Kosher Cheese from Israel
Israel
Dairy Map
from the Israel
Dairy Board
| Barkanit
Dairy Producer: Barkanit, Brakin Farm, Kfar Yechezkel, Israel, Telephone from box: 972-4-6531431 Kosher certification: OU D Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Yes Milks: Sheep, goat and blends Coagulation: Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: www.barkanit.com Availability: Kosher stores, specialty stores and online |
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Avinoam
and Michal Barkan have done over 15 training periods in France and Spain
to learn cheesemaking techniques which they brought back to their Moshav
in Israel. The Brakin family's Barkanit Dairy is a spread of 500 acres in
the village of Kfar Yechezkel in the north of Israel, next to the Tabor
mountain. The herd of 450 goats and several hundred sheep enjoys natural
pastures all year around.
With the exception of Tourquoise cheese, which is certified by the Rabbinate of the Gilboa, all Barkanit cheeses are OU kosher and Cholov Yisroel. |
Barkanit cheeses bear the mark of the Barkin's French and Spanish education; several of the ash-coated fresh cheeses (Shahat, Tiltan, Tabor, etc.) resemble cheeses of France's Loire Valley, and the firm cheese called Gilboa mimics Spain's most famous sheep's milk cheese, Manchego. The influence of European traditions on these Israeli cheeses sets them apart from the more typical Mediterranean offerings of Israel's dairy industry.
| Shahat Shahat is a blend of sheep and goat milk, fashioned into a French Selles-sur-Cher style. It is round and flat (fitting nicely into a hexoganol box), and its rind is covered in plant ash and white mold. The creamy texture on the inside, due partly to its careful maturing process, gives it an elegant personality. While Shahat is already interesting at the beginning of the production process, it becomes even more unique as the cheese fully matures. The box is opaque, obscuring the cheese. Check the sell-by date to determine which age of cheese best suits your purposes; a cheese close to its date will be firmer with stronger flavors, and one with a long shelf span will be softer and creamier. Each cheese is wrapped in an aerated plastic which allows it to breathe on the shelf. Barkanit's delicate soft cheeses are best cut with a wire cutter or very thin, small knife. |
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Tiltan and Tabor
Tiltan
is a pure goat's milk cheese modeled after France's Ste. Maure. It comes
in a very small log shape
and is coated in an artful blend of grey ash and
downy white mold.
Its interior is slightly flaky in the center and
creamier towards the rind.
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Tabor, a soft-ripened sheep's milk cheese, resembles a flattened pyramid, much like Israel's own Tabor Mountain. Its rind is ivory-cream colored and is not treated with vegetable ash. Although it is a sheep's milk cheese, it takes its good looks from France's famous Valençay Pyramide goat's milk cheese. |
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| Gad
Dairy Producer: Gad Dairy Kosher certification: Mehadrin Badatz (Rabbi Rubin) and OK Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Milks: Cow, sheep, and goat Coagulation: Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: www.gad-dairy.co.il Availability: Kosher stores and specialty stores |
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Gad Dairy started out decades ago as a small family dairy in
Turkey and is today one of Israel’s largest dairies. Established in 1980, Gad
Dairies combines simplicity with ingenuity, tradition and progress. Located in
Israel’s central region, Gad’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
covers an expanse of 7,000 square meters. |
The story of the Cohen family's Gad Dairy begins many
years ago, when Grandfather Ezra Cohen received a cow as a gift and began
producing cheese as a living. The recipe that was prepared along with his
infinite love for cheese turned Grandfather Cohen into a well-known figure in
his village. The reactions of neighboring villages were soon to follow and
Grandfather Cohen decided to turn his love and fondness for cheese into a
career.
