Sheep's milk (or ewe's milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. Though not widely drunk in any modern culture, sheep's milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano (the Italian word for sheep is pecore) and Ricotta of Italy. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep milk. Though sheep produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows, it is richer in fat, solids, and minerals. This makes it ideal for the cheese-making process. It is not an alternative for people with (severe) lactose intolerance, due to the fact that it contains even more lactose than cow milk.
A minority of sheep breeds are kept primarily for dairy purposes, but these few have been selectively bred for milk production, and thus produce a higher volume than most other sheep. The most common and prolific dairy sheep breeds include the Lacaune, the East Friesian, and Awassi.
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Nutrition by comparison
Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams:[1]
| Constituents | unit | Cow | Goat | Sheep | Water Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | g | 87.8 | 88.9 | 83.0 | 81.1 |
| Protein | g | 3.2 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 4.5 |
| Fat | g | 3.9 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| Carbohydrate | g | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| Energy | kcal | 66 | 60 | 95 | 110 |
| kJ | 275 | 253 | 396 | 463 | |
| Sugars (Lactose) | g | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| Fatty Acids: | |||||
| Saturated | g | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Mono-unsaturated | g | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Polyunsaturated | g | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Cholesterol | mg | 14 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
| Calcium | IU | 120 | 100 | 170 | 195 |
See also
References
External links
- Sheep dairying at sheep101.com
- sheep dairying documentary by Cooking Up A Story
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