Cheese is a beloved food that is enjoyed by food lovers all over the world. With its wide variety of flavors, textures, and uses, it’s no wonder why cheese remains a top favorite among many.
Cheese lovers around the world cannot resist the indulgence of a perfectly crafted cheese.
As they come in various shapes, colors, sizes, smells and flavors. Including, rich and creamy to sharp and tangy, there is a cheese for every taste preference.
How Cheese Is Made
Cheese making is a fascinating process that has been perfected over centuries.
From start to finish, cheese making is a delicate and precise art that results in a delicious and versatile food.
The process of making cheese starts with milk, which can come from various animals such as cows, goats, or sheep.
The milk is heated and combined with rennet, an enzyme that helps coagulate the milk and separate it into curds and whey.
The curds are then cut into small pieces and drained, creating the base for the cheese. The type of cheese being made determines what happens next.
Salt is important in cheese making as it keeps the fermented cheese from molding fast. Salt also helps to draw out the whey.
Hard cheeses, like Parmesan, are aged and require specific temperatures and conditions, while soft cheese, like Feta are ready to eat immediately.
During the aging process, different types bacteria and mold are added to create distinct flavors and textures.
Bacteria Used To Make Cheese
The use of bacteria to make cheese is an essential part of the process.
These bacteria are responsible for giving cheese its distinct flavor, texture, and aroma. Some of these bacteria include the following.
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium: produces lactic acid and helps to acidify the milk, creating the tangy flavor in cheeses such as cheddar.
Propionibacterium shermanii: used to produce carbon dioxide gas, creating the characteristic holes or “eyes” in Swiss cheese.
Streptococcus thermophilus: used to produce enzymes that break down proteins in milk, resulting in a smoother texture.
Penicillium roqueforti: is a mold use to Blue cheese its distinctive appearance and flavor.
Overall, bacteria plays a crucial role in the creation of a diverse range of cheese varieties.
Top Nine Varieties Of Cheese’s Enjoyed By Food Lovers
Some of the top nine varieties of cheese enjoyed by food lovers include: Feta, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan, Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar, Blue Cheese and Pecorino.
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese is a Greek-style cheese known for its crumbly texture and tangy flavor. It is traditionally made from sheep or goat’s milk, but can also be made from a combination of both.
The cheese is cured in brine, giving it a salty and slightly sour taste. Feta cheese is also known for its distinct white color and soft, creamy appearance.
Its texture allows it to easily crumble, making it a popular topping for salads and other dishes.
Feta cheese is also versatile, as it can be eaten on its own, added to cooked dishes, or used as a filling for pastries.
It is often used in Mediterranean cuisine and is considered a staple in Greek dishes.
Feta cheese is a rich source of calcium and protein, making it a nutritious addition to any diet. Its unique taste and texture make it a beloved cheese among food lovers worldwide.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a soft, mild cheese that originated in Southern Italy. It is made from cow’s milk and has a smooth, creamy texture.
The cheese is traditionally made using a technique called pasta filata, where the curds are stretched and kneaded until they form long, stringy strands.
This gives mozzarella its characteristic stretchiness and meltability, making it a popular choice for dishes such as pizza and lasagna.
Mozzarella is also commonly used in sandwiches, salads, like with this Caprese Tomato Tower Salad (shown above), pasta dishes and it’s the number one go-to cheese for pizza.
A soft creamy cheese with great texture that has a subtle, slightly tangy flavor and pairs well with a variety of ingredients.
Whether enjoyed fresh or melted, mozzarella is a versatile and beloved cheese that adds a delicious touch to many dishes.
Listen to a NPR 2014 interview with Claudia Lucero, the author of, “One-Hour Cheese: Ricotta, Mozzarella, Chèvre, Paneer–Even Burrata. Fresh and Simple Cheeses You Can Make in an Hour or Less!”
Click here How To Make A Faux Cheddar Cheese In One Hour and listen to the 3 minute interview (link opens in a new window at NPR website).
Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack cheese is a semi-hard, creamy cheese with a mild and slightly tangy flavor. It is typically made from cow’s milk and has a pale yellow color.
One of the main characteristics of Monterey Jack is its ability to melt easily, making it a popular choice for dishes such as mac and cheese, quesadillas, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Monterey Jack is a versatile cheese that can be aged for different lengths of time, resulting in variations in flavor and texture.
It is also known for its high calcium and protein content, making it a nutritious choice for cheese lovers.
Peppers can be added during the fermentation process with the end results being a Monterey Pepper Jack Cheese.
A Colby Jack Cheese is made mixing orange cheddar and Monterey Jake Cheese.
Overall, Monterey Jack is a delicious and versatile cheese that adds a creamy and rich flavor to a variety of dishes.
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Parmigiano-Reggiano, also known as Parmesan, is a hard, aged Italian cheese that is highly regarded for its quality and flavor.
There is evidence that in the 17th to 19th centuries Parmigiano-Reggiano was called Parmesan in Italy and France (History of Parmesan Cheese).
One of the key characteristics of this cheese is its distinct nutty and salty taste, which is a result of the long aging process.
