Druzhba cheese is a legendary processed cheese known to us since Soviet times.
Druzhba brand processed cheese has a half-century history and is one of the most famous processed cheeses in Russia.
It is produced by the Karat Moscow Processed Cheese Factory, founded in 1934, namely, processed cheeses have been developed and produced there since about the 1960s.
You can buy Druzhba cheese from Karat in any supermarket.
The cheese has a light yellow color and a soft, rather dense texture, which makes it easy to spread the product on bread or biscuits.
It has a rather weak aroma and is not too expressive, like most processed cheeses.
Its taste is soft, close to neutral, slightly sweetish, milky and creamy.
The choice of what to cook with Druzhba cheese is not as small as it might seem at first glance.
This classic sandwich cheese has been popular in Soviet times since.
Processed cheeses are frozen in the freezer, and then rubbed into a variety of delicious salads.
On their basis, you can cook sandwich pastes with herbs, fillings for tartlets and stuffed vegetables, casseroles, juliennes and many other delicious dishes.
The mass fraction of fat in dry matter of cheese "Druzhba" produced by "Karat" is 55%.
Ingredients: cheese, butter, cottage cheese, water, cream, milk powder, emulsifying salts (E339, E452), table salt, preservative potassium sorbate.
The fat content of Druzhba cheese is 24%. Energy value - 287 kcal / 100 grams.
Available in the following packages:
- foil - 90 g (the most familiar "Soviet version")
- segments - 140 g
- bath - 230 g
- slices - 150 g
- container - 200 g
- container - 400 g
Shelf life of Druzhba cheese: 150 days at t 0+4º C.
Friendship cheese reviews
Cheese "Druzhba" produced by the Moscow company "Karat" we know for a long time.
And the best part is, it hasn't changed much since then. For quite a long time, I did not meet him in stores. Then he reappeared.
On a jar of cheese is written "the same processed cheese."
And I quite agree with the producers: the taste of cheese is very similar to what we ate in childhood.
Of course, we preferred Yantar. It is fatter, creamier and, accordingly, tastier.
But "Friendship" cheese is also very good. It is less oily and therefore cheaper. But on the other hand, it's better.
I do not find anything “criminal” in the composition of this cheese.
Cheese, cream, butter, emulsifying salts (you can't do without them in this product. And one preservative - potassium sorbate, as far as I know, is relatively harmless.
Cheese of a good, dense consistency. Easily smeared, does not spread.
It does not delaminate, i.e., no liquid is released from it, as is often the case with processed cheeses.
It is said that astronauts take this cheese with them into space.
Well, I understand, of course, that they prepare cheese separately from what they make for sale in stores.
But still ... If the astronauts do not disdain ...
The cost of a box of cheese does not bite. I think it is quite inexpensive for such a tasty and quite high-quality product.
Monument to cheese Friendship
The monument to processed cheese "Druzhba" was erected in Moscow near the building of the processed cheese factory "Karat" in 2005. Also known as the "Crow and Fox" monument.
Initially, it stood near the plant building from Ogorodny Proezd, later moved to Rustaveli Street, as of 2015 - removed from the pedestal.
The monument depicts famous characters from Ivan Krylov's fable "The Crow and the Fox". Irreconcilable (according to the plot of the fable) opponents sit on a stump embracing and holding the processed cheese “Friendship”.
The two-hundred-kilogram cheese "Friendship" is made of bronze and has a size of one by one and a half meters. It is reproduced as similar as possible, in a classic multi-colored package.
In 2004, in connection with the 40th anniversary of the production of Druzhba cheese, the Karat processed cheese factory decided to perpetuate this brand by making a monument.
The monument opened in September 2005 during the second Moscow Cheese Festival.
Soon, a tradition appeared among the newlyweds to go to the monument on their wedding day so that the family would be friendly and strong. The management of "Karat" presented a basket with their cheeses to the arriving couples.
On January 30, 2008, the main component of the monument, processed cheese, was stolen by unknown persons. The plant promised a reward of 100,000 rubles for the return of the cheese.
However, already on February 4, he was discovered while clearing snow near the neighboring building, the Ostankino lamb products factory - apparently, the thieves could not carry the 200-kilogram cheese far away.
In 2011, in connection with the construction of the Butyrskaya metro station, the monument was moved to the entrance of the plant, while losing its pedestal, made in the form of a piece of cheese, and in 2015 it was completely removed.
Cheese "Druzhba" is a tasty and interesting product. This is one of the processed cheeses that are now presented in a large assortment on the shelves of most retail outlets. However, it was Druzhba cheese that was one of the first such delicacies for the inhabitants of Russia.
A bit of history
The product itself, which is called processed cheese, was invented in Switzerland. This discovery dates back to 1911. In the future, the recipe was modified and refined. Moreover, this product hit the shelves much later.
