Country of origin Egypt Texture Hard/Crumbly | Pasteurized No Weight 10kg disks | |
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Similar Pastirma, Hawawshi, Mish, Fatayer, Egyptian cheese | ||
Roumy cheese, Romy (Egyptian Arabic: جبنة رومي Gebna rūmi) or Ras cheese, is one of the main types of cheese in Egypt. It has a distinctive smell, and different degrees of salty taste according to the stage of aging.
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Description
Roumy is derived from the Greek kefalotyri cheese. It is the main hard cheese in Egypt. Roumy belongs to the same family as Pecorino Romano and Manchego. Roumy cheese is made from cows' milk, or from a mixture of cow and buffalo milk. No starter culture is used. The milk is natural, with full cream. Peppercorn may be added. After 3–4 months the cheese will develop an open texture and a sharp, pungent flavor. Roumy is available in 10 kilograms (22 lb) disks or often slices with variable weight in vacuum packing. There are 100 calories in an ounce serving, with high amount of saturated fat (28%).
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The addition of low levels of PGE or lipases from R. miehei or R. pusillus has been reported to improve the flavor of Ras and Domiati cheeses. In 1985 an experimental Ras cheese was made using equal amounts of cow and buffalo milk, with the addition or 20% to 30% or soy milk. The fat content was lower than natural cheese and the flavor was affected slightly, but the result was said to have "satisfactory sensory properties." Although the fermented cheese mish is traditionally made from Areesh cheese, commercial products similar to mish may be made from ras and domiati cheeses.
