Sweden is a Nordic country in northern Europe. It shares land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast. Swedish cuisine is traditionally simple and fish, meat and potatoes play an important role. Cheese is also an important part of Swedish cuisine and Sweden is quite well known for its different cheese making traditions. It is also known for its famous meatballs, which are traditionally served with gravy and potatoes.

Herrgardsost is a Swedish cheese made from cow’s milk. This cheese has been made in Sweden since the 1890’s and it is still as popular today as it was then. The name Herrgardsost means manor house in the Swedish language. Herrgardsost cheese is also sometimes called Herrgard cheese. Herrgardsost is a semi-hard aged cheese, which is manufactured in wheels which measure around 40 centimetres in diameter and are 12 centimetres wide. Each of these wheels weighs around 14 kilograms.

Herrgardsost cheese is pale yellow in colour and has many holes. It has a creamy somewhat elastic consistency. It is similar to Gruyere cheese but it is softer and suppler. It has a round shape and its smooth pale yellow natural rind is usually covered with yellow wax. It has a mild nutty flavour similar to cheddar cheese and it has a fresh zingy tang.

Herrgardsost cheese starts off as partly skimmed milk which is usually pasteurised. The next step is to introduce bacterial starters into the milk. One of these is lactic acid bacteria which acidify the milk and another is propionic bacteria which are responsible for producing carbon dioxide which in turn is responsible for creating the characteristic holes that herrgardsost is known for. The soured milk is then curdled by adding rennet which is a natural complex of enzymes produced in a mammalian stomach to digest milk. The addition of this mixture of enzymes is what causes the soured milk to separate into curds and whey. The curdled milk is then heating to no higher than 43 degree Celsius.

The whey is drained and the remaining curds are pressed into a wheel. The wheel is then salted in brine. The salted wheels of cheese are then left for two weeks after which they are coated in wax. The waxed cheese is then left to age for another three to four months but sometimes it is even left for twelve to fourteen months. It is this aging process that intensifies the flavour of the cheese thus producing its characteristic flavour.

The finished cheese usually has a 39.5% water content, a 29% fat content, a 27% protein content and a 1.5% salt content. The low calorie fat free cheese is made with fully skimmed milk and has a 53-57% water content in the dry matter.

Herrgardsost cheese melts evenly and easily and keeps very well. It is great as a cheese used to make delicious fondues, which are usually served with bread. Herrgardsost is also great by itself as a snack between meals. The cheese goes very well in meat or vegetarian sandwiches. It holds its own even in salads and is a great topping for pizzas. One particular recipe calls for a mixture of herrgardsost cheese, gorgonzola cheese, which is a blue cheese, ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese mixed together with mushrooms and tomato flavoured with thyme and oregano as a pizza topping. The result is a cheesy pizza with a distinctive flavour and is a pleasure for cheese lovers.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed

American and Dutch immigrants brought the art of traditional cheese making to the United States of America during the 1700’s and factory produced cheeses became the norm in the 1850’s. Most American cheeses are manufactured but not all American cheeses deserve a rap. America now has almost every cheese variety imaginable and there are even superb domestic variations of Swiss and French cheeses. There are many cheeses, which have been discovered in America, and today, it looks like Americans are going back in time to old style cheese making techniques.

The history of Monterey Jack cheese has been debated for a long time now. It is said that Spanish missionaries who came to California in the 1700’s made a cheese that they called queso de pais more commonly known as country cheese. After the missionaries left the locals continued making the cheese and over the years it has evolved into what we know as Monterey Jack cheese today.

Another version claims that the credit for making this cheese goes to Domingo Pedrazzi who lived in Carmel Valley, Monterey County, California. Another legend states that a woman named Dona Juana Cota de Boronda began selling the cheese door to door after her husband was incapacitated in an accident. Legends apart, actual fact states that in 1882 a Scottish merchant began selling queso de pais from his dairies. He branded his cheeses with his last name and name of the city of its origin, Monterey. This man’s name was David Jacks and soon enough people dropped the ’s’ from his name and began asking for Monterey Jack cheese. This name was made official by the FDA in 1955. The California Milk Advisory Board states that Monterey Jack is the most popular cheese invented in the United States of Ameica.

