CHEESE

WHAT IS CHEESE ?
Cheese is the curd of or the fresh or matured product obtained by enzyme activity and subsequent
separation of whey by drainage, after coagulation of milk, cream, partly skimmed milk, butter milk or
a combination of these bases.

The present word cheese is derived from the old English word "Cese" and "Chiese" from the Latin
"Caseus". The equivalent words in German" Kase", and French "Fromage", in Spain it is called
"Queso", and in Italy "Fromaggio"

The ingredients used for the manufacture of cheese making are Milk, starter, colour, added
chemicals, coagulates, salt.

COMPONENTS OF CHEESE MAKING

Milk - The various cheese of the world first owe their character and taste to the type of milk used -
double cream, toned, or skimmed milk. The character also greatly depends on the what animal the
milk came from - cow, goat, ewe, or water buffalo.

Starter - If left in a warm place, milk will sour by itself. This souring is due to the action of bacteria on
the milk sugar, lactose, and its conversion to lactic acid or sour milk. To speed up the process of
souring and to prevent the milk from becoming bitter and unpleasantly sour, a little warm sour milk
from the previous day’s milk is added to this batch. This speeds up or starts the process of
coagulation, and is known as the starter or starter culture. In the case of pasteurized milk, all
bacteria is killed, and hence the starter consists of a combination of cultures grown in the lab.

Rennet - Although the starter culture speeds up the process of souring milk, and would eventually
cause it to curdle, it produces quite a sharp, acidic taste. The use of rennet, which is an enzyme from
the inner lining of young hoofed animals like lambs and calves, significantly improves the product.
Rennet also helps break down the curd into a smooth, even consistency, contributing to the texture
and flavour.
TYPES OF CHEESE

The type of cheese produced by the cheese maker depends on the amount of moisture he wishes to
eliminate and the size of the cheese. The amount of moisture in the cheese will also determine what
kind of rind or mould will grow on the cheese.

1. FRESH CHEESE
Fresh cheeses are usually made by setting the curd with starter and rennet and are high in
moisture. The young curd is placed in sacks or perforated containers and drained slowly
without pressure for a few hours so that the curd retains much of the whey. Once sufficient
whey has been drained off, the curds are either mixed or sprinkled with salt. They are now
ready to be eaten. For some cheese, like fromage frais, the rennet is not added. Such cheese
are called ‘lactic cheese’. Some fresh cheeses are allowed to mature and grow either a white
or bluish grey mould.
Fresh cheeses are always mild and high in moisture and therefore low in fat. They have a
slightly acidic or lactic taste. Most are used for cooking but some may be wrapped in leaves
or dusted with paprika or fresh herbs for serving as a table cheese.
2. SOFT CHEESE
The curd is ladled gently into perforated moulds and left to drain in an atmosphere of high
humidity so that the curd does not lose too much whey. After a few hours, the cheeses are
turned out of their moulds and left to mature for a few weeks. Their high moisture content,
coupled with high humidity, attracts and encourages the growth of classic white pencillium
mould, which helps to break down the curd and contribute the flavour and texture of the
cheese. The result is a creamy, smooth, interior that looks as though it is almost ready to run

3. SEMI-HARD CHEESE
To obtain a firmer cheese, the curd is cut up to release some of the whey before the curd is
placed in the moulds. It is then often lightly pressed to speed up the draining. After a day or
so, the cheese is turned out of its mould and washed in brine. This seals the rind before the
cheese is placed in cellars or ripening rooms where moulds are encouraged to grow. The
lower moisture content means the fermentation process is slower, producing cheeses with a
round, full bodied, rather than strong flavour. Their taste often seems to be embodied with
the oils and esters of the wild mountain flowers of Europe. When young, semi-soft cheeses
have a firm yet springy, school eraser texture, becoming elastic and supple.