Processed cheese "Druzhba" appeared one of the first on the territory of the USSR. This may explain its popularity. The very name of this product is known to many, even jokes or various stories are associated with it.
The Karat plant began to make Druzhba cheese. Processed cheeses are the strong point of this enterprise. They have been produced from 1960 to the present. The company also produces pickled cheeses and dairy products.
Not everyone knows that processed cheese "Druzhba" even received its own monument. In 2004, the Karat company announced a competition for the best idea for a monument celebrating the legendary product.
As a result, in 2005 a new monument appeared in Moscow. On it, a crow and a fox from Krylov's fable are sitting, embracing. In their paws is a package of processed cheese. It, by the way, weighs about 200 kilograms and is made of bronze.
the nutritional value
By itself, processed cheese is a solid similar product heated to a certain temperature. However, manufacturers are now using different additives to diversify the taste or make the product more competitive. The greatest danger is vegetable fats, which are actively added by some manufacturers of processed cheeses. Thus, they lower the cost of the product, making it far from the original. On such cheese should be written "cheese product". The tastiest, of course, is real processed cheese, with a minimum amount of additives.
If we take the product of the company "Karat" as a sample, then the composition of the processed cheese "Druzhba" should include cheese, butter, milk powder, cottage cheese, cream, water, table salt, and a number of additives. The latter include potassium sorbate and emulsifying salts. The fat content of cheese is 24%. One hundred grams of the product contains 287 kilocalories. Of these, fats predominate - 24.2 grams, then proteins - 15 g, and carbohydrates are in last place, there are only 2.5 grams.
Appearance and taste of the product
The cheese is quite dense in texture, although soft in structure. It's easy to spread on sandwiches or crackers. Its color is light, slightly yellowish. There is no pronounced cheese yellowness.
The aroma of cheese is weak. It's hard to notice him. The taste is dominated by milky notes, slightly sweet. The cheese does not have a pronounced taste, the aftertaste remains light, imperceptible. Thanks to this, the product can be combined with others. Reviews of Druzhba cheese say that this product is delicious with fresh vegetables, as well as with seafood, in particular, with squid.
Recipes with melted cheese. Soups
Soup is one dish in which broth is extremely important, even if we are talking about mashed soups in which liquid is not visible at all. Therefore, the taste of this very broth can be given in various ways. For example, processed cheese complements a number of traditional soups well.
If you add a small piece of processed cheese to rich pea soup and mix it thoroughly, you can get a rich aroma and a creamy note. It will also add thickness to the first dish. The same can be said about vegetable soups, in which melted cheese brings a bright aftertaste.
An example of such a dish would be cheese soup with vegetables. To prepare it, you will need the following products:
- processed cheese - 2 pcs.;
- potatoes - 2 medium tubers;
- carrots - 1 medium root crop;
- green peas - 150-200 g;
- canned corn - 100 gr
- leek - 200-300 g;
- salt, spices to taste.
First of all, you should prepare the cheese. It is better to put them in the refrigerator so that in the future it will be easier to grate. Also, the soup can be prepared on any broth, choosing tender and dietary chicken, pork or beef. Cheese also goes well with turkey.
Peeled vegetables, cut into small cubes, are added to the broth. Then comes the turn of fresh or frozen peas. All vegetables should be boiled for seven or ten minutes. Then canned corn is added. In this case, the broth must be stirred all the time so that the cheese dissolves. Now you can add salt and other spices, at the end of cooking - finely chopped white part of the leek. The soup is then covered with a lid and allowed to brew for ten minutes. This dish is best served with toasted white bread.
Salad with squid and melted cheese
Cream cheese recipes are quite popular. Despite the fact that many of them describe the preparation of soups, there are also original and quick salads in which cheese plays an important role.
To prepare a quick salad you need:
- squid carcasses - 300 g;
- processed cheese "Druzhba" - 1 pc.;
- boiled egg - 2 pcs.;
- garlic - to taste.
The first step is to remove the cheese in the freezer. Then the squid carcasses are boiled. Boiled ingredients are cleaned of films and cut into small strips, finely chopped eggs should be added to them. Then comes the time for cheese: it is better to grate it on a fine grater and add it to the salad. Garlic is passed through a press. The more cloves, the spicier the salad will be. Two small cloves of garlic are traditionally taken for this amount of ingredients. You can fill the salad with sour cream or mayonnaise, depending on the desire of the cook.
Hi all!
Price 32 rubles.
Good, proper processed cheese cannot…
Hi all!
I myself would never have thought that I would write a review about processed cheese. But recently, having met in a store with processed cheese that mimics processed cheese familiar from childhood, I changed my mind.
Price 32 rubles.
Good, proper melted cheese can't be worth…
The weight
Package.
