Cheese is one of the most used ingredients in recipes and tastes amazing with a variety of wines. Bryndza is one of the most popular sheep milk cheeses, and it’s known for its salty flavor. It’s usually made with standard salt and has a crumbly texture, which looks like feta cheese. On the other hand, some brands use saline solution to make this cheese, which leads to spreadable and soft cheese. However, if you don’t have access to bryndza cheese, there is a variety of substitutes that you can try, and since they are made from sheep milk, texture and flavor are similar. So, are you ready to check them out?
Bryndza Cheese Substitutes
- Manchego Cheese
Manchego is one of the best and most flavorful sheep milk cheeses, which is why it can be used to replace the bryndza cheese. The cheese is native to the La Mancha region in Spain. This is a pliant cheese variety with a firm texture and a mild character. This is because it’s made from Manchega sheep’s milk. In addition, it has a fruity, sweet, and salty flavor. The younger variety has a grassy flavor, while the older cheese has caramel flavor notes, which is why it can be considered a bit salty.
- Roquefort Cheese
This is a blue cheese that originates from southern France and has become popular for its mossy blue and green appearance. It has a very delicate and crumbly texture, along with a sharp tang. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that this is the king of cheese. It has a pungent aroma and a sharper tang. In addition, it has moist cheese and is considered stronger as compared to blue cheese. That’s because Roquefort has a unique bite and aroma, irrespective of how it’s sliced.
- Ossau-Iraty Cheese
This is an unpasteurized cheese and has a medium-firm texture. The cheese belongs to the Franco-Basque region and is made from the traditional methods (the shepherds make this cheese). It’s safe to say that this is the most pairable cheese out there and has a pungent aroma. In addition, it has a well-rounded flavor, and the semi-firm texture means that it will melt in your mouth. It has an oily texture with a sweet and savory flavor with hints of olives, hazelnuts, and figs.
- Idiazábal
This is another classic cheese that belongs to the Basque country. This is a pressed and hard cheese that’s made from Carranzana and Latxa cheese – the cheese is aged for at least sixty days to make sure the flavor is palatable. For the most part, this cheese has a brown butter and nutty flavor. However, if the aging period is extended beyond sixty days, the flavor becomes smoked and develops a dark ring. This cheese is made from unpasteurized sheep milk and can be paired with pasta. In addition, it can be melted on the toast to make a delicious breakfast.
- Pecorino
This is an Italian cheese variety, and there are actually six different varieties of cheese available in the market. In most cases, it can be flavored with nuts and truffles, including pistachios and walnuts – these ingredients enhance the cheese’s nuttiness. This is a hard and salty cheese, which is why it’s used for grating. The most unique fact is that this cheese is made from another cheese, which results in an earthy and grassy base flavor.
- Casu Marzu
This is another cheese variety that’s made from sheep milk and features the cheese fly’s live insect larvae. It is an aged and soft sheep. For the most part, this cheese is cut into thin slices and spread on flatbread. In addition to this, it pairs well with red wines. As far as the flavor is concerned, it has a strong and spicy flavor with a bitter undertone.
- Feta Cheese
Feta cheese is one of the most easy-to-find cheese varieties and is defined as a brined curd cheese that originates from Greece. It is traditionally made from sheep milk, but some people make it from a combination of goat and sheep milk. The cheese is available in the form of a block, which is why they can be crumbled into the salads. On top of everything, they taste amazing in pastries!