Cheeses may be classified by:

Country, region or town of origin

Variations in production techniques

Milk type

By flavour, size and texture

Physical properties such as shape and appearance

Chemical composition and microbiological criteria

Moisture content

CLASSIFICATION

Soft – Cream cheese, Ricotta, Mascarpone, Cottage cheese, Chevre, Feta, Fresh Mozzarella, Brie.

Semi-soft- Fontina, Havarti, Mozzarella di Buffala, Bocconcini and Port Salut.

Semi-hard – Emmental, Asiago, Gouda, Stilton,Gongonzola, Roquefort, Edam, Raclette, Cheddar.

Hard –Gru’yere, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Provolone, Gloucester, Parmigiano, Beaufort.

Bowl of Cottage cheese

Dolce latté

Camembert

Ricotta

Goat cheese

Mozzarella

Cream

RacletteEdam cheese

Swiss Emmental

Parmesan

Parmigiano

Pecorino

Gloucester

Cow’s Milk: Double Gloucester Cheddar Wensleydale Lancashire Appenzeller Taleggio Raclette and so many to

mention…..

Buffalo’s Milk:

Mozzarella di buffala

Bocconcini

Caciotta

Burrata

Stracciatella dibuffala

Sheep’s Milk

Idiazabal

Serena

Pecorino

Serpa

Roquefort

Stella Royale

Idiazabal

Stella Royale

Goat’s Milk: Feta cheese Garrotxa Ibores Majorero,

Pimentone Fromaggio Capra Crottin

and many more to mention……

Feta cheese

Majorero, Pimentone

Camel’s milk: Caravane-(one of most difficult

cheese to produce).

Ewe’s milk: Ackawi Castellano Roncal Telemea Ricotta Salata

etc.

Curdling or coagulation of the milk

Shaping of the curds(de-moulding and draining)

Salting, washing and seeding

Ripening

At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some soft cheeses are now essentially complete: they are drained, salted, and moulded. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into small cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual pieces of curd.

This aging period (also called ripening, lasts from a few days to several years. As a cheese ages, microbes and enzymes transform texture and intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result of the breakdown of casein proteins and milk fat into a complex mix of amino acids, amines and fatty acids.

NAME MOISTURE FAT PROTEIN ASH AND SALT

Brick 42,5 30.7 21.1 3.0

Camembert 47.9 26.3 22.2 4.1

Cheddar 36.8 33.8 23.7 5.6

Cottage 69.8 1.0 23.3 1.9

Cream 42.7 39.9 14.5 1.9

Edam 38.1 22.7 30.9 6.2

Limburger 54.8 19.6 21.3 5.2

Parmesan 17.0 22.7 49.4 7.6

Roquefort 38.7 32.2 21.4 6.1

Swiss 33.0 30.5 30.4 4.2

Gouda 38.1 24.5 29.6 6.1

Cheese tastes best at room temperature (allow to sit wrapped outside for at least one hour).

You can't judge a cheese by its smell (some smellies are bland, some blandies are flavourful).

Artisanal cheese is expensive because it's handmade in limited batches.

Cut pieces so that everyone gets a bit of the rind (flavour varies from rind to centre).

continued…..

Mould is natural (just scrape it away & enjoy the rest of the cheese)

Drinking plain water with cheese invites indigestion.

Hardest wines to pair are Cabernets & Chardonnays - easiest wines to pair are Pinot Noirs & Rieslings.

Store cheese wrapped in wax paper in humid fridge drawer (let cheese breathe - never let it freeze).

Hard cheeses last for months, soft cheeses last for weeks (let your nose help you decide).

Best cheeses come from animals that graze on organic grasses, flowers, plants.

Best cheese accompaniments are fruit, olives & nuts.

Best appetizer cheeses are fresh chevres.

Best dessert cheeses are washed rinds & blues.

Best way to eat a flight of cheese is on order of strength, from mild to wild.

Best cheese course is 3-5 types, with various milks & textures.

Best way to taste hard, sharp cheeses is with the tip of the tongue.

Best way to taste softer & blue cheese is pressed to the roof of the mouth.

Fresh - uncooked, unripened curds which are usually mild & moist (ricotta, chevre) - try sweet wines, dry wines, rose wines.

Bloomy Rind - surface is exposed to moulds that make them ripen inward & become creamy (brie, camembert) - try medium reds, ciders.

Washed Rind - washed with brine or liquid to promote sticky rind with “stinky” quality (munster) - try dry white wines & full-bodied reds.

Natural Rind - self-made rind with an appearance of mottled rock (stilton) - try fruity red.

continued…..

Uncooked/Pressed - curds are not cooked, and whey is removed by pressing- try medium reds.

Cooked/Pressed - curds are cooked until solidified, then pressed (parmigiano, gruyere) - try fruity whites, full-bodied reds.

Semi-Hard/Hard - cooked and pressed, with or without rinds, then aged usually 1-2 years (cheddar, gouda) - try spicy & racy reds.

Blue - infused with penicillin mold spores, then aged in caves or cellars (gorgonzola, roquefort) -try sweet wines, port.

Cleanliness is the first and foremost aspect to maintained while handling , cutting and wrapping.

Even knives and chopping boards used should be separate, if not, should be cleaned or washed in between uses.

Always select the coldest area of refrigerator for storage.

Avoid placing cheese next to strong foods like onions, sauces or spices.

Always need to cover securely to avoid contamination- Formaticum is especially made to wrap cheese

Soft cheese should be stored in airtight containers as they remains for few weeks only.

If want to store cheese for a specific use, recommended to change the wrap once a week.

Thank you!