“Cheesy” horror: How many of us will still feed poison

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"Сырные" ужасы: Сколько нас еще будут кормить отравой

Russian cheese makers in the pursuit of profit, fake original European cheeses, the technology which has been perfected over the centuries. And here already on the shelves you see “Parmesan” for 500-600 rubles (although the cost less than 2 thousand, he can not!). How many more years must pass to be able to buy a real high-quality cheese, not fearing for the wallet and health?!

Holland here and some spent the night

My favorite cheese is Maasdam. To produce it began in 1984 in the Netherlands, which has since brought the technology to perfection: in this beautiful Maasdam large holes, soft texture, elegant nutty flavor and aroma…

Now on the shelves in Russia you can find this cheese in any production — Belarus, St. Petersburg, Voronezh… But not Dutch, of course. However, the price of even domestic “substitute” bites. However, this should not introduce the buyer to the misconception — in the guise of Maasdam sell is unclear.

As a rule, it is not nutty and sour taste. This means that the producers saved on technology. The cheese must Mature at least four weeks, but for the Russian syrzavod it is unprofitable — and they artificially reduce the maturing due to chemical additives and enzymes.

Naturally, this significantly affects the quality of cheese. He just doesn’t have time to gain the full aroma, taste, form the “classic” pattern of holes and a uniform color. In short, under the guise of an expensive European product you sell cheap products.

And the acidity increased, which is harmful to the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, if the cheese is matured for a short time, then it can be residual nitrates — extremely hazardous substances (cheesemakers add them as preservatives to kill micro-flora).

What would you like? Antibiotics or microbes?

Today in Russia started the production of almost all types of European cheeses (many titles the man in the street sometimes and not heard): Parmesan, caciotta, Gruyere, ricotta, mozzarella, halloumi, feta… Produced in Russia and cheeses with white and blue mold. Their quality was estimated by the correspondent of the British newspaper the Guardian’s Shaun Walker, who tasted 10 Russian “substitutes” elite cheese and found that it’s hardly there.

The withdrawal of British journalist makes is this: “it is Better not to try to find a replacement among the fakes, and contact real Russian traditions of cheese making. In Russia is not so much its own varieties of cheese, but those, who hails from the Caucasus — Adyghe, Suluguni, Chechil is just wonderful.”

Domestic cheese makers themselves admit that they produce the elite European cheese on original technology to be to their disadvantage. The main problem in Russia is the insufficient quality of milk: the effect and the lack of fodder, and the conditions of detention and milking cows. And this, not to mention the fact that it is often a milk substitute, vegetable fat (palm oil).

And besides, the Russian standards of quality allow a much greater content of somatic cells and microorganisms in milk than it is in Europe. It is therefore often in the Russian cheese so often find and antibiotics milk taken from infected cows.

The antibiotics found in food, is extremely harmful to humans. In addition, they kill not only harmful bacteria, but also useful is contained in leaven, without which the milk will never be cheese.

Cheesemakers and do not hide that “driven” surrogate

Despite the high cost, the demand for obviously low-quality domestic cheeses in Russia is preserved. Especially in the European part of the country where in big cities people are used to eating such cheeses (and they are also used in restaurants for the production of salads, pizzas, hamburgers).

In the pursuit of profit and the manufacturers are trying to increase the “turnover” of production. Most of this suffering is Mature cheeses (with terms of maturity over a year) – for example, cheese that needs to ripen at least 14 months.

On the shelves today it is possible to find surrogates for Parmesan, which ripen… four or five months. And manufacturers do not even conceal it! These fake “cheeses”, of course, much cheaper authentic Italian products, but their manufacturers are not proud of the quality and cheapness. 500-600 rubles per kilo.

Of course, nothing to do with real European cheeses this ersatz cheap and low quality, it does not! What an outrage said even the Italian Ambassador in Russia Cesare Maria Ragaglini during an interview two years ago. Is since nothing has changed?

Professor Dmitry Edelev, one of the leaders of the Center for applied medicine and food security, Lomonosov Moscow state University, in an interview with “Free press” suggested that the Russian cheese makers quickly learn from their mistakes, and sooner or later, will learn to produce quality products.

