🧀 Urdă
Also known as: Urda, Vurda
Urdă is a fresh whey cheese from the Carpathians and the Balkans, made by heating sheep's whey; soft, grainy and slightly sweet.
Urdă is a fresh whey cheese from the Carpathians and the Balkans, made by heating sheep's whey. It is produced in Romania, Moldova and the Balkans, and in the Ukrainian Carpathians a similar product is called vurda.
Urdă is a by-product of cheesemaking. First, cheese is made from sheep's milk with rennet; the remaining whey is then heated slowly almost to boiling. The whey proteins coagulate and rise as flakes, which are skimmed off and drained in cloth. Sometimes a little milk is added to the whey for a softer result. This places urdă among Whey cheeses, like Italian ricotta.
There is no ripening: urdă is eaten fresh, within a few days. It is white, moist and finely grained, with a mild, slightly sweet taste and a light aroma of sheep's milk. It contains little or no salt.
Urdă is served with polenta (mămăligă), mixed with sour cream and dill, and used in pies, dumplings and pancakes. Sweet dishes pair it with honey and raisins. Keep it refrigerated and tightly covered.
Urdă or ricotta, bryndza? Urdă is made not from milk but from the whey left after cheesemaking: the whey is heated slowly almost to boiling, and its proteins rise as flakes that are skimmed off and drained in cloth. That places it with whey cheeses such as Italian ricotta. Bryndza, by contrast, is a milk cheese, often salty and aged, whereas urdă is not ripened at all and contains little or no salt. It is eaten fresh within a few days, white, moist and finely grained, with a mild, slightly sweet taste.
Look for the name “urdă” (in the Ukrainian Carpathians a similar product is called “vurda”) and for the words “whey cheese” on the pack. It is a fresh cheese with a short shelf life, so check the date and buy it from the chilled shelf. Keep it refrigerated and tightly covered. You will find it at a market, a supermarket dairy section or an East European grocery. Read the label for the date.
Why it matters to you: urdă shows how cheesemakers use every part of the milk. It is a light, protein-rich cheese for breakfast and baking; when buying, check freshness, as its shelf life is short.
Facts
| Raw material | Sheep's whey, sometimes with added milk |
|---|---|
| Region | Carpathians and Balkans: Romania, Moldova, Ukrainian Carpathians |
| Duration | No ripening; eaten fresh within a few days |
| Taste | Delicate, slightly sweet, with a sheep's milk aroma |
How it connects to Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Sheep's milk
- Part of
- 💧 Whey cheeses, 🇷🇴 Romanian cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Ricotta
Frequently asked questions
What is urdă?
A fresh whey cheese from the Carpathians and the Balkans, made by heating sheep’s whey. It is white, moist and finely grained, with a mild, slightly sweet taste.
Is urdă the same as ricotta?
They are close: both are whey cheeses made by heating the whey left after cheesemaking, so urdă belongs with Italian ricotta.
Is it true that urdă is the same as bryndza?
No. Bryndza is a milk cheese, often salty and aged, while urdă is an unsalted whey cheese closer to ricotta.
How long does urdă keep?
A few days in the fridge, tightly covered; it is a fresh cheese with no ripening.
How do you eat urdă?
With polenta (mămăligă), mixed with sour cream and dill, or in pies, dumplings and pancakes. For something sweet, serve it with honey and raisins.
Similar
🧀 Mizithra · 🧀 Anari · 🧀 Telemea · 🧀 Bundz · 🧀 Shanklish · 🧀 Beyaz peynir
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.