cheese

cheese course

After dinner cheeses would typically start with a fresh cheese (e.g., chevre) or bloomy rind (e.g., camembert); then a semi-soft or medium cheese (e.g., Morbier or Cheddar); then a harder cheese (e.g., an aged Gouda); finally a blue (e.g., Roquefort).

ubriaco

Drunk, in Italian. A general term for the Italian style of wine-washed, or grape must-encrusted cheeses traditionally made of cow milk in northern Italy, but increasingly produced elsewhere.

australian

holy goat, healys' pyengana, shaw river

Amanteigado

term used for the style of buttery soft, raw sheep milk cheese typical of southern Spain and Portugal, which is coagulated using the cardoon thistle plant. These cheeses are often pudding-like, aged for 30-45 days, with an acidic, vegetal flavor.

double cream

A cream-enriched cheese (usually soft and bloomy rinded) with at least 60% butterfat. Luscious, mild and sweet in flavor.

triple creme

A cream-enriched cheese with a minimum fat content of 75%. Nearly all triple crèmes are made in the bloomy rind style.

Bloomy rind

A sub-category of soft-ripened cheese, with white, moldy, "blooming" rinds thanks to the addition of penicillium candidum. Aromas of wet straw and mushroom complement buttery, melting paste. When ripe, these feel like the webbing between your fingers.

washed rind

A sub-category of soft-ripened cheese. Lower acid curds are washed in brine (salt water), often containing beer, wine, or spirits to promote the growth of the bacteria B. linens. Soft to semisoft in texture, with a strong, pungent aroma and full, salty flavor

Penicillium candidum (P. candidum

A variant of the mold P. camemberti, which is a typical, white bloomy mold that becomes grayish after several days. The P. candidum variant remains white and is the trademark of a bloomy rind cheese. This surface mold , given the proper salt and moisture, will develop a rind that breaks down amino acid chains from the outside in, creating an increasingly soft, buttery texture with time.

Geotrichum candidum

A yeastlike mold used secondarily in the maturation of bloomy and washed rind cheeses. In the former, it grows prior to the development of a bloomy rind and prevents the p. candidum from overtaking a cheese and leading to bitterness. In washed rind cheeses, it is used to de-acidify the surface of the cheese, creating a hospitable environment for the b. linens.

rennet

An enzyme used to coagulate milk. Technically rennet refers to an enzyme derived from the stomach lining of an unweaned calf, sheep, or goat There are also "vegetarian" rennets of microbial origin (derived from mold or yeast), and vegetable rennet derived from the cardoon plant.

pressed cheese

Any cheese that is pressed after coagulation, cutting, and cooking (if applicable), draining of whey, and shaping of curds. Semisoft, firm, and hard cheeses are all pressed to achieve a smooth, uniform paste, while most bloomy and blue cheeses are not pressed at all, hence their lighter, moister texture.

camembert

Cheese Facts : Country : France Cheese Type : Bloomy: Buttery & Rich Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Bold Reds Wheel Weight : 250 grams Rennet : Animal Age : 3-5 weeks Description : We're always searching for the next great camembert, and we think this is it. Oozing and mushroomy, gooey and earthy, creamy and pungent, this frenchie will keep you coming back for more.

fratelli pina, fiore sardo

Cheese Facts : Country : Italy Cheese Type : Firm: Supple & Grassy Milk Type : Raw Sheep Wheel Weight : Year round Rennet : Animal Age : 4 months Description : The "Brothers Pinna" began their cheese company in the Sardinia's rich pastural land of Logudoro in the early 20th century. These days, they collect the milk of 230,000 sheep grazing across the island of Sardinia to make cheeses steeped in tradition. This one is still produced by smaller shepherds who age the wheels for one month on-site, followed by four or more months in cool cellars, for a traditionally rustic flavor. Firm texture, wet smoke, and a piquant, nutty finish are hallmarks of artisan Fiore Sardo. Made of raw sheep milk, and gamey, slammin' perfection with a glass of Montepulciano.

raclette

Cheese Facts : Region : Auvergne Country : France Cheese Type : Washed-Rind: Stinky & Intense Milk Type : Raw Cow Wine Pairing : Off-dry or fruity whites Rennet : Animal Age : 5-6 months Description : A toaster oven's dream. Raclette takes its name from the French verb "racler", meaning "to scrape." Traditionally, Alpine cheesemakers would lunch upon boiled potatoes and cornichons, covered with melted cheese that they scraped from a nearby fire-heated boulder. Semi-soft, made of raw cow milk, and washed with brine. We finish it to deep, fruity pungency and salty perfection. Stay true to the name, and melt atop all manner of winter root vegetables.

