Cheese Resource 5/10/13

The Salty Pig Cheese Resource

Acid - A descriptive term for cheese with a pleasant tang and sourish flavor due to a concentration of acid. By contrast, a cheese with a sharp or biting, sour taste indicates an excessive concentration of acid which is a defect.

Affine - (1) The French word meaning to finish or refine. A washed-rind cheese, for example, may be affine au marc de borgogne, meaning the rind has been washed with marc, a white brandy made from grape pomace during curing. (2) The process of curing cheeses. (3) One who finishes or cures cheese would be an affineur.

Affineur - One who cares for the aging of cheeses.

Aged - Generally describes a cheese that has been cured longer than six months. Aged cheeses are characterized as having more pronounced and fuller, sometimes sharper flavors than medium-aged or current-aged cheeses.

Aging - Often referred to as curing or ripening, aging is the process of holding cheeses in carefully controlled environments to allow the development of microorganisms that usually accentuate the basic cheese flavors. See Curing and Ripening.

Annatto - A natural vegetable dye used to give many cheese varieties, especially the Cheddars, a yellow-orange hue. Annatto is odorless, tasteless and is not a preservative.

Aroma - A general term for the odor or scent of cheese. Cheese may lack aroma or display aromas, which range from faint to pronounced, depending upon the cheese variety. Aroma is closely allied to flavor, although cheese with a distinct odor may exhibit a mild flavor while cheese lacking odor may present a strong flavor. Aromas may also specify particular tastes or scents, such as fruity, earthy, oily and nutty. The cheese rind may have a different odor than its interior. The aroma of any cheese is most distinctive when the cheese is first cut into.

Aromatic - A descriptive term for cheeses with distinct, pronounced aromas.

Artisan - A term describing cheese made in small batches, often with milk from a limited number of farms. Having unique texture or taste profiles developed in small sealed production or by specialized producers.

Astringent - A term descriptive of a harsh taste with a puckery, almost medicinal quality.

Bitter - An unpleasant, biting flavor — usually an aftertaste. A bitter aftertaste is sometimes associated with variations in manufacturing and curing or aging procedures. It is more prevalent in cured cheeses that have a high-moisture content. Bitterness is often confused with astringency. True bitterness is a sensation that is typified by the aftertaste of grapefruit peel.

Bleu - The French word for blue that is used in reference to the Blue-veined cheese varieties. Blue molds are typically Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum. Famous varieties include Bleu, Gorgonzola and Stilton.®

Bloomy Rind - A descriptive term for an edible cheese rind (crust) that is covered with a harmless, flavor-producing growth of white Penicillium mold. The bloomy rind is formed by spraying the cheese surface with spores of Penicillium candidum mold before curing. Occasionally, brown, pink or red specks are interspersed through the white mold as it ages or cures. Bloomy-rind cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert and some Chèvres, are classified as soft-ripened.

Blue-veined - A characteristic of cheese varieties that develop blue or green streaks of harmless, flavor-producing mold throughout the interior. Generally, veining gives cheese an assertive and piquant flavor.

Brine - A salt-and-water solution in which some cheese varieties are washed or dipped during the cheesemaking process. Certain cheeses, such as Feta, are packed or stored in brine.

Brining - A step in the manufacture of some cheese varieties where the whole cheese is floated briefly in a brine solution. Brining is common in the production of Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss, Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

Buttery - A descriptive term for cheese with a high fat content, such as the double and triple creams, or cheese with a sweet flavor and creamy texture reminiscent of butter.

Caciocavallo - Years ago, Provolone was transported via horseback to market. The common style for this cheese was Caciocavallo. This cheese style is long, slender and cylinder in shape, with a notch around the cylinder's top to accommodate a rope used to tie around the body of the cheese.

Chalky (Color) - A desirable attribute referring to the true white color or smooth, fine-grained texture of older Chèvres and young Brie. However, a chalky appearance on the surface is undesirable in many cheese varieties, such as Cheddar.

Chalky (Mouthfeel) - A dry, grainy sensation usually caused by insoluble proteins. Sometimes described as powdery. Generally not a desirable characteristic.

