On Cooking - Cheese Terminology

mi chèvre

a french product with this label must contain at least 25 percent goat's milk

kaas

dutch for 'cheese'

ferme (fermier)

french adjective used to indicate farm-produced cheeses

bleu

french for 'blue'

laiterie (laitier

french for 'dairy'; appears on factory-made cheeses

coulant

french for 'flowing,' used to describe ripe brie, camembert and other cheeses when their interiors ooze or flow

râpé

french term applied to cheeses that are suitable for grating

affiné

french term for a cured or properly ripened cheese

cendré

french term for cheeses ripened in ashes

brosse

french term for cheeses that are brushed with liquid or oil during ripening

vache

french term for cow's milk cheese

matières grasses

french term for dry matter

lait cru

french term for raw milk

carré

french term for square, flat cheeses

käse

german for 'cheese'

capra

italian for goat's-milk cheese

pecorino

italian term for all sheep's milk cheeses

vaccino

italian term for cow's milk cheese

tyrophile

one who loves cheese

brique (briquette)

refers to a group of french brick-shaped cheese

ost

scandinavian for 'cheese'

queso

spanish for 'cheese'

tome (tomme)

term used by the french, italians, and swiss to refer to mountain cheeses, particularly from the pyrénées or savoie regions