humboldt fog

Cheese Facts : Region : California Country : USA Cheese Type : Bloomy: Buttery & Rich Milk Type : Pasteurized Goat Wine Pairing : Chenin Blanc Wheel Weight : 5 lbs. Rennet : Vegetarian: Microbial Age : 1 month Description : Get yourself a slice of this cake.Cheesemaker Mary Keehn of Humboldt County, CA invented this cheese, so named for the Pacific mists, in the early 80s. The Fog is one of the most likely cheeses to suffer in transport. What you DON'T want: brown rind, huge creamline, soapy flavor. Time in Murray's caves protects the icing rind, concentrates the salt and teases out the delicate herbaceous notes. The full tangy flavor of its crumbly-smooth paste is so good you'd not guess it's pasteurized. And PS...that line in the middle is ash, not blue, so you blue cheese haters can join the festivities. Have your cake and drink some Chenin Blanc, too.

manchego

Cheese Facts : Region : Castilla-La Mancha Country : Spain Cheese Type : Firm: Supple & Grassy Milk Type : Pasteurized Sheep Wine Pairing : Medium fruity reds Wheel Weight : 6 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : 1 year Description : Perhaps the most famous Spanish cheese, Manchego is a D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) protected cheese, meaning that only 100% Manchega sheep milk is used in a traditional recipe. The breed has proven sturdy enough over the centuries to traverse the rocky, arid central plateau region known as La Mancha- where cows just can't hang. The distinctive criss-cross pattern on the rind points to the traditional use of esparto grass belts to shape fresh curd. Pasteurized as it may be, after a year of aging it becomes sharp and nutty with hints of caramel. Try it grated in soups and sauces as a nice alternative to Parmigiano. Traditionally paired with Rioja.

Langres

Cheese Facts : Region : Champagne-Ardenne Country : France Cheese Type : Washed-Rind: Stinky & Intense Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Off-dry or fruity whites Age : 4-6 weeks Description : At first, this tidy cylinder of pasteurized cows' milk stands up firm at attention. As the Champagne regional treat gets used to its cozy wooden home, though, he loosens up a bit - spreading toward the walls and developing a runny layer beneath the soft, ruffled rind. Developing cheeses are washed with brine for several weeks to develop flavor, but the brilliant shade of orange comes from rocou, a culinary colorant derived from the annatto tree. Dense and creamy, the center has a milky character and lightly pungent aroma. And the concave top is designed for dousing with Champagne or local Marc - Woo!

Fleur du Maquis

Cheese Facts : Region : Corse Country : France Cheese Type : Firm: Supple & Grassy Milk Type : Raw Sheep Wine Pairing : Medium fruity reds Wheel Weight : 1.5 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : 2-4 months Description : A rare Corsican, pasteurized ewe’s milk treat. Traditionally, they would dig little holes, line them with herbs (rosemary, savory, chili peppers, and juniper berries) and let the cheeses slowly mature over the cool fall months. The cakey interior is supple and mild, while the increasingly creamy layer beneath the optionally edible rind is quite aromatic. Try pairing with cherry-kissed Beaujolais â€" otherwise this handsome little brick can stand alone.

morbier

Cheese Facts : Region : Franche-Comte Country : France Cheese Type : Washed-Rind: Stinky & Intense Milk Type : Raw Cow Wine Pairing : Off-dry or fruity whites Wheel Weight : 15 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : 2-3 months Description : Mobier? Try More Bien! From the Jura comes this raw cow's milk cheese. Legend has it that Comte makers with extra curds at the end of each day sprinkled them with soot to protect them from flies until they could add curds from the following morning's milking. The wheels were then pressed and washed with brine. Today the layer is one of vegetable ash, a merely a decorative cue to a washed rind that we finish to pungent and peanutty perfection. No dry rinds here. Murray's cave infuse this bad boy with flavor-saving humidity. Go for a terroir pairing with oxidized Jura whites.

gruyere

Cheese Facts : Region : Fribourg Country : Switzerland Cheese Type : Hard: Dry & Caramelly Milk Type : Raw Cow Wine Pairing : Full dry whites; full reds Wheel Weight : 80 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : 12 months Description : Every 3-4 years we discover the next greatest Gruyere. The requirements: raw pasture-fed cows' milk from designated regions in the west of Switzerland, cooked and pressed into 80 pound behemoths. Beneath the brown, pebbly crust we seek a firm but yielding paste redolent of toasted hazelnuts, savory beef-bouillony whiffs and a lingering bitter cocoa finish. The cheese can be sold as young as 5 months; ours is never less than 12 and though our selected cooperatives remain secret, the consistently extraordinary flavor isn't. For drinking: something dry and nutty: Sherry, Champagne, oaked Chardonnay.