4. HARD CHEESE
To make a hard cheese, the curd must be cut more finely - from small cubes to rice-sized
pieces. - The smaller the pieces the more whey will be lost from the curd. The curds are then
gently heated in a vat to force out more moisture before the whey is drained out. Salt is
then added to the curd, which now resembles rubbery, lumpy cottage cheese. They may be
cut again before being placed in large, perforated moulds that are frequently engraved with
the unique symbol, logo, pattern or name to identify the finished cheese or its maker. This is
then sealed and left to mature for weeks or even years.
Hard block cheeses are pressed into shape and then matured in special plastic wrap that
allows the cheese to age without the development of either mould or rind. The moisture
that would normally be lost during maturation is also retained.

5. BLUE CHEESE
Blue cheeses are neither pressed nor cooked. Most frequently the curd is crumbled,
eliminating much of the whey, then scooped into stainless steel cylindrical moulds, each
with a wooden disc on top. The curd remains in the moulds for one to two weeks and is
churned frequently to let the weight of the curds to press out more of the whey. Once the
cheeses can stand up on their own, they are removed from the moulds, rubbed with salt,
and returned to the cellars.
The blue mould is a strain of pencillium that is added to the milk before the rennet is added.
For the blue mould to grow however, it needs to breathe, and this is aided by piercing the
cheese with rods. The blue then grows along the tunnels and into the nooks and crannies
between the loose curd producing shattered porcelain look that typifies blue cheese. Most
blue cheese are normally wrapped in foil to prevent them from drying up.
MAKING OF CHEESE

The process of making cheese can be divided into three fundamental steps. The first is the
precipitation of casein into curd. Bacteria that produce lactic acid are infused in to the warm milk to
obtain an adequate acidity for the action of rennet and to crowd out less desirable organisms. Then ,
rennet is added , which causes the caseins to aggregate ,trapping fat globules and whey in the
protein network.
The second stage is the concentration of curds. Any free whey is drained off. The curds are cut,
pressed, cooked and salted to remove much of the rest.
The final stage is the ripening or ageing of the green curd .It transforms the initially produced bland
and either crumbly or rubbery curds into a smooth substance with a pronounced and complex
flavour. Ripening is mostly a matter of molecular breakdown caused by the enzymes of microbes ,
both the original starter bacteria and special ripening organisms.
One way of classifying the thousands of cheeses that are still made today is by the characteristic
ripening organisms and their location .Blue cheese ,for example .are ripened from within by veins of
mould. Brie and Camembert from without by surface moulds. Another useful consideration is the
water content ,which is primarily a function of the methods used in concentrating the curds.

Preparation of milk
Milk is one of the prime ingredient was making cheese, it is a high protein dairy product made from
the milk of animals like cows, sheep, goat, buffalo, yak etc.
Prior to manufacture process, milk needs to be prepared; this is done by pasteurizing the milk,
homogenizing it and then clarifying it.

Addition of starter
This is done by two methods:
o In sour milk cheese lactic acid bacteria thickens the milk
o In sweet milk cheeses (most cheeses are of this kind), which are also called rennet cheeses, the
cheese maker adds rennet- an enzyme taken from the stomach of suckling calves to separate solids
in the milk from the fluid.

The rennet causes the milk protein to build up and the milk to curdle without the milk turning sour.
In this method all other solid particles like fat, protein and vitamins get encompassed. Most of the
rennet used today in cheese making comes from the lining of a calf’s stomach.

Formation of Coagulum
o Addition of starter leads to coagulation of milk into a thick mass called ‘young curd’ and separation
of whey.
o When the process is complete the liquid whey is drained off and the solid mass of curd or
coagulated milk protein is used to make cheese. At this stage this is called as ‘firm curd’

Cutting
o Firm curd is cut into smaller pieces by use of knives or chains. The size of the cut will be dictated by
the type and recipe of cheese. In most countries this process is carried out manually.
o This process is carried out for hard cheeses.

Stirring/ Scalding
o This process is also carried out for hard cheeses. It expels more whey and shrinks the curd.
o This process also speeds up the bacterial metabolism.