Monterey jack is a semi-soft cheese with an ivory to pale yellow colour. Roughed by smokehouse char on the outside, Monterey Jack cheese is creamy on the inside and has a flavour similar to American Muenster cheese. A variation of this cheese is one that is harder and has a texture firm enough for grating with a charper flavour. Semi-soft Jack is also available. Other variations of Monterey Jack include those flavoured with habañero to chipotle to caraway. Others use garlic; some use hickory to smoke it and some even use smoked salmon.

There are many different ways that Monterey jack can be used. Its mild flavour lends itself well to sauces and even to the cheeseboard. It can be enjoyed as a nibble between meals. It works very well even with crackers, nachos or smoked meats. The smoked variety is smoked over hickory chips and that lends it a rich smoky flavour, which permeates through the entire cheese. The cheese can be sliced into sandwiches or melted into casseroles giving them an entirely new flavour.

Monterey jack cheese serves well with full, hearty red wines like the Sauvignon Blanc, the medium bodied Merlot and the fruity Zinfandel. The cheese also goes very well with plain and simple beer.

The versatility of Monterey Jack is what makes it the most popular and one of the most well known cheeses of the United States of America. The very fact that it can be used with chicken, pork or even venison is what makes it so unique. This is a cheese worth developing a taste for.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed

Sirene is a type of brine cheese, which is made in many south-eastern European countries but is most popular in Bulgaria, Macedonia and the other Balkan countries. A brine cheese is one that is soaked in brine for a period of a few hours to a few weeks during its maturation and Sirene is one of the most famous brine cheeses in the world. Sirene was originally made from goat’s milk. A predominant version today is made from cow’s milk or sheep’s milk, which is cheaper. Another variation is made with a combination of milks. It is most commonly produced in blocks. It usually has a fat content of about 40-45%.

Bulgarian white cheese, Sirene, with its suave pungent creaminess differs profoundly from the more briny Greek feta. The cheese is being made the same way for thousands and thousands of years now. The method that is used to make this cheese is closely associated with the type of milk used and so it was originally made by shepherds. Sirene has a smooth, creamy, with an easy to cut texture and it isn’t excessively crumbly. It dries out rapidly when it is removed from the brine solution. This cheese is incomparably white. The brine gives the cheese a salty flavour which isn’t particularly unpleasant. Its freshness and tang comes from specific bacterial cultures which are added by the cheese-makers and this is why Sirene from different cheese-makers never tastes exactly the same. Sirene has a sharp, mellow taste without being acidic.

Sirene can be made with both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk but unpasteurised milk must be left for 60 days before it is used. First the milk is heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Then a starter culture is added. Buttermilk is one of the many that can be used. At this stage, adding a pinch of lipase enzyme gives the cheese a better, stronger flavour. The milk is then left for an hour and is stirred occasionally. Then liquid rennet is added and the milk is left undisturbed for 40 minutes. Rennet is a complex of enzymes that is used to curdle the milk and separate it into curds and whey.

Once the milk has separated into the curds and whey, the curds are broken up and stirred. The entire mixture is ladled into moulds and left to drain. Once the whey has drained out overnight, the cheese shrinks. The cheese is then taken out of the moulds and cut into pieces. They are then rolled generously in coarse salt. The pieces are left for a day and are turned over at regular intervals. The wet areas are rubbed again with salt. The salt serves the basic purpose of further draining the whey from the cheese. After being left uncovered for about five days, the time period varies for different cheese-makers, the cheese is placed in a brine solution till it is used.

