Influence of the Breed of Sheep on the Characteristics of Zamorano Cheese

This work aimed to study the effects of using ewe’s milk from Churra, Assaf, or both breeds on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Zamorano cheese at the end of ripening. Zamorano cheese is a hard variety with protected designation of origin (PDO) produced in the province of Zamora (Spain) with raw or pasteurized ewe’s milk. Five batches of Zamorano cheese were produced with pasteurized ewe’s milk. One batch was elaborated using milk from the Churra breed, the other using milk from the Assaf breed, and the remaining three employed milk mixtures of Churra and Assaf breeds in the proportions 75:25, 50:50 and, 25:75, respectively. Cheeses made with a higher proportion of Churra milk showed a predominance of hydrophilic peptides, while hydrophobic peptides predominated in cheeses with a greater percentage of milk from the Assaf breed. The largest content of most free amino acids was found in cheeses produced with the highest percentage of Churra milk. These cheeses presented the highest values for fat acidity index and free fatty acids content and showed greater elasticity and adhesiveness, as well as lower granularity and hardness. In the sensory evaluation, aftertaste and persistence were higher in these cheeses, being scored with the best overall values.