna, Agour,

Ossau-Iraty Ossau-Iraty is an Occitan-Basque cheese made from sheep milk. Origin Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Its name reflects its geographical location, the Ossau Valley in Béa ...

, Brocciu, Asco, Brin d'amour, Faisselle, Fleur de Maquis, A filetta, and Niolo. File:Cheese-France-Brin-dAmour.jpg, Brin d'Amour File:Brocciu2.jpg, Brocciu File:Fromage-levejac.jpg, Levejac File:Fromage du Niolu.jpg, Niolo

Cyprus

Cypriot sheep milk cheeses include Anari and

Halloumi Halloumi or haloumi (, el, χαλούμι, haloúmi; tr, hellim}) is a traditional Cypriot cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk. Its texture is described as squeaky. It has a high melting point ...

Greece

Greek sheep milk cheeses include

and

Kefalotyri Kefalotyri or kefalotiri ( el, κεφαλοτύρι, tr, talar peyniri) is a hard, salty white cheese made from sheep milk or goat's milk (or both) in Greece and Cyprus. A similar cheese Kefalograviera, also made from sheep or goat milk (or bot ...

. File:Feta Greece 2.jpg,

Italy

Italian sheep milk cheeses include

, Pecorino Sardo,

Pecorino Siciliano Pecorino siciliano DOP ( scn, picurinu sicilianu) is an origin-protected firm sheep milk cheese from the Italian island and region of Sicily. This cheese comes from the classical Greek world: in ancient times it was recognized as one of the best ...

, Pecorino Toscano and

. File:Pecorino Sardo Cheese.jpg, Pecorino Sardo File:Pecorino Rosso Volterrano one Quarter on whole TOTAL.jpg, Pecorino Toscano File:Casu Marzu cheese.jpg,

Casu marzu (; literally 'rotten/putrid cheese'), sometimes spelled , and also called , and in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae ( maggots). A variation of this cheese exists also in Corsica ( Fr ...

is a traditional

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, aft ...

n sheep milk cheese that contains live insect

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e and

cheese mite Cheese mites (for instance '' Tyrophagus casei'' or other species) are mites that are used to produce such cheeses as ', Cantal and Mimolette. The action of the living mites on the surface of these cheeses contributes to the flavor and gives them ...

s from the cheese flys. A variation of this cheese exists also in

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

), where it is called casgiu merzu and is especially produced in some Southern Corsican villages like Sartene.

Croatia

Croatian sheep milk cheeses include Pag cheese and Ovidur. File:Paski-round.jpg, Pag cheese is hard, distinctively flavored sheep milk cheese originating from the Adriatic island of Pag

Poland

Polish sheep milk cheeses include

oscypek Oscypek (pronounced , Polish plural: ''oscypki''), rarely Oszczypek, is a smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk exclusively in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland. Oscypek is made by an expert named "baca", a term also denoting a shepherd in ...

and

bryndza Bryndza (from Romanian ''brânză'' cheese) is a sheep milk cheese made across much of East-Central Europe, primarily in or around the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and southern Poland. Bryndza cheese is creamy white in a ...

. File:Oscypki.jpg, Oscypek cheese. File:00932 Beskider Bundz-Käse aus Schafsmilch 2013; Sheep's-milk cheeses from Poland; Northern Subcarpathians.JPG, Artisanal sheep's-milk cheeses from the local market, made by sheepherders in Poland

Portugal

Portuguese sheep milk cheeses include Castelo Branco, Azeitão, Rabaçal, Saloio,

Serpa Serpa () is a city and a Concelho (municipality) in the central Portuguese region Alentejo. The population in 2011 was 15,623, in an area of . The Guadiana River flows close to the town of Serpa. History Serpa has its origins in early settle ...

and Serra.

Spain

Among the very many cheese varieties in Spain made from sheep's milk and protected by the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) there is Roncal, made in the Roncal Valley;

Idiazabal Idiazabal is a town and municipality in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain. The area has given its name to the renowned Idiazabal cheese of the region, one of the bes ...

cheese, made in both Basque Country and

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

regions from Latxa and Carranzana sheep's milk;

Torta del Casar Torta del Casar ( ext, Torta del Casal) is a cheese made from sheep's milk in the Extremadura region of Spain. It is named after Casar de Cáceres, its city of origin. The milk is curdled using a coagulant found in the pistils of the cardoon, ...

, made in

Extremadura Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...

region from

Merino The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...

sheep's milk; Manchego cheese, made in

La Mancha La Mancha () is a natural and historical region located in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. La Mancha is an arid but fertile plateau (610 m or 2000 ft) that stretches from the mountains of Toledo to th ...

region from

Manchega The Manchega is a breed of sheep native to the La Mancha region of Spain. The Manchega is most famous for producing the milk that is used to produce Manchego cheese, a very popular Spanish sheep's milk cheese. Origins Manchega sheep are native t ...

sheep's milk. File:Manchego.jpg, Manchego File:Torta del Casar.jpg,

served with biscuits

Hungary

Hungary produces ''Parenyica'', a sheep's milk cheese described as lightly smoked rolled cheese usually made from ewe's milk, but also from cows milk; surrounded by an edible cheese twine. In the Northern region of Hungary another ewes milk cheese, ''Gomolya'' is made and it is allowed to ripen outside in the sun for 3 weeks while slung in cheesecloth under an open-roofed shelter. It will develop a stronger flavour when allowed to mature on wooden boards. p218.

Denmark

Danish sheep milk cheeses includes Mønsk Mangcego and salad cheeses and white cheeses.

Ukraine

Ukrainian sheep milk cheeses includes

and

feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it ...

, salad cheeses and white cheeses. File:Aged Bessarabian bryndza.jpg, Aged

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds o ...

n sheep milk bryndza from a market in

Izmail Izmail (, , translit. ''Izmail,'' formerly Тучков ("Tuchkov"); ro, Ismail or ''Smil''; pl, Izmaił, bg, Исмаил) is a city and municipality on the Danube river in Odesa Oblast in south-western Ukraine. It serves as the administra ...