Parmigiano-Reggiano is typically aged for at least 24 months, with some varieties aged for up to 36 months. This aging process gives the cheese a hard and granular texture, making it perfect for grating.
Another defining characteristic of Parmigiano-Reggiano is its signature rind, which is stamped with the cheese’s name and production information.
This rind is a result of the traditional production methods, which involve using only three simple ingredients: raw cow’s milk, rennet, and salt.
The cheese is also lactose-free, making it suitable for those with lactose intolerance.
These characteristics make Parmigiano-Reggiano a versatile and beloved cheese, perfect for adding flavor and depth to a variety of dishes.
Gouda
Gouda is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands and has become popular worldwide.
Gouda is made from cow’s milk and has a smooth, creamy texture. The color of Gouda can range from pale yellow to deep golden depending on its age.
It is typically aged for at least 1-6 months, but can also be aged for longer periods, resulting in a firmer texture and a stronger flavor.
It has a mild, slightly nutty taste with a hint of sweetness. Its rind is covered in a yellow wax, giving it a distinctive appearance.
Gouda is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed on its own, as a snack, or used in cooking and melting.
Its creamy texture and nutty flavor make it a popular choice for cheese boards and sandwiches.
One of the unique characteristics of Gouda cheese is that it can be smoked, giving it a distinct and delicious taste.
The smoking process involves exposing the cheese to smoke from burning wood chips, which infuses it with a smoky flavor.
This process not only adds flavor but also helps to preserve the cheese. The type of wood used for smoking can vary, with some common choices being beech, hickory, and oak.
The length of time that the cheese is smoked can also affect the intensity of the smoky flavor.
Overall, Gouda is a delicious and versatile cheese with a unique appearance and flavor that sets it apart from other types of cheese.
Swiss Cheese
Swiss cheese originated in Switzerland, and is known for its distinct appearance and flavor. It is typically pale yellow in color with holes or “eyes” scattered throughout, giving it a unique and recognizable look.
One of the characteristics that sets Swiss cheese apart is its texture, which is smooth and slightly elastic, allowing it to be easily sliced or melted.
This cheese is made from cow’s milk and is aged for a minimum of 60 days, giving it a firm and dense texture.
There are 450 different kinds of Swiss cheeses, and are put into five categories, which are extra-hard, hard, semi-hard, semi-soft and soft.
Swiss cheese is high in calcium and protein content, making it a nutritious addition to any meal.
Overall, Swiss cheese is a versatile and flavorful cheese with a distinctive appearance that makes it a favorite among cheese lovers.
Try this recipe to make A Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich – you can use a few slices of Swiss cheese or your favorite cheese.
Cheddar Cheese
This cheese is hard and off-white in its natural color, and can be acidic-tasting.
The orange cheddar that most of us are accustom too, is such because a spice called annatto is added.
Cheddar Cheese originated in the British village of Cheddar in Somerset, though this cheese is produced beyond this region today in several countries around the world.
Cheddar is great mixed in salads and eaten with crackers.
It melts well and is often used in Mexican dishes like tacos and fajitas.
It can be added to casseroles as well.
The sharper the cheese the better the taste for your macaroni and cheese.
Blue Cheese
Blue cheese is known for its distinct and strong flavor. It’s made from cow, sheep or goat’s milk, and is characterized by its blue or green veins that run throughout the cheese.
Blue cheese has a creamy and crumbly texture and a pungent aroma. The flavor is often described as sharp, tangy, and slightly salty, with a hint of earthiness.
Blue cheese is a popular choice for cheese lovers for its bold and intense flavors.
This cheese has a high fat and sodium content, making it a rich and indulgent cheese.
It pairs well with fruits, nuts, and bold wines, making it a versatile addition to any cheese platter or dish.
Early blue cheese makers used bread to start the mold process and waited for the mold to spread naturally to the cheese curds (Food Reference).
Most blue cheeses produced today are either injected with the mold or the mold is mixed right in with the curds to insure even distribution of the mold.
Pecorino
Pecorino is an Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is typically aged for several months, giving it a distinct sharp and tangy flavor.
The texture of Pecorino can range from semi-hard to hard, depending on the aging process. It has a pale yellow color and a crumbly, grainy texture.
Pecorino is known for its pungent aroma and intense flavor, making it a popular choice for grating over pasta dishes or serving on a cheese board.
It is also often used in traditional Italian dishes such as carbonara.
Pecorino is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed on its own or incorporated into various recipes,
When using this cheese to prepare a meal, be careful about how much extra salt you add to what you’re cooking, as Pecorino can be quite salty.
Who Doesn’t Love A Deliciously Made Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Balsamic Blueberry Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Three Cheese Pesto Avocado Grilled Cheese
- A Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich
More Deliciously Yummy Recipes
- Creamy Skillet Tortellini with Sweet Potato And Red Kale
- Fennel-Crusted Chicken With Vegetables Tray Bake
- Tsukune – Japanese-Style Chicken Meatballs
- The Culinary Evolution Of Pesto Sauce
- How To Stop Your Homemade Vinaigrette From Separating
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.