Sirene cheese is perfect in salads. It works very well with chicken and seafood. It is used in soups and in the traditional Bulgarian Shopska salad with vegetables, ham, boiled eggs and olives. Sirene is also used extensively with fried eggs and omelettes to give them a distinctive Bulgarian flavour. Sirene is great when used in pastas and it is used often to make red sauce. Traditional Bulgarian and Macedonian pastries use Sirene cheese. Another popular recipe is one of stuffed bell peppers where the peppers are stuffed with a mixture made of Sirene and eggs. Sirene cheese goes well with red and sweet white wines.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed

Sao Jorge has a spicy flavour, which it acquires over time, and it is this flavour, which makes it a tasty snack. The cheese is made in batches weighing 7 to 12 kilograms each. It consists of a hard or semi hard paste and its hard inedible rind gives way a lighter coloured interior filled with tiny, irregular holes. The cheese has a poweful aroma and a spicy taste, which lends itself well to salads and sauces. Cheese connoiseurs swear by its incredibly versatile, slightly peppery undertones.

The process of making Sao Jorge is an ancient one, which has been passed down from generation to generation. It is made from unpasteurised milk and is still made in the traditional Flemish way. Sao Jorge is made in numerous farms dotted in and around the island and each farm while still following traditional methods, lends the cheese a flavour, which is distinct to the farm. A trip to the island definitely warrants a trip to each of these farms, if only for the novelty of tasting the same cheese made in the same way, but with a difference in taste which is barely noticeable but still very much there. The cheese curds from the unpasterurised milk are stirred gently by hand before they are salted. They are then scooped into moulds and pressed in presses made from cinderblocks. They are then aged for several months in rooms kept at a constant temperature. This aging process is what gives the cheese its distinctive, almost cheddar like texture and flavour.

Sao Jorge has a taste, which is mellow and creamy. It is grassy and earthy and has a slightly tangy, fresh milk flavour. The cheese is versatile and works very well when made into sauce. It is also great as a snack and is delicious cut up into chunks and served with a salad. Some people also prefer eating the cheese with a crusty baguette thus enjoying and appreciating the taste better. Sao Jorge is a tyoe of cheese, which can also be used in pizzas or eaten with a soft roll and butter. Even by itself, the cheese does well as part of a cheese board. This cheese is so versatile that it is also at home in a grilled sandwich, which other cheeses cannot usually do. It is a great accompaniment to pork and tastes very good when used with dill.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed

Parrano cheese is made from cow’s milk and is produced in the Netherlands. It tastes soft and nutty, combining salty and sweet flavors. It has a semi-firm surface and a smooth, golden colored paste. Parrano is made in 20-lb wheels and is aged for 5 months.

Combining the flavor of ripened parmesan with a pliant texture, Parrano is marketed as an Italian-style cheese. However, Parrano is precisely Gouda cheese although its flavor is more prominent than that of traditional Gouda.

Parrano is a multipurpose cheese that is easy to shred, slice and melt. It is well suited for entertaining, cooking and snacking. Its flavor complements many different types of cuisine, especially Italian dishes.

This cheese tastes like a blend of gouda and parmesan cheese, mellow, buttery and nutty. It retains the smooth touch of gouda, but has the nuttiness of parmesan. It melts well and is not stringy in dishes.

Parrano is a Dutch Gouda-style cheese, which is aged for 5 months, developing its sweet nutty flavor while maintaining the firm. This smooth textured young Gouda has some Italian temperament in it.

This gourmet cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk perfect mixture that brings you the best of both worlds: a cheese that is full of flavor and versatile enough to cut, grate and melt and you will enjoy it as a dessert cheese with a glass of Port wine.

Parrano pairs fine with bold red wines such as Chianti, Pinot Noir or Red Zinfandels. If you are looking for a beer connection, try mild and fruity wheat beers or crisp, golden pilsners.

TYPES:-

Parrano Originale:- Parrano Originale is a remarkable cheese with the Italian temperament. It has the alluring, nutty flavor of fine ripened parmesan with the versatility of young gouda.

