Nettle cheese: Using nettle leaves (Urtica dioica) to coagulate milk in the fresh cheese making process

Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a wild plant from the Urticaceae family. It is commonly used in several countries as an edible and medicinal wild herb (China), an anti-asthmatic and an astringent (Spain) as well as a diuretic (Greece). Moreover, it is used either as a steamed vegetable or a regular ingredient in many preparations such as in pastas, omelettes (Basque country). In this article, we show that the stinging nettle acts as alternative vegetable coagulant “rennet”. It uses lactic acid bacteria from fresh nettle leaves to inoculate milk where milk curd is then obtained to make fresh cheese. The results are discussed in terms of organoleptic and gastronomical qualities of cheese products and the addition of an ingredient with natural acetylcholine for future analysis. The introduction of the stinging nettle as an ingredient in gastronomy could increase the sensory appeal of vegetarian cheeses and yogurts, supporting the creation of new recipes and a new way to produce lactic fermented products.