Urdă

Description

Urdă is a fresh cheese made from the whey of sheep, goat or cow milk, produced mainly in Romania, but also in other Balkan countries (Serbia, Macedonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine). Urdă is similar to Italian ricotta in its production and in appearance and taste.

Urdă has been produced probably since the Roman antiquity by the shepherds in today's Romania. They further processed the whey that was left over from making cheese from sheep's, goat's or cow's milk. The first written mention of a similar whey cheese comes from the Roman general, historian, writer and statesman Marcus Porcius Cato Censorius (234 - 149 BC). However, the production of cheese from whey is much older. The Sumerians and Egyptians already made cheese from whey.

Urdă is white and has a fine-grained, silky consistency. Urdă has a mild and pleasant cheese flavor. Urdă is used in Romania mainly for making desserts such as Clătită (Thin, round or rectangular cake filled with apples, cream cheese or chocolate) and Plăcintă (Thin, filled pancakes, similar to crêpes), but also for hearty dishes.