“SP”: — Dmitry Abramovich, do you agree with British journalist Shaun Walker that in Russia, unlike Europe, there was practically no own tradition of cheesemaking?

— The British journalist does not know the history of Russian cheese and definitely not an expert in cheeses. Unfortunately, in our country the ancient traditions of cheese production (as in France).

Indeed, our ancestors prefer to eat fresh milk, butter, cheese, dairy products and soft, young, tender, light cheeses. Therefore, industrial production of semi-hard and hard cheese, especially moldy cheeses in Russia is not developed.

Cheesemaking was a family character. The famous saying: “Expensive egg to the day of Christ, and the cheese-butter to the Petrov day”. How to make cheese in Russia? Milk was poured over the clay earthenware pot, after a certain time it was sour, and turned sour. The yogurt set in a warm oven, where it was storageplus. The resulting curd is salted and dried under the yoke, that’s the whole recipe is “national cheese”.

In 1698 Peter I brought cheese makers from Holland and built industrial cheese — but cheese is not liked by the Russian people and the tsarist dairies closed. In 1795, in the province of Tver reappeared cheese factory which in 1886 was the basis of the public dairies of the Imperial Free economic society.

Before the revolution of 1917 in Russia produced Russian semi-hard cheese — analogues of Emmental, cheddar, Edam. Many have forgotten that the Russian semi-hard cheese was lovely and took medals in Europe, and cheddar production Vereshchagin actually won the gold medal in the contest of cheeses of England.

Then there was the revolutionary failure of the Great Patriotic war, post-war devastation and rebuilding. And tasteless, but cheap cheese (I call them fast food cheeses), created with the support of American engineers engineers in the 1930-ies to defeat hunger.

“SP”: — That is now, in fact, have to re-build the whole system of domestic cheesemaking?

— There is a lot of work, and there is every reason to believe in the success of the Russian dairies. There are many businessmen planning or already running their own cheese dairy, which are rapidly improving.

Look at the dynamics of the market size of cheese in Russia. In 2013, this 841 thousand tons, in 2014 — 770 thousand tons, in 2015 — 762 thousand tons, and last year — 800 thousand tons.

“SP”: — That is, we only reached the pre-crisis consumption?!

— But don’t forget that domestic production of cheese in Russia has increased from 428 thousand tons in 2013 to 600 million in the past!

Appeared really interesting “cheese project”, the number of dairies increases, and the greatest success in the manufacture of cheese have modest enterprise.

I believe that the market is young and fresh cheeses odergivala the complete victory of cheeses from Russia. There was a Russian mozzarella, burrata, caciotta and ricotta — their quality is not worse than Italian. Russian restaurateurs began to include them into dishes and foreigners don’t know Russian cheeses from the Italian.

On the shelves there are many delicious lactose-free cheese, rich in protein, vitamins C, A, D, E, b group, calcium, phosphorus, iron and copper. Russian manufacturers have introduced very good quality and taste camember, brie, halloumi, Buch and goat cheese.

“SP”: — But in Russia, after hundreds of years doing their own cheeses — a soft, young — which earned us fame abroad.

— You are right, the production sumptuous cheese — cheese, Adyghe, Suluguni and cecila Russian cheese-makers at all difficult to find competitors in the world.

But our cheesemakers and adopt the technology of other countries. For example, production of a Russian analogue of the traditional Greek brine cheese of feta, and he lay already indistinguishable with the original.

“SP”: — In your opinion, when did the shelves will disappear completely “cheese” substitute for?

I look to the future with optimism. Our cheese-makers in the eyes grow up and still go from “fast” and rather mediocre cheeses on expensive “elite”.

In the end, began to appear Russian gourmet cheeses. For example, personally I was pleasantly surprised by the Russian “Red Windsor”. Met with the Russian equivalent of Taleggio (though under a different name), and the wonderful Russian brie that was a pleasant surprise.

Recently, at the counter saw the Russian equivalent of an English cheddar, I must say, not bad, although there is still a need for improvement.

There has been a swing in cheese, with extra exposure (i.e. more than one year), and this is a real breakthrough which will lead the Russian cheese-makers in leading global position. Although will have to wait…

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