Salting
o Salt is added into the cheese by wet or dry method as per the recipe.
o Brining in some cheeses also leads to longevity in shelf life

Moulding or Vatting and Pressing

o After salting cheese is put in moulds for it to acquire a particular shape.
o This can be done in plastic or wooden moulds
o The cheese is pressed which gives it a definite shape.
o In case of blue chesses pressing is not done.
Finishing
o Cheese is de moulded and a rind or coating is given to the cheese.
o This process includes coating, wrapping or bandaging the cheese.
o The softer cheeses acquire a natural rind while it matures.
o In some cases rind is dried by rubber ash, use of grape must and wrapping it in leaves.
o Such as Gorgonzola which is coated with plaster of Paris

Ripening/ Maturing
o Mostly the harder cheeses are matured. They are matured in caves. A hard cheese can take
anything from 8 weeks to a year to ripen and mature.

Holding and storage

o In Europe people normally place the cheese on a stone, cover it with a cover made of clay and
store it in the coolest part of the house.
o All first class hotels normally have a separate refrigerator to store cheese, as the temperatures
normally maintained in the refrigerators are too high.
o Cheeses are both held and stored under refrigeration. Their most significant limitation is that they
tend to dry and harden when exposed to air. This means that as soon as you cut into a block of
cheese you must either use it or you must wrap it up tightly in a plastic wrap.
o Hard and firm cheeses if wrapped can keep from a week to several months if refrigerated. Even
with the best of care, once a whole cheese has been cut it tends to dry out, get a sharper flavour,
and develop inedible molds around the edges.
o Semi soft and soft cheeses keep for about 1 to 2 weeks, the fresh cheese should not be kept for
more than 1 week.

Cooking with cheese

o Cheese cookery poses no problems so long as you keep the temperature low or the cooking time
short or both. The high protein content of cheese means that it becomes tough and stringy with high
temperatures and prolonged cooking. It’s fat content may also separate out.
o Cheese used in starch infused sauces must not be added until the thickening process is completed.
o Cheese for gratinating should be added near the end of the cooking process. A glaze administered
in the salamander is always a quick trip, whatever the product

FAMOUS CHEESES OF THE WORLD

ENGLISH

CHEDDAR

o Often called American cheese, but it is English and made in the Cheddar Gorge region in Somerset.
o It is a best seller among the cheese and is a firm ripened type; it comes in many varieties ranging in
flavour from very mild to very sharp “rat cheese”.
o It is used in sandwiches and appetizers and as a dessert cheese. It is also the most used cooking
cheese, the one the cook uses when the recipe says “cheese”.

STILTON
o Considered the “King of Cheeses” and is the best of all English blue cheeses and can take its place
confidently alongside the world famous Roquefort in France and Gorgonzola from Italy.
o Stilton is a white cheese with a light yellow hue and a strong blue-green mold culture. The taste is
spicy and is mostly drunk with a glass of Port.

ITALIAN

PARMESAN

o Another well-known flavourer of salad dressings and sauces.

o It is a hard ripe cheese with a piquant and sharp flavour. This is the cheese you shake onto
spaghetti, and it tastes delicious when you grate it fresh from a hard block.

GORGONZOLA

o Originally produced near Milan in a town called Gorgonzola, from full cream pasteurized cow milk.
o It is very creamy, soft and marbled with blue veins. To allow the blue veining to spread through it
the cheese is punctured with long high grade needles from one side and then a week later from the
other side.
o It has a sharp and spicy taste which is an excellent contrast to the creamy texture of the cheese.

MASCARPONE

o It is described as curd cheese.

o Serves as a very good alternative to double cream cheese in tiramisu.

BEL PEASE

o Another delicious cheese from Italy, which is soft and yellow, sweetish and very mild. Made from
pasteurized milk.

DOLCELATTE

o It is a famous sweet cheese from Italy

MOZERELLA

o Mozzarella is one of the most famous Italian cheeses, it is used more to give finish to a dish rather
than taste.
o It is a creamy cheese made from Buffalo milk.

PARMIGIANO – REGGIANO

o It is a hard cheese with orange rind.

o It has a strong and fruity aroma, but not over powering.
o Used in sauces, salads and over pasta and risotto.