pecorino romane

Cheese Facts : Region : Lazio Country : Italy Cheese Type : Hard: Dry & Caramelly Milk Type : Pasteurized Sheep Wine Pairing : Full dry whites; full reds Wheel Weight : 75 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : 10-12 months Description : One of the very few Pecorino Romano cheeses still produced in the countryside of Rome; therefore, according to tradition, it is referred to as "Genuine" Pecorino Romano. A hearty, full flavored, pasteurized sheep's milk cheese produced in the village of Nepi, using the finest milk from sheep in the Lazio region. The milk, rich in fat and protein, is selected from small producers, analyzed regularly and has no additives or hormones. Handmade in large 65-pound wheels according to ancient tradition and still aged naturally in cellars, Fulvi is never as hard or dry as Pecorino Romano made in Sardinia. It has a bold, pungent flavor and is a cheese to be eaten, not just grated.

Tallegio

Cheese Facts : Region : Lombardia Country : Italy Cheese Type : Washed-Rind: Stinky & Intense Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Off-dry or fruity whites Rennet : Animal Age : 35 days minimum Description : This iconic Italian softie has assumed a defining role in the pungent washed rind family. Made in the northern Valsassina foothills since the 9th century, one bite of the meaty, nutty, fruity interior and you'll understand its millennial appeal. The squares of pasteurized cow's milk are washed with a brine to foster a sticky, orange edible rind while air pumped from the original caves causes a dappling of soft and earthy tasting grey mold . Ripe wheels have a pudding texture, smear on veggies or toasty bread, with a glass of Soave.

Bucheron

Cheese Facts : Region : Poitou-Charentes Country : France Cheese Type : Bloomy: Buttery & Rich Milk Type : Pasteurized Goat Wine Pairing : Sparkling wines Wheel Weight : 2.2 lbs Age : 6-10 weeks Description : Bucheron was one of the first French goat cheeses exported to the U.S., an interesting fact considering the ubiquity of fresh cryo-vac chevre logs these days. Let's take a step back and enjoy the two texture magic that every sliced round has to offer; a fat, sometimes inch thick, creamline forms beneath the downy, edible white rind- a perfect visual of surface ripening in action. The large format means that the creeping goo will never reach the center, so there's always fresh, fluffy, lemony chevre left for contrast. Any dry, flinty blanc from its home of the Loire Valley will complete a trifecta of flavor.

st, marcellin

Cheese Facts : Region : Rhone Alpes Country : France Cheese Type : Bloomy: Buttery & Rich Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Sparkling wines Wheel Weight : 3 oz. Rennet : Animal Age : 1 month Description : Good things come in cute little crocks. This one's a soft-ripened disk of sweet, pasteurized cow milk from the Rhone-Alpes. It has a golden crust and unparalleled silky texture. Aged about one month, the flavor is comparable to Brie de Meaux: mushroomy, truffly and earthy with a delicate residual tang. As it ripens further, the flavors become robust, while the softening texture becomes more dependent on its ceramic home for stability. Warm it in the oven and serve with a fresh baguette. For extra flair, open a bottle of spicy Syrah-based red.

malvarosa

Cheese Facts : Region : Valencia Country : Spain Cheese Type : Firm: Supple & Grassy Milk Type : Pasteurized Sheep Wine Pairing : Medium fruity reds Wheel Weight : 4 lbs. Rennet : Animal Age : Minimum 3 months Description : First imported to the U.S. in August of 2004, Malvarosa began as a labor of love. To save the nearly extinct Guirra sheep, Valencian cheesemaker Enrique began producing this Manchego-like wheel. Frankly, we think it blows Manchego away. The paste is firm, but far more buttery, and incredibly rich and sweet. More like the popular favorite Pyrenees Brebis, this one is compulsively edible, down to its nearly butterscotch finish. Aged for a minimum of three months; careful cheesemaking and gentle pasteurization preserve an enormous hit of succulent flavor.

asiago

Cheese Facts : Region : Veneto Country : Italy Cheese Type : Semi-soft: Pliable & Melting Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Full dry whites; full reds Wheel Weight : 30 lbs Rennet : Animal Age : 3-5 weeks Description : Asiago is a D.O.P (protected designation of origin) cheese produced from the pastureland in the Po River Valley to the Alpine meadows on the Asiago plateau and in the province of Trent in northeastern Italy, area covered within the regions of Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige. Asiago D.O.P. is produced in two distinct ways that correspond to aging time, offering two unique cheeses. Aged Asiago ("vecchio") is reminiscent of the fragrance of yeast and dried fruit. To the touch, it is fairly solid; slightly elastic if relatively young, and Harder when fully matured. The darker shades of straw yellow typical of this variety can sometimes reach the intensity of amber. The sweet taste can acquire a somewhat more savoury flavour and ranges to slightly piquant. Made of raw cows' milk. Try with a full red, or an amber ale.

