Cheese 101

CHEESE 101 Like bread or wine, cheese falls into basic categories based on its texture and the process with which it's made. Luckily for cheese heads like us, the categories are simple: Fresh: Think of these cheeses as the ones without rinds. This category is where you'll find casual favorites like goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese.

Semi-Soft: If you're making a grilled cheese sandwich, consider these guys. Semi-soft cheeses—ones like Gouda, Provolone, Havarti and Jack—are great for eating out of hand and even better for melting.

Semi-Hard (a.k.a. Semi-Firm): Cheddar is the king of this category, which includes tasty favorites like Edam and Gruyère.

Hard (a.k.a. Firm): Grating cheeses and cheese tray stand-outs like Mimolette, Parmesan, and aged Asiago rule this category.

Washed-Rind: Cheeses like Tallegio, Limburger and Muenster bathe in salty brine, sometimes with a little beer, wine or liquor added to gild the lily. The brine in turn helps cheese to form an edible rind around its soft or semi-soft interior.

Bloomy-Rind: These cheeses are purposely exposed to mold spores to create a gently fuzzy rind on the outside. The rinds on these cheeses, like those of Brie and Camembert, are generally edible, though some folks choose to skip to the creamy insides.

Blue: Love it or hate it, blue cheese is here to stay. These pungent, delicious cheeses are marked with blue mold, introduced when mold spores are injected or added to the cheese (eg Stilton and Roquefort)

Champion the Cheese Course Planning: Putting together the perfect cheese course or cheese tray is magical, and thankfully, so easy. There really aren't any rules to it; just aim for a variety of flavors and textures. Try combining a blue cheese, a washed- or bloomy-rind cheese, a fresh cheese, a hard cheese and a unique locally-made cheese.

Buying: Need an easy rule-of-thumb for deciding how much cheese to buy? Allow for about 2 ounces of cheese per person. Simple.

Serving: Give cheese about 30 to 45 minutes out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature before serving, then keep these 5 Dos and Don'ts in mind. (You can thank us later.)

1. Do spread fresh cheese on bread or crackers. 2. Don't wear a cheesehead hat while serving cheese. Contrary to popular belief, everyone doesn't think they're funny.

3. Do serve dried or ripe seasonal fruit (dried cranberries or fresh pears are perfect), olives or nuts alongside your cheese tray. It makes for great flavor combos and gives tasters a chance to relax their taste buds on other foods in between cheeses.

4. Don't serve semi-hard and hard cheeses in huge chunks. Cut them into wedges, cubes or shards instead; it exposes them to the air and broadens their flavor.

5. Do consider serving wine (or beer!) with your cheese. Rennet and Enzymes and Cheese, Oh My! We think it's important to know what you're eating. A little education never hurt anybody, right? If you're curious about how milk becomes cheese, read on:

What are enzymes and how are they used to make cheese? In order for milk to coagulate (i.e. separate into curds and whey) and eventually become cheese, enzymes are added to break down the proteins that keep milk a liquid.

What are rennet, rennin, and chymosin? Take a deep breath. According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary rennet is "the lining membrane of the fourth stomach of the calf (and/or) a preparation or extract of the rennet membrane, used to curdle milk, as in making cheese…." In layman's terms, rennet is essentially a broad term used to describe any enzyme used to coagulate milk, and rennin and chymosin are enzymes found in rennet.

How many different types of enzymes are used to make cheese? Animal, vegetable, microbial and genetically engineered rennet can all be used in cheese making.

Is the use of rennet in cheese making controversial? At times, yes. Because it's an animal by-product, rennet sparks discussions on the issues of animal rights, vegetarianism, bioengineering and even religion (some animal-based rennet isn't considered "halal").

Three Types of Cheese Rinds Rinds are the outside shell on cheese that forms during the cheesemaking process. Cheese rinds are natural and usually edible, as opposed to other things that cover cheese, such as wax, cloth and leaves, that are inedible. Although rinds are edible, the question you need to ask yourself is, do I really want to eat it? If the flavor and texture of the rind enhances the experience of eating the cheese, the answer is yes. Take a little nibble of cheese with the rind and let your taste buds guide you. If a rind does not look or smell appealing to you, or the texture is too hard or chewy, don’t eat it.

Bloomy Rind Bloomy rinds are white and soft, sometimes even fuzzy. Cheesemakers spray a solution containing edible mold spores (Penicillium candidum, camemberti or glaucum) on the cheese. Humidity in the room where the cheese is ripened encourages this mold to grow, or bloom, and form a rind.

The only reason you might not want to eat a bloomy rind is if the rind has separated from the cheese somewhat, has a gritty texture or an ammoniated flavor or smell.

Examples of bloomy rinds: Brie, Camembert, Saint Andre, Mt. Tam Washed Rind

Look at the color of the rind. Does it have a noticeably orange or reddish hue? If so, it's probably a washed rind. Brine or alcohol (or both) is washed over these cheeses, creating a damp environment where edible molds, like B.linens, like to grow. Washed rind cheeses are often the most aromatic, or what some people call “stinky cheese.” The flavor of the cheese is typically stronger and saltier, due to the brine and alcohol.

Washed rinds are edible, although you might want to avoid the rind if it tastes excessively salty.

Examples of washed rinds: dorset, alpha tolman, brebirousse Natural Rind Natural rinds form with the least amount of intervention. In the temperature and humidity controlled rooms where cheeses are aged, air naturally dries out the outside of cheese. Over time, this forms a thin crust on the outside of the cheese which becomes its rind. Cheesemakers monitor this process and periodically rub the rind with oil, salt and/or a damp cloth soaked in brine.

Natural rinds tend to be thicker and harder, and sometimes gritty. For this reason, they aren't always the most pleasant eating experience.

Examples of natural rinds: Stilton, Tomme de Savoie, Cantal, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Kinsman Ridge