Cheddar & Colby - A term used to classify cheeses that share characteristics exemplified by Cheddar that may include the process of manufacture, consistency, texture, odor or flavor. Colby is a Cheddar-type cheese.

Cheddaring - The process used in making Cheddar whereby piles of small curds, which have been separated from the whey, are knit together and cut into slabs. The slabs are then repeatedly turned over and stacked to help drain additional whey and aid in the development of the proper acidity (pH) and body of the cheese. These slabs are then cut or milled into curds and placed in the cheese forms and pressed.

Cheese Monger - An American term for a knowledgeable cheese sales person.

Chèvres - The plural form of the French word for goat, originally used to classify all goat cheeses produced in France, but now commonly refers to all soft fresh goat cheeses, regardless of their country of origin.

Coagulation (Curdling) - A step in cheese manufacture when milk's protein, casein, is clotted by the action of rennet or acids.

Color - The color of the rind and the interior of any cheese is an indication of its variety, condition and quality. In all cases, the color should be characteristic of the cheese type. Cheese colors naturally range from snow-white to deep yellow. Orange cheeses, such as Cheddar, are colored with annatto — a tasteless, odorless natural vegetable dye — during manufacturing.

Cooked - (1) Nearly all milk is heated or warmed to some degree during cheesemaking; however, the term cooked is reserved for those varieties whose curd is heated in order to regulate moisture content and degree of hardness. Parmesan curds, for example, are cooked at a higher temperature than Cheddar curds. (2) As a tasting term, cooked refers to a flavor aroma associated with the use of over-pasteurized milk.

Cowy (Barny) - A descriptive term referring to strong farm-related aromas. Sometimes also called cowy. This characterization does not always indicate a negative quality.

Creams, Single, Double or Triple - A classification of cheese derived from the butterfat content on a dry matter basis. Single Creams contain at least 50% butterfat in the cheese solids (dry matter); Double Creams contain at least 60% butterfat; and Triple Creams contain 72% or more butterfat. See Milkfat Content and Milkfat in the Dry Matter (FDM).

Creamy - (1) A descriptive term for cheese texture or taste. Creamy texture is soft, spreadable and, in some cases, runny. Creamy flavors are characterized as rich and are associated with cream-enriched cheeses, such as double or triple creams. (2) May also refer to color.

Culture (Starter) - A culture that normally consists of varying percentages of lactic acid, bacterial or mold spores, enzymes or other micro-organisms and natural chemicals. Starter cultures speed and control the process of curdling milk during cheesemaking in part by converting lactose to lactic acid. They also lend unique flavor characteristics to the cheese.

Curd - Curdled milk from which cheese is made.

Curdling (Coagulation) - A step in cheese manufacture when milk’s protein, casein, is clotted by the action of rennet or acids.

Curing - The method, conditions and treatment from manufacturing to market, such as temperature, humidity and sanitation, that assist in giving the final cheese product the distinction of its variety. Sometimes used synonymously with aging and ripening. See Aging and Ripening.

Double Cream - The French term for cheese containing at least 60 percent butterfat in the cheese solids (dry matter).

Earthy - A descriptive term for cheese varieties with rustic, hearty flavors and aromas. Cheese flavor compounds in this category share qualities with those present in freshly plowed earth or forest litter. Goat, sheep and monastery type cheeses may be characterized as earthy and exhibit assertive flavor and aroma.

Emmentaler - The eyed cheese made in the Emme Valley, Switzerland, sometimes referred to as Swiss cheese.

Ferme (Fermier) - The French term for farm-produced cheeses.

Finish - (1) The process of finishing, refining or curing cheese to desired ripeness. Soft-ripened cheeses are sprayed on the surface with a harmless white mold (Penicillium candidum) whose growth helps ripen the cheese. Depending upon cheese variety, other finishing methods include washing the rinds of cheeses and the daily turning of cheeses. Temperature and humidity are tightly controlled during the finishing process. (2) Refers to the way a cheese is packaged, such as a hard, natural rind, a bandage of cheesecloth and wax or vacuum packaging. (3) The aftertaste of cheese may be described as having a clean finish, bitter finish, sour finish, earthy finish and so forth.