burrata

Cheese Facts : Region : Vermont Country : USA Cheese Type : Fresh: Creamy & Tangy Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Light, bright whites Age : 1-2 weeks Description : Burrata is the ultimate organoleptic experience of fresh cheese. Step one: take a delicate lump of freshly pulled pasteurized cow milk curd and stretch it into the shape of a coin purse. Step two: fill with dairy gold - fresh sweet cream and "stracciatella" or ribbons of fresh curd. On its journey from Vermont this creamy mixture continues to acidify, creating an increasingly tart, gamy flavor. Step three: enjoy with just about anything - oysters and Prosecco are the usual suspects in Puglia. In any case, eat it NOW! This fresh, dainty southern Italian treat will not improve with any more age.

types of cheese

Fresh | Bloomy | Semisoft | Washed | Firm | Hard | Blue

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Penicillium glaucum (P. glaucum): The lesser known strain of blue mold used in some, typically milder, blue cheeses, such as Gorgonzola. See Penicillium roquefortii.

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Penicillium roquefortii (P. roquefortii): The blue-green mold typical of blue cheeses, responsible for the breakdown of fats and the resulting piquant flavors. In addition, this mold deacidifies the cheese curds, which softens the texture over time.

bloomy

Refers to the snowy, fluffy, "blooming" rind. Think: White. Buttery. Decadent. Pillowy. Fluffy. Rich. Mild to Mushroomy. Edible rind. Find: Brie, Camembert, Triple-Crèmes (Cremeux de Bourgogne, St. Andre)

eppoisse

Region : Bourgogne Country : France Cheese Type : Washed-Rind: Stinky & Intense Milk Type : Pasteurized Cow Wine Pairing : Off-dry or fruity whites Wheel Weight : 8 oz. Rennet : Animal Age : 5-6 weeks Description : An AOC stinker with a drinking problem. These pasteurized cow's milk curds from Burgundy are hand-ladled into forms, washed with salt water, and aged in humid cellars. They are then packed in cute, wooden boxes. Don't judge the cheese by its cover. One whiff and you'll understand why it's rumored to be banned on the French Metro. Meaty, salty and pudding-like in texture, we soften and intensify each wheel in our aging caves beneath Bleecker Street, thanks to liberal spritzing with Marc de Bourgogne, a French spirit. It imparts an unmistakable - and inescapable - funk. Pair with a fresh Burgundy, white or red both work.

cheddar

Technically, any cheese made by method of "cheddaring," wherein curds are cut into small bits, cooked, and stacked into blocks. Generally, a cheese with firm, paste and noticeable acidity (sharpness). The best English farmhouse cheddars are produced in Somerset, cloth-bound, and made of raw cow milk, though there is no protection on the name, and "cheddar" can be made anywhere.

Brevibacterium linens

The intentional bacteria cultivated on the surface of washed rind cheeses, which create the orange or pinkish hue and the exceptional stink. B. linens require a low-acid environment, moisture, and oxygen to flourish.

Homogenization

The process of emulsifying the fat in milk to create a uniform texture and prevent separation of the cream. Milk is forced through a very fine membrane, pulverizing the fat into tiny bits that remain suspended. This is why the cream no longer "rises to the top" of your milk.

cooked

The process of heating and then holding (all the while stirring) a mixture of cheese curds and whey to a specific temperature to expel whey. Cooked curd cheeses are typically aged, often for upwards of one year, and offer a firmer paste, toast and brown butter aromas, and sweet, sharp, nutty flavors. Classics include Swiss Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. In our guide, these fall into the Firm and Hard types of cheese.

washed

These are washed during aging, in brine (salt water), beer, wine or spirits. Think: Pungent. Stinky. Fruity. Meaty. Intense. Aromatic. Vibrant pink to orange edible rind. Find: Epoisses, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque, Taleggio

firm

Think: Dense but supple. Grassy. Eggy. Fruited. Sharp. Thick, natural rind not typically eaten. Find: Cheddar, Gruyère, Manchego, Ossau Iraty

blue

Think: Mold! Veins. Craters. Big. Sharp-edged. Punchy. Complex. Find: Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton

semi-soft

Think: Pliable. Earthy. Wet straw. Hay. Leaves. Melting. Find: Fontina, Garrotxa, Morbier, Tomme de Savoie

hard

Think: The super-aged big guns. Dry. Crunchy. Caramelly. Butterscotchy. Grainy. Find: Aged Gouda, Dry Jack, Parmigiano-Reggiano

fresh

Think: Young. Tart. Tangy. Lemony. Smooth. Moist. Creamy. No rind. Find: Fresh goat cheese ("Chevre), Mozzarella

Holy Goat 'La