Parrano Robusto:- A delicious cheese, ripened for nine months that is really worthy of its name. An extra spicy and robust cheese.

Parrano Olifesta:- Parrano Olifesta is a wonderfully creamy 50+ dairy product prepared with olive oil. Magnificent little sun-ripened tomatoes and Italian herbs are added to this dairy product.

Storage

Store in a refrigerator. Cheese should always be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, wax paper or butcher paper. Change wraps often to avoid mold development.
Drafts and changing temperatures should be avoided by storing Parrano in the
vegetable drawer or butter compartment.

Serving Ideas

This exciting cheese makes a nice addition to a cheese board. It goes well with crackers, olives, grapes. Since it grates and melts so adequately, it would be an excellent addition to many cooked dishes, as well.

Parrano is the unforgettable cheese with a specifically Italian temperament. It has the tempting nutty flavor of a fine-aged Parmesan with the versatility of a young Dutch Gouda. Aged to aptness, Parrano tastes buttery and nutty and is perfect as a snack on its own or added to any of your favorite recipes.

Parrano won gold medal at the 2006 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, for ‘Best of class, Gouda.’ It also first runner up in the World Champion Cheese Title.

All in all I think this cheese is incredibly versatile and useful and makes a nice change to the usual cheese you get in supermarkets. But as it hasn’t really been heard of in the UK it is not readily available so you will have to go to a specialist cheese shop or deli. I will certainly be on the look out for this cheese as its great to add to dishes.

- Aprajita Kalyani

There are Hundreds types of cheese. Their type, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal’s diet), whether they have been pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging. Things used as flavoring agents are Herbs, spices, or wood smoke. The change in color from yellow to red in many cheeses is from adding annatto.

Switzerland’s oldest and most common cheese, Emmentaler has a distinctively nutty-sweet, mellow flavor that makes it perfect for almost any use – from snacks to an après-dinner fruit-and-cheese plate. This cheese is made from Cow milk and is light gold in color, with marble-size holes and a natural light brown rind. It was named after Switzerland’s Emmental valley and is exported in giant wheels weighing from 150 to 220 pounds each Pannónia Emmentaler is one such kind. It is a Hungarian version of the Swiss Emmenthal cheese, which was originally sold as Ementáli until 1981 when the name was banned.

The Emmental is a hard kind of world-famous Swiss origin. Korongjának general dimensions of the original diameter of 85 cm and a thickness of 22 cm, weighing 80-100 kg weight range. Raw milk produced by 45-48% in fat. A korongjának create up to 12 liters of milk are also used. It is characterized by evenly distributed inside the holes is due. Matured for at least 10 months, but even stronger than the smell of aged disks. Emmentaler is one of the noblest sajféleségek. This cheese is high in the mountains of cheese. It is a hard hind of hard cheese.

Origin and production: This cheese is the home of Emma river valley in the canton of Bern. Originally made in the name Emmental Cheese has gained fame, but today the entire German-speaking Switzerland has produced.

Characteristics: A round, slightly domed sajtkarika 17-25 cm high, with a diameter of 75-95 cm, weight 73-120 kg, depending on the size. The Emmentaler lyukairól became famous in the big cherry nagyságútól to change the size of walnuts. This cheese is supple and flexible color. Mad hard, dry, yellow-brown.
Manufacturing: grazing and hay that is by no means exclusively Silo – made from raw milk of cows fed raw milk rézedényekben heated up, and are injected. The tejalvadékot crashes, constant stirring and heat again. It gives shape to the mass of cheese, and then pressed. Once received the form, add salt, at least 4 months of ripening time.