Cheeses are packed in foil. The package should have the inscription "Carat" and in smaller print indicate that it is processed cheese, and not a cheese product or a product processed with cheese. It is very important!
Pay attention to the composition, salts are needed for easy dissolution of cheese. It is they who make it melted.
The composition of the cheese "Friendship":
Processed cheese “Friendship”
Compound: rennet cheeses, butter, drinking water, sour cream, skimmed milk powder, emulsifying salts - sodium diphosphate, sodium polyphosphate; low-fat cheese, preservatives - sorbic acid, nisin; antioxidant - butylhydrooxytoluene.
The form.
Real cheese "Friendship" looks like a brick, it is not flat.
Let's make a cut.
We make a cut. The knife gets stuck in the original cheese, the cheese sticks to the blade and the edge is not quite even. And on the edge there are particles of cheese.
Taste
The taste is delicate, creamy. Does not give rancidity or fat. Such cheese will be an excellent basis for cheese soup or salad. It can also be eaten separately.
The final taste of the dish depends on the right choice of cheese! Do not trade for cheese products! Buy original cheese "Friendship!". IRecommend!
Processed cheese is a product with a very interesting history. It was invented by accident a little over a century ago when a cheese maker in Switzerland was forced to melt down excess cheese. And in 1916, the famous American company Kraft Foods for the first time patented its own method of making processed cheese. In our country, such cheeses have been produced for more than 80 years. Many names of processed cheeses, such as Druzhba and Yantar, have survived from Soviet times. But their recipe and taste have changed significantly since then and, unfortunately, not for the better.
The basis for such a product are hard cheeses with defects in appearance and texture.
There are several types of processed cheese: sausage, chunky and spreadable. The basis of any of them is processed hard and semi-hard rennet cheeses of various varieties. They may also include water, butter, cream, whey powder and protein, salt, spices and fillers, including sweet ones.
To obtain a uniform consistency, various emulsifiers are added, and preservatives are added to extend the shelf life of this dairy product.
Most often, hard cheeses with defects in appearance and texture become the basis for the production of processed cheeses, sometimes cheeses with an expiring shelf life are processed in this way.
Benefits of melted cheese
This type of cheese belongs to dairy products, the benefits of which do not have to be convinced. Processed cheeses are rich in protein, contain fats, and there are very few carbohydrates in them. Depending on the type of product, the protein content in 100 g can vary from 10 to 20 g, the fat content of cheese is from 30 to 60% (and even more). That is why the calorie content of 100 g of processed cheese ranges from 220 to 360 kcal.
Processed cheese is a nutritious product, it is useful to eat it for breakfast, since the fats that make up it are a source of energy for the body. Protein is used in almost all processes that ensure human life, in addition, processed cheese protein contains all the essential amino acids that are not produced in the body and must be supplied from outside. This product is easily and almost completely absorbed by the body.
Processed cheeses are rich in mineral salts. They contain a lot of sodium and phosphorus (about 90% of the daily requirement in 100 g), and. These macronutrients provide a complete assimilation of each other. That is why processed cheeses are useful for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, during the recovery period after operations on bones and joints, as well as during the period of active growth of the skeleton.
In a small amount, this product contains iron, copper and other trace elements. Also, processed cheeses contain vitamins A, D, C and all B vitamins, including B12, which is present only in animal products.
In general, processed cheeses can be attributed to healthy nutritious foods, but in some cases it is not recommended to use them. In addition, you need to carefully study their composition, since today unscrupulous manufacturers not only add harmful ingredients to them in order to reduce the cost of the product, but also produce surrogates.
The harm of processed cheese
Good quality processed cheese made from natural raw materials cannot be cheap. The content in it of cheap and flavoring agents, flavor and aroma enhancers, preservatives and other chemical additives often makes the product harmful, and sometimes even dangerous to the body.
Saturated fatty acids, present in cheap vegetable oils, contribute to the disruption of fat metabolism, the "settlement" of fats in the liver and development. Various chemical additives can cause allergic reactions, many studies have shown that dyes, preservatives and other similar food additives have a carcinogenic effect.
In addition, now on the shelves of stores you can see the so-called "cheese product", which looks very similar to processed cheese, but costs several times cheaper. This is a surrogate made from cheap low-grade raw materials, often even in taste and texture that has nothing to do with real processed cheese. It is better to refuse the purchase of such a product.
Processed cheese is a high-calorie product, and its energy value is represented mainly by fats. That is why it is excluded from diets for obesity, atherosclerosis and other disorders of fat metabolism.
Such cheeses contain quite a lot of salts, and therefore they should not be consumed in diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys and other diseases accompanied by edema. For the same reason, they are not recommended for small children.
“Examination of things. OTK", issue on the theme "Processed cheese":