FATTY ACID PROFILE AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF TRADITIONAL SHEEP KASHKAVAL

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to present the fatty acid profile of Galichki sheep kashkaval cheese from Bistra mountain and present its sensory characteristics. The tests were carried out in four iterations on the 180 day of the cheese production. The fatty acids were analyzed under the method AOAC 996.07. The organoleptic assessment was conducted under 20 points scale method, by examining four characteristics (flavor, aroma, texture and additional flavor in the mouth and appearance when cut). Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that the biggest percentage of the fatty acids belongs to palmitic acid (C16:0, hexadecanoic acid) with 30.574.17 g/100g, then the oleic (C18:1, z-octadec-11-enoic) with 24.891.05 g/100g and myristic acid (C14:0, tetradecanoic acid) with 11.010.69 g/100g. Based on the results of the sensory analysis we concluded that the Galichki kaskhaval cheese belongs to the category of very good quality cheese. The flavor was rated as distinct, characteristic for sheep cheese and moderately salty, while the aroma was characterized as pleasant, slightly sour, with no foreign odors. The cheese texture was evaluated as compact, homogeneous, and the firmness as characteristic for the product. The cheese was top-rated in terms of the appearance when cut. This property depends mostly on the skills of the master in the fast and successful shaping of the curd dough and the proper shaping of the cheese.