RICOTTA
o Is a soft, moist yet firm cheese.
o Used as a dessert cheese with sugar and fruits and also in pastry fillings. It is also used for filling
savouries like ravioli

FRENCH

BRIE AND CAMEMBERT

o Most French cheeses are soft and the luxury end of the scale is two dessert cheeses Brie and
Camembert-both almost sauce soft. They taste much better than their aroma and rather unattractive
appearance, which would lead you to believe. But an odour of ammonia will tell you when they are
past their prime.

ROQUEFORT

o Comes from the region of Rouergue.

o It looks like marble, for its noble paleness is patterned with blue veins and patches. It is made from
sheep’s milk that is full cream and unpasteurised.
o Is used for blue cheese dressing for salads.
o It originates from a classic sheep area in the south of France called Roquefort sur Soulzon.

REBLOCHON

o It has a creamy and supple texture.

o It has a yellow orange rind with a white mold. The elastic smooth creamy dough has a pleasantly
mild taste somewhat reminiscent of hazelnut.

BOURSIN

o Boursin is a soft fresh cheese it comes from Normandy region in France.

o This is a moist and creamy cheese, it melts in the mouth.
o Boursin is in two famous flavours i.e. cracked peppercorns and garlic.

NEUFCHATEL
o Comes from Normandy region in France.
o It is a soft white cheese with a grainy texture.
o It has a slight taste of mushroom and is salty and sharp.

GREECE

FETA

o This is a goat cheese from Greece made from goats or sheep’s milk and is an integral part of Greek
cuisine.

SWISS

EMMENTHAL

o Emmenthal cheese is equated with Swiss cheese all over the world. It is made of raw cow milk and
with the addition of rennet.
o It is easily recognized by the large holes. The gas produced is partially entrapped in the cheese and
this causes the formation of the holes. The smoother the productions the more even and attractive
are the holes.
o It is a mild cheese with a nutty aroma.

GRUYERE

o Another delicious cheese from Switzerland, which also has holes though, they are much smaller.
o It’s mild when young and sharper when older. It's a sharp cheese with a nutty aroma.

RACLETTE

o Based on a variety of regional cheeses it was a meal for alpine herdsmen and farmers. At some
point of time, we don’t know when the cheese got too close to the fire. Melted cheese was found to
be delectable and thus the Raclette was born. Originally Raclette was limited to just jacket potatoes
and pickles. These days we have a whole new range with chicken, meat, fish, game and vegetables
count among the ingredients.
o A Raclette grill has a heating element under which you place your cheese and then serve it.
Authentically the cut surface of half the cheese is pushed towards the fire, and the melting cheese is
scraped onto the plate. The cheese is scraped with a knife.
o It was the knife, which gave its name. Derived from French Raclette means spatula or scraper.

HOLLAND

EDAM

o Named after the small port of Edam, north of Amsterdam, it is a pressed, semi soft cheese.
o Edam is coated in red wax, which makes it so distinctive and is sold young.
o Edam coated in black wax indicates that it is aged between 4-10 months.

GOUDA

o It accounts for more than 60% cheese in Holland.

o Gouda is firm, smooth and supple cheese; it has a sweet and fruity flavour.
o Also had as a breakfast cheese.

DANISH

DANABLU/ DANISH BLUE

o Danablu is a one of the most famous blue cheese.

o It is sharp, metallic and salty taste

INDIAN CHEESES USED IN HOTELS

o Amul
o Britannia
o Flanders – Mozzarella, Gouda, Quark ( Cream Cheese)

CHEESE FONDUE

Switzerland attributes its standard of living to cheese and has a great many cheese recipes of which
the cheese fondue is the most famous.
Facts worth knowing about fondue
• A fondue pot with a handle is a must whether it is made of glazed ceramic, clay or enamelled cast
iron.
• The basic recipe contains white wine and two kinds of cheese grated or shredded, all combined
and stirred while heating.
• Usually Emmenthal and Gruyere are used in combination as one alone would be too mild and the
other alone would be too sharp.

• A little lemon juice should be added to the wine to provide greater acidity to break up the cheese.
• The thickened and sharp cheese dish is taken and served to the guest over a lamp at the table.
Guests help themselves to bite sized pieces of bread, spear a piece of bread and dunk it into the
cheese cream.

MATCHING WINE AND CHEESE