Aroma: The Ementálinak typically mellow, slightly reminiscent of nut flavor, the salt is almost no sense
It is the most famous cheese of Swiss. Emmentaler is also known as emmental and Emmenthaler, this cheese takes its name from the Emmental Valley where it originated circa 1293. It is considered Switzerland’s very old and most esteemed cheese. This pale yellow colored cheese is made from part-skim, unpasteurized cow’s milk and has a mild, slightly nutty, buttery, almost fruity flavor. The holes range from small to large olive-size.the. USA versions use pasteurized milk and age the unpasteurized cheese at least 60 days It is made in huge (up to 220-pounds) wheels and can be easily identified by the stamp of its place of origin on the rind. This firm cheese can melt easily, making it good for sauces, and it goes equally well with fruits and nuts.

- Aprajita Kalyani

Liptaur is a kind of cheese, usually spicy but made with sheep’s-milk cheese, goat’s-milk cheese, quark cheese or cottage cheese. It is part of the cuisines of many countries, specially enjoying a pride of place in Slovak cuisine, Hungarian cuisine, Austrian cuisine and Italian cuisine. The name “Liptauer” is derived from the German word “Liptau” for the region of Liptov in North Slovakia. It’s also known as the Spuma di formaggio all’ungherese in Trieste in Italy.

Cheese is a milk-based food product, produced all over the world. It consists of proteins and fat derived from milk,. All over the world, millions of different cheeses are produced. All of them vary depending on the quantity of milk it is derived from.

Liptaur has a sharp spicy taste. It is served in Austria at the Heurgier(Austrian wine-drinking Tavern). Liptaur is a sort of cheese which can be made from any of the soft cheeses. One can use cottage cheese, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cheese made from quark, soft goat or sheep cheese. The cheese is usually mixed with the local sour cream, margarine, butter or beer and finely-chopped onions. Spices may also be added like ground paprika, fresh parsley, caraway seeds etc.

If Liptaur is ready-made, it generally comes in tin-foil packages and has a spicy taste. The cheese is consumed on open sandwich, toast, crackers, bagels or even as a filling in tomatoes, peppers or hard-boiled eggs. Slovakia and Hungary boast of many recipes where liptaur is a key ingredient. All families have their own different way of cooking Liptaur and claim that their recipe is the purest way to create the item.

It contains up to fortyfive percent fat and is made from sheep’s milk. The paprika turns the cheese red. It is a very well-tasting snack cheese which goes with all ranges of alcoholic beverages from beer to white wine. There are lots of recipes for Liptaur cheese spread, it is a very popular cheese. It is a vegetarian meal which makes it even more popular. It is most commonly drunk with white wine and is acclaimed as a part of also Austrian cuisine. Making the Liptaur cheese spread is not very difficult, thus it is a recipe even a novice cook can try.

Here is a Liptaur cheese recipe:

The ingredients one will need include cream, 8 oz. of Liptaur cheese, ½ cup soft butter, 3 tbs sour cream, 2 anchovy fillets mashed, 1 tbs finely chopped onion, 1 tbs mustard, 1 ½ teaspoon Paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon caraway seeds smashed and ½ teaspoon salt.

Here is the procedure to go about making the cheese spread. Everything has to be shaped into a smooth mound and slight indentations in the mound have to be made with the fork. Paprika is to be sprinkled on the mound from above and the meal is to be garnished with chopped parsley. The entire thing should be kept in the refrigerator so that the right flavour is acquired. As has been mentioned earlier, this goes well with beer but can also be served with pumpernickel or rye bread. The recipe given here will provide for 1 ¾ cups.

Thus, Liptaur is an extremely tasty, exotic cheese which is very popular in the Eastern Europe regions.

- Angikaar Choudhury

A raspberry cheese cake is a cheese cake with the delicate flavour of raspberries. This cheese cake is distinguished by its tangy flavour. To prepare a raspberry cheese cake, all we need to do is follow these simple steps.

Ingredients required in a Raspberry Cheese Cake Recipe:

• Two and a half cups of cracker crumbs.
  
• Quarter cup butter (melted).
• Two pounds cream cheese at room temperature.
• One tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
• Two cups of sugar.
• Four eggs.
• Half teaspoon vanilla essence.
• One teaspoons of orange zest.
• One cup raspberries. (Fresh or thawed)
• Three tablespoons sugar.
• One cup sour cream.

