“Cheese Making Is More an Art Than a Science” Classifying Cheeses “Cheese Making Is More an Art Than a Science”

Terms Coagulation- Change from a fluid to a thickened mass; curdle; congeal. Whey- The watery part of milk that separates after the milk sours and thickens. Brine- Water strongly saturated with salt. Rennin- A stomach enzyme that coagulates casein and is used to commercially curdle milk in the making of cheese.

Introduction to Cheese Can anyone give me a definition of cheese? Did you know cheese was traditionally made as a way of preserving the nutrients of milk. Thousands of varieties of cheeses have evolved that are characteristic of various regions of the world. Cheese is the fresh or ripened product obtained after coagulation and whey separation of milk cream, or partly skimmed milk, buttermilk, or a mixture of these products

Common Cheese Making Steps

Cheeses of the World

14 Types of Cheese Blue Brick Brie Mild Cheddar Sharp Cheddar Colby Cream Gouda Monterey (Jack) Mozzarella Munster Provolone Ricotta Swiss

Blue Cheese Blue-vein mold ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 2-6 months. Tangy, peppery flavor. Texture is semisoft, pasty, and sometimes crumbly. White interior and marbled/streaked with blue veins of mold.

Brick Cheese Semisoft ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 2-4 months. Mild to moderately sharp flavor. Texture is semisoft to medium firm, elastic, and numerous small mechanical openings. Creamy yellow color.

Brie Cheese Soft ripened variety. Usually made from Cow’s milk. Ages 4-8 weeks Mild to pungent flavor. Texture is soft & smooth when ripened. Creamy yellow interior with an edible thin brown & white crust.

Mild Cheddar Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 2-3 months. Mild to slightly nut-like cheddar flavor. Texture is firm & smooth with some mechanical openings. White to medium-yellow orange color.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made form Cow’s Milk. Ages 8-12 months. Sharp typically nut-like flavor. Texture is smooth and waxy with some mechanical openings. White to medium-yellow orange. Breaks very smooth

Colby Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 1-3 months. Mild to mellow flavor. Texture is softer & more open than cheddar cheese. Has numerous irregularly shaped openings. White to medium-yellow orange color. Very crumbly

Cream Cheese Soft unripened variety. Made from cream from Cow’s Milk. Is not aged. Mild, acid flavor. Texture is soft & smooth. White to light cream color.

Gouda Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from whole or partly skimmed Cow’s Milk. Ages 2-6 months. Mellow, nut-like flavor. Texture is semisoft to firm, smooth, and has small irregularly shaped or round holes. Creamy yellow or medium-yellow orange interior and may have a red wax coating. It has a cannonball or oval shape. Look for wax imprints and wax leftovers

Monterey (Jack) Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 1-3 months. Mild to mellow flavor. Texture is soft to semisoft and has small openings evenly dispersed throughout. White to light cream color.

Mozzarella Cheese Firm unripened variety. Made from whole or partly skimmed Cow’s Milk. Is not aged. Mild delicate flavor. Texture is slightly firm and plastic. Creamy white color. Stringy

Munster Cheese Semisoft, ripened variety. Made form Cow’s Milk. Aged 1-8 weeks. Mild to mellow flavor. Texture is semisoft and has small openings throughout. Creamy white interior with a yellow tan surface. Stinky Feet

Provolone Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Ages 2-12 months or longer Mellow to sharp flavor with smoky and salty overtones. Texture is firm & smooth. Light creamy interior with a light brown or golden yellow surface. Stinky Feet

Ricotta Cheese Soft, unripened variety Made from whole or partly skimmed milk, or whey from cow’s milk with whole or skim milk added. Is not aged. Sweet, nut-like flavor. Texture is soft and may have a grainy consistency. White color.

Swiss Cheese Firm ripened variety. Made from Cow’s Milk. Aged 3-9 months (bacteria during ripening produces gas which forms the eyes). Sweet, nut-like flavor. Texture is firm and smooth with medium to large round eyes throughout. Light yellow. Look for holes

Classes of Cheese Soft Whey Cheeses Semisoft Hard

Soft Cheese Whey Cheese Unripened: Ripened: Ricotta High Fat: Cream Cheese Ripened: Brie Ricotta Whey Cheese

Semisoft Ripened principally by bacteria: Brick Munster Brick and Munster cheeses are the two most often confused. Ripened Principally by blue mold in interior: Blue

Hard Ripened by bacteria, without eyes: Mild and Sharp Cheddar Colby Gouda Monterey(Jack) Mozzarella Provolone Ripened by bacteria, with eyes: Swiss

Conclusion Cheese is a delightful food which contributes variety and interest to our diet. Various kinds have always been important sources of nutrients. Gourmet cooks might pay several hundreds dollars per pound for imported cheese. However, less developing countries, cheese is a staple in the diet.