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Israel's dairy industry is well respected in the Middle East for producing a wide range of artisanal cheeses as well as quality kosher industrial cheeses. The dairy industry is one of Israel's agricultural pillars and the country's farming system of Kibbutz collective farms and Moshav family cooperatives enable Israeli dairies to create great cheeses at reasonable prices. |
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Gad Bulgarian Cheese (Feta) This cheese, also known as Bulgarian cheese, is packed in a brine solution to ensure freshness. Inside the tub is a basket that lifts out and strains the cheese for easy preparation. |
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Gad Labane is a smooth, creamy yogurt cheese with a natural tangy flavor. It comes both plain and pre-flavored in the tub in a bath of olive oil sprinkled with za'atar. Delicious with pita bread, olives, and grilled vegetables! |
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Gad
Kashkaval Kashkaval comes wrapped in cryovac. |
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Gad Syrian Cheese (Halumi Style) Gad's Syrian sheep's milk cheese is a traditional halumi type of cheese -- a bouncy white cheese that combines the texture of mozzarella with the briny moisture of feta. Instead of melting when cooked, Halumi browns beautifully, especially when grilled. This lively 100% pure sheep's milk cheese can be served fresh in a salad or sandwich. Syrian cheese comes wrapped in cryovac. |
| Jacobs
Dairy Producer: Jacobs Dairy Kosher certification: Yes Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Milks: Cow, sheep and goat Coagulation: Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: www.jacobsdairy.co.il Availability: Not available in the U.S. |
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| Pomegranate's
Goat Cheese Rolled in Toasted Nuts Producer: Unspecified Israeli producer Kosher certification: Kehilah Kashrus Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Milks: Goat Coagulation: Vegetarian Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: Availability: Pomegranate |
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A young goat's milk cheese from Israel that has been rolled in toasted pistachios, almonds, and walnuts at Pomegranate in Brooklyn, NY. |
| Pomegranate's Israeli Smoked Provolone Producer: Unspecified Israeli producer Kosher certification: Kehilah Kashrus Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Milks: Cow Coagulation: Vegetarian Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: Availability: Pomegranate |
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This
Israeli Provolone cheese is a member of the Italian-style pasta filata
family, meaning that its curd has been kneaded and stretched like that of
Mozzarella. This Provolone is a young version that receives its smoky
finish from Pomegranate. It is firmer than a fresh Mozzarella, but softer
and bouncier than a typical aged Provolone that is produced for sandwich
slices. It has excellent melting potential and adds a savory,
"meaty" flavor to hot dishes, salads, and sandwiches
alike.
It may smell like a smoked meat, but it is all vegetarian and dairy! |
| Pomegranate's Israeli Kashkaval Producer: Unspecified Israeli producer Kosher certification: Kehilah Kashrus Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Milks: Sheep Coagulation: Vegetarian Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: Availability: Pomegranate Notes: READ MORE... |
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| Tnuva Producer: Tnuva Mehadrin, cheeses sourced from various Israeli dairies Kosher certification: OU D, Mehadrin Cholov Yisroel: Yes Passover: Yes Milks: Cow Coagulation: Culture and enzymes Vegetarian: Yes Pasteurization: Yes Website: www.tnuva.com Availability: Kosher stores, specialty stores and supermarkets |
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For
over half a century, Tnuva's line of premium dairy products have been
crafted in the pastoral Galilee region -- Israel's dairy heartland.
Explore the quality and purity of the products which have made Tnuva
Israel's leading brand name.
Tnuva has different collections, including the "Gourmet Cheeese Collection" and the "Mediterranean Collection." |
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| Tnuva carries many Mediterrean and gourmet cheeses. I have listed below the ones I have tried. |
| Tnuva
Labane -
Tnuva Elon Tavor Dairy (IL 301) P.O. Box 1071, Afula 18550 Israel Mediterranean Collection |
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| Tnuva
Light Feta Cheese Mediterranean Collection "Bulgrit" Bulgarian-style cheese 5% Milk Fat - Tene Moga Dairy (IL 306) P.O. Box 497 Kiryat Malachi, 70900 Israel |
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| Tnuva
Pasteurized Process Goat Cheese Mediterranean Collection This process goat's milk cheese contains emulsifiers to keep it soft and smooth, as well as gums to stabilize its consistency. Since it is a process cheese, it has a sticky texture and its taste is far from an artisanal cheese's. However, it is readily available and easy to work with as a spread on sandwiches, crackers, or panini. Its log shape and tight packaging make it easy to toss around while shopping, but difficult to open for service on a cheese board. This cheese is best left behind the scenes as an ingredient or fluffed up and served in a small bowl as a spread. Herbs or fruit can also be added for a customized flavor. The cheese has only 70 calories per oz. and 6g of fat, 125mg of sodium. |
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| Tnuva
Kashkaval Cheese
- Tnuva Tel-Yosef Dairy (IL 300) M.P. Gilboa 19133, Israel Gourmet Cheese Collection |