How do we go about preparing a Raspberry Cheese Cake?

1. Preheat the oven to about 325 degrees F.
2. Mix the cracker crumbs and butter well.
3. Prepare a nine inch pan for the baking the cake.
4. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together, continue until the mixture is smooth.
5. Add flour, eggs and vanilla to the above mixture.
6. Beat the entire batter for the cheese cake well.
7. Start folding in the orange zest and raspberries, this has to be done gently and carefully.
8. Pour prepared batter into the crust.
9. Bake for about an hour.
10. Cover the cake with foil if it begins to go brown.
11. Remove the raspberry cheese cake from the oven.
12. Leave it to cool for ten minutes.
13. Mix the sour cream and sugar.
14. Pour it on top of the cheesecake.
15. Bake it in the oven again for ten minutes.
16. Garnish it with whipped cream and berries.

Your raspberry cheese cake is ready to serve.

Raspberry Cheese Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• Two cups of cake flour.
• One cup of powdered sugar.
• One cup of cold butter.
• Half a teaspoon baking powder.
• One teaspoon of baking soda.
• Half a teaspoon salt.
• One cup of sour cream.
• Two eggs. (Beaten)
• One packet full of raspberry jelly.
• One cup of softened cream cheese.
• One cup of granulated sugar.
• Half a cup of raspberry jam.

How to make?

• Mix the flour, sugar and cold butter in a bowl until the mixture becomes crumbly in texture.
• Remove half of the above mixture and put it aside.
• To the mixture which remains, add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream and egg.
• Take a baking tray and grease it at the bottom and from all sides.
• Spread the prepared mixture into this tray.
• The oven must be preheated to 150 degrees C.
• For the filling, mix cream cheese, sugar and egg until all of them are well blended.
• Pour the above mix into the prepared baking tray.
• Spread raspberry jam over the baked cake with a spatula.
• Finally, sprinkle the remainder of the crumbly mixture prepared in the first step.
• Bake this in the preheated oven for about an hour.
• Cool for about an hour after which we must carefully run a knife along the edges to loosen the cheese cake from the pan.
• Make a thick raspberry jelly by mixing jelly powder with 250 ml of hot water.
• Cool the above jelly.
• Cut stripes of the raspberry jelly and align them on the cake as desired.

Your raspberry cheese cake is now ready to serve.

- Shishir Rao

1. CORNFLAKE COOKIES

   1 c. sugar
   1 c. butter
   1 tsp. vanilla
   1 1/2 c. flour
   1 tsp. each baking soda and cream of tartar
   2 cups cornflakes
   nuts (if required)

   1. Prepare a mixture of butter, vanilla and cream of tartar gradually.
   2. Add dry ingredients like flour, baking soda and sugar to the semisolid mixture
   3. Stir in 2 cups cornflakes; mix well and add 1/2 cup nuts.
   4. Drop by teaspoons about 5 cms apart (cookies will spread out).
   5. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degree still the cookies turn golden.

   NOTE: Nuts are optional. Any kind can be used. To flatten the cookies a little, the bottom of a moistened glass can be used.

2. Not just Jerry mouse likes cheese!! If you think plain cornflakes are too boring add a cheesy tinge to it
   CHEESE CORNFLAKE COOKIES

   8 oz. pkg. sharp cheese
   1 stick butter
   1 c. plain flour
   1/4 tsp. salt
   1/4 tsp. paprika
   1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
   1 1/2 c. corn flakes

   1. Grate cheese and mix with butter to get a semisolid mixture.
   2. Add flour, salt, paprika, and Tabasco sauce for taste.
   3. Add in cornflakes and stir well.
   4. Pinch off piece of dough, roll marble size, press down on ungreased cookie sheet. You can even give it desired shapes like hearts, circles, and triangles.
   5. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not let the cookies turn brown. Keep them till they are slightly golden.

   Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

3. Oats and cornflakes….. two favorite breakfast entities…… what happens when you combine the goodness of both?
   OATMEAL – CORNFLAKE COOKIES

   1 c. butter
   1 c. brown sugar
   1 c. sugar
   2 eggs
   2 c. flour
   1 tsp. baking powder
   2 tsp. soda
   1 tsp. salt
   1 tsp. vanilla
   2 c. rolled oats (oatmeal)
   2 c. crushed cornflakes

   1. Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla.
   2. Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda, salt and add to butter mixture.
   3. Add oatmeal and corn flakes.
   4. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

4. PEANUT BUTTER CORNFLAKE COOKIES

   1 c. white sugar
   1 c. corn syrup
   1/4 c. butter
   1 c. peanut butter
   6 c. corn flakes

   1. Bring white sugar & corn syrup to a boil.
   2. Stop heating & add butter & peanut butter.
   3. Melt, pour over cornflakes. Mix together well.
   4. Use a round spoon and place dollops onto wax paper.

   Makes about 4 dozen cookies

5. COCONUT CORNFLAKE COOKIE

   1 c. brown sugar
   1 c. granulated sugar
   1 c. butter
   2 eggs
   1 tsp. vanilla
   2 c. flour
   1 tsp. baking powder
   1 tsp. baking soda
   2 c. cornflakes
   2 c. shredded or flaked coconut

   1. Mix together sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla.
   2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
   3. Add this to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
   4. Add cornflakes and coconut and stir.
   5. Roll out into balls. Flatten using a fork dipped in flour.
   6. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes in 350 degree oven.

- Sherry Italia

Shanklish is typically made into balls which are approximately 6 inches in diametre. Sometimes it is also sold in smaller sizes. These balls of cheese are often rolled in zaatar and Aleppo pepper. Zaatar is a mix of dried herbs and spices like oregano, calamintha, thyme, savory, sesame seeds and salt. This mixture gives the cheese a very unique flavour. Aleppo pepper is a typically Syrian pepper which is moderately spicy, and has a mild, cumin-like flavour. The cheese, after being rolled in these spices is then aged and dried. The spices are what give the cheese its tennis ball-like appearance.

Dried and fresh shanklish vary greatly in terms of flavour and texture. Fresh shanklish has a soft texture and a mild flavour. Shanklish that is dried and aged for a period of time becomes rpogressively harder and begins to acquire an extremely pungent odour and flavour. As tastes vary, the spices added to the cheese also vary. For spicier shanklish, cheese makers add aniseed and chilli before the cheese is formed into balls.

Shanklish is an ancient cheese which used to be made and then buried in the hot desert sand for a year to mature and age. The actual method of making it is tedious and painstakingly long. Using shortcuts and alternatives just mars the taste of the cheese. The first step is to make fresh yoghurt. This is done by taking fresh cow’s milk, boiling it, cooling it and then fermenting it by adding a batch of previously made yoghurt. Once the yoghurt is made, it is poured into an elongated container and the churned. As this process is happening, the butter that is formed is skimmed off and when the yoghurt is partially skimmed and low fat, it is heated until it breaks down. It turns into bluish water with a residual white substance at the bottom. Once it cools, the mixture is hung through a cotton cloth to drain. The cheese is then taken, salt is added and it is rolled into balls. These are dried in the sun. Then they are scraped clean and immersed in thyme. Once this is done, the shanklish is taken, wrapped in cloth and left to ferment further in the dark. Then the shanklish can be eaten anytime after a week as the person chooses.

Shanklish is usually eaten with finely chopped tomatoes, onions and olive oil. The mixture is accompanied by arak, which is an unsweetened alcoholic drink made from aniseed. The cheese is also occasionally mixed with eggs or cucumbers, mint and olive oil in pita bread.

Shanklish has a very pungent flavour and is an acquired taste, but once acquired, it is a delight to savour in any form.

- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed