💧 Whey cheeses

Whey cheeses are made mainly from the whey left over from cheesemaking, sometimes with milk or cream ¹. In ordinary cheese the ratio of whey protein to casein does not exceed that of milk ², while in cheese coagulated from whey it is distinctly higher ¹.

Codex describes two methods. The first coagulates the proteins by heat, with or without acid: these cheeses are white to yellowish, with relatively little lactose. The second boils the whey down until the mass holds its shape: these are yellowish to brown, sweet and caramelised ¹.

Whey is low in protein: for Ricotta Romana the rules require at least 1.09% protein, 0.35% fat and 3.55% lactose ⁵. So milk is often added: up to 15% in Ricotta Romana ⁵, up to 6% milk and 5% cream in Ricotta di Bufala Campana ¹¹, up to 25% milk or cream in manouri ⁷. FAO distinguishes sweet whey from rennet cheeses and acid whey from acid-coagulated ones; Ricotta di Bufala Campana may not use acid whey ¹¹¹². Besides cheese, whey goes into drinks, lactose and powder ¹².

Temperatures are similar: ricotta about 80 °C ⁹; according to 1990s applications, brocciu 80–90 °C ⁶, manouri 88–90 °C ⁷, Cretan xynomyzithra up to 92 °C ⁸. Corsican brocciu, according to its application, weighs 500–1,500 g and is sold fresh or aged for at least 15 days; it gained its designation in 1983, when it was not yet legally regarded as cheese ⁶. Manouri drains for 4–5 hours in cloth bags and is finished at 4–5 °C ⁷. Cretan xynomyzithra is soft, from tart to slightly sweet, grainy to buttery ⁸.

Brunost is an example of the second method: about 90% of the water is evaporated, and it browns in the last 15 minutes, when the mass nears 100 °C. Almost half of its dry matter is milk sugar ¹⁰. Brunost ranges from about 7% to 35% fat in dry matter, and prim has over 30% water and spreads ¹⁰.

In the EU, Ricotta Romana, Ricotta di Bufala Campana, Corsican brocciu, and Greek manouri and Xynomyzithra Kritis are protected ³. The site also has separate pages on urda, mizithra and anari. Classification differs: brocciu and manouri are registered as cheeses ⁶⁷, while Ricotta di Bufala Campana is another product of animal origin ¹¹.

Why it matters to you. "Whey" does not mean "light": according to USDA, 100 g of whole-milk ricotta has 150 kcal, and goat brunost 466 kcal ⁴. Lactose varies too: little in ricotta, a lot in brunost ¹¹⁰. Fresh types spoil quickly: buffalo "fresca" keeps for up to 7 days ¹¹.