Firm (Hard) - A classification of cheese varieties exhibiting a relatively inelastic and unyielding texture like Asiago, Cotija and Parmesan. Federal Standards of Identity state that firm cheeses have a maximum moisture content of 34 percent and a minimum milkfat content of 50 percent.

Flaky - A descriptive term for cheese that breaks into flakes when cut. A flaky quality is typical of Parmesan, Romano, Asiago and Cheddar when aged over 10 to 12 months.

Flavor - A general term for the taste cheese presents as it is eaten. Flavor is detected in the mouth and also by the nose. Flavors, in order of ascending aggressiveness, are described as faint (fleeting), mild (light or bland), pronounced (distinct) or strong (intense). Flavors may also be described by the tastes they resemble, such as nutty, salty, buttery, fruity and peppery. Flavor is categorized by initial tastes as well as by aftertastes.

Formaggio - The Italian word for cheese.

Fresh - A term typically used to classify cheese varieties that have not been cured, such as Mascarpone, Cottage cheese, Cream cheese or Ricotta. Cheeses that have been cured for very short periods, such as Feta, may also be classified as fresh.

Fresh Mozzarella - A soft Mozzarella with a high-moisture content, meant to be eaten soon after it is produced. In Italy, balls (Bocconcini) of Fresh Mozzarella are stored in water and usually consumed the same day they are made. Due to high-moisture content, Fresh Mozzarella has a very short shelf life.

Fromage - The French word for cheese.

Grassy - A descriptive term for cheese with a weedy taste that is related to the type of feed a cow has consumed prior to milking, such as silage, bitterweed, leeks or onions.

Hard (Firm) - A classification of cheese varieties exhibiting a relatively inelastic and unyielding texture like Cheddar and Swiss. Federal Standards of Identity state that firm cheeses have a maximum moisture content of 34% and a minimum milkfat content of 50%.

Lactic - (1) A general description applied to cheese exhibiting a clean, wholesome, milky and slightly acidic flavor or aroma. (2) The type of organisms included in starter cultures for cheesemaking.

Marc - The white brandy or eau de vie made from grape pomace. Marc may be used as a solution for curing washed-rind cheese.

Medium-aged (Mellow) - Generally semi-firm, firm or hard cheeses that have been cured for three to six months. Medium-aged cheeses are usually mellow and smooth textured. Frequently used to describe Cheddars.

Mild (Young) - A descriptive term for light, unpronounced flavors. Mild also refers to young, briefly-aged Cheddars.

Natural - (1) A general classification for cheese that is made directly from milk. Whether the milk is pasteurized or unpasteurized has no bearing on the designation as natural. (2) Refers to the cheesemaking process whereby cheese is made directly from milk by coagulating or curdling the milk, stirring and heating the curd, draining the whey and collecting or pressing the curd.

Natural Rind - A rind that develops naturally on the cheese exterior through drying while ripening without the aid of ripening agents or washing. Most semi-hard or hard cheeses have natural rinds that may be thin like that of bandaged Cheddar or thick like that of Parmesan, Pecorino Romano and wheel Swiss (Emmentaler).

Nutty - A descriptive term for cheese with a nut-like flavor, a characteristic of Swiss types. Cheddars may exhibit a flavor reminiscent of walnuts; fresh goat cheese and Gruyère are said to resemble the taste of hazelnuts. The flavor blends causing this characteristic are actually found in nuts.

Off - A term referring to undesirable flavors or odors too faint or ill-defined to be more precisely characterized.

Overripe - A term descriptive of cheese that has passed its ideal state of flavor development or that has become too soft.

Paraffin - A wax coating applied to the rinds of some cheese varieties for both protection during export and extended life spans. Paraffin may be clear, black, brown, yellow or red.

Paste - A descriptive term for the interior texture of soft-ripened cheeses, such as Brie, that exhibit a semi-soft to runny consistency.

Pasteurization - The process of heating milk to a specific temperature for a specific period of time in order to destroy any disease-producing bacteria, also checking the activity of fermentative bacteria.

Penicillium - Principal genus of fungi used to develop molds on certain cheese varieties during ripening. Penicillium candidum is used to develop many soft-ripened cheeses, such as Brie; Penicillium glaucum or roqueforti are used for Gorgonzola and Roquefort® cheeses, respectively.

Peppery - A descriptive term for cheese with a sharp, pepper flavor. Aged Cheddar may be described as peppery.

Performance - Refers to the way a particular type or variety of cheese responds to handling during preparation, from mechanical manipulation (e.g., slicing, shredding, grating, etc.) in its cold state, to the quality of the cheese's response to heating (e.g., characteristics such as melting, stretching, browning, etc.). Performance also describes how cheese flavors combine with each other or with additional ingredients.

Piquant - A descriptive term for cheese with an appealing sharpness, flavor or aroma. Aged Asiago, Aged Provolone, and Blue-veined cheeses are sometimes described by this term.

Plastic Curd - A classification of cheeses whose curd is heated and then kneaded to form various shapes. The Italian term for these cheese varieties is Pasta Filata. Mozzarella, Provolone and String are plastic curd-type cheeses and may be described as string-like. See Pasta Filata.

Pressed Cheese - A descriptive term for cheese whose curd has been placed in a mold and literally pressed to form the intended shape of the finished cheese. Fresh, uncured cheese varieties, such as Cream or Feta, and cured cheeses, such as Brick, Cheddar, Parmesan and Romano, are examples of pressed cheese.

Pungent - A descriptive term for cheese with an especially poignant aroma or sharp, penetrating flavor. Limburger cheese aroma is classed as pungent.

Rancid - A term relating to flavors caused by lipase enzymes releasing fatty acids from butterfat. Some cheeses are not supposed to have flavors caused by fatty acids in high concentrations, such as Cheddar, while others, such as Romano, gain much of their flavor from the rancidity of fatty acids. In many dairy flavors, excessive rancidity is considered a notable defect. See Lipase.

Raw Milk - Milk that has not undergone pasteurization.

Rennet - An extract from the membranes of calves' stomachs that contains rennin, an enzyme that aids in coagulating milk or separating curds from whey. Rennet-like enzymes, also used commercially, are produced by selected fungi and bacteria.

Rind - The outer surface of cheese. A rind varies in texture, thickness and color. Cheeses may be rindless, display natural rinds or possess rinds that are produced by harmless mold. See Bloomy Rind and Natural Rind.

Rindless - Cheese without a rind. Some rindless varieties, such as Brick and Colby, are ripened (cured) in plastic film or other protective coating to prevent rind formation. Some cheeses, such as Feta, are rindless because they are not allowed to ripen.

Ripe - A descriptive term for cheese that has arrived at peak flavor through aging. The optimum period of aging varies widely among cheese varieties.

Ripening - The chemical and physical alteration of cheese during the curing process. See Aging and Curing.

Robust - A descriptive term for cheese with a very strong aroma and full flavor.

Rubbery - A term characterizing the resilient feel and texture of a cheese. Generally a term for cheese that is overly chewy or excessively elastic in texture.

Runny - A descriptive term for cheeses that have returned to a partially liquid state as a result of insufficient drainage of whey or exposure to excessive heat. Soft-ripened cheese varieties often become runny at the peak of ripeness or if placed in warm temperatures for long periods.

Rustic - A descriptive term for cheese with a hearty or earthy flavor and distinct aroma. Country or mountain cheeses are sometimes referred to as rustic.

Salting - A step in the cheesemaking process requiring the addition of salt. Depending upon the cheese variety, salt can be added while the cheese is in curd form or rubbed on the cheese after it is pressed. Salt is used to help preserve cheese, as well as to enhance its flavor. Cheese also may be soaked in a salt solution, a process termed brining.

Salty - Most cheeses possess some degree of saltiness. Pronounced saltiness is characteristic of specific varieties; however, excessive saltiness is a defect. Cheeses lacking in salt are described as dull or flat.

Semi-hard - A classification of cheese based upon body. Cheddar, Colby, Edam and Gouda are examples of semi-hard cheese varieties.

Semi-soft - A wide variety of cheeses made with whole milk. Cheeses in this category include Monterey Jack, Brick, Muenster, Fontina and Havarti, and melt well when cooked.

Sharp - A descriptive flavor term referring to the fully developed flavor of aged cheeses, such as Cheddar, Provolone and some Blue-veined varieties. The flavor is actually sharp and biting, but not excessively acrid or sour.

Skimmed Milk - The milk that remains after all or part of the cream containing the fat has been removed.

Soft-ripened - A classification of cheese based upon body. Brie and Camembert are examples of soft-ripened cheese varieties.

Soft/Fresh - A category of cheeses with high-moisture content that are typically direct-set with the addition of lactic acid cultures. Cheeses in this category include Cottage cheese, Cream cheese and Neufchâtel, Feta, Mascarpone, Ricotta and Queso Blanco. See Direct-set.

Sour Milk - Milk made acidic by fermentation. The predominant acid formed is lactic acid. See Lactic and Starter.

Sour Milk Cheese - Cheese that has been curdled (coagulated) by natural souring or by the addition of lactic acid bacteria, such as Cottage cheese. Sour milk cheese does not use rennet for coagulation.

Specialty Cheese - A subjective term used to classify cheeses of exceptional quality, notably unique or produced in quantities of less than 40 million pounds per year. Cheeses that are combinations of different cheese types also may be referred to as specialty. For example, Blue/Brie is a soft-ripened specialty cheese with a blue vein mold throughout.

Strong - A descriptive term for cheese with a pronounced or penetrating flavor and aroma.

Style - A classification of cheese based upon its shape, size and packaging.

Supple - A term describing the body of certain cheeses when handled. Supple cheese varieties, such as Fontina, are somewhat elastic, consistent and yielding.

Texture - A general term for the fabric or feel of cheese when touched, tasted or cut. Characteristics of cheese texture may be smooth, grainy, open or closed, creamy, flaky, dense, crumbly and so forth, depending upon the specific variety.

Thermalization - The process of heat-treating milk to less than 160°F for less than 15 seconds prior to cheese production. This process utilizes a lower temperature for a shorter period of time than pasteurization.

Tome - This French word for cheese is native to the Haute Savoie section of France. The word precedes the names of certain cheeses, such as Tome de Savoie or Tome de Beaumont. The Tomes have much in common with the washed-rind cheeses produced in the monasteries of France.

Tomme - Sometimes spelled Tome, this French word for cheese is native to the Haute Savoie section of France. The word precedes the names of certain cheeses such as Tomme de Savoie or Tomme de Beaumont. The Tommes have much in common with the washed-rind cheeses produced in the monasteries of France.

Triple Cream - The French term for cheese which contains over 72 percent butterfat in the cheese solids. See Creams and Fat Content.

Washed-rind - A cheese rind that has been washed periodically with brine, whey, beer, cider, wine, brandy or oil during ripening. The rind is kept moist to encourage the growth of an orange-red bacteria. The bacteria may be scraped off, dried or left to further rind development. Washed-rind and bloomy-rind cheeses compose what is termed the soft-ripening (surfaced-ripened) classification. Limburger is a washed-rind cheese.

Waxed - Prior to airtight shrink bags, cheesemakers would wrap their cheese in cheesecloth and dip in wax for preservation. Many wax colors denote some attribute of that cheese. For example, with Cheddar: clear = mild, red = medium, and black = aged or sharp.

Wheel/Round - A circular style or form that is usually flat on the top and bottom.

Whey - (1) The thin, watery part of milk that separates from the coagulated curds during the first step of the cheesemaking process. It still contains most of the milk sugar or lactose found in milk. (2) A classification of cheeses made predominantly from the whey obtained during the manufacture of other cheeses like Gjetost. Ricotta can be made from whey.

Whole Milk - Milk that is neither skimmed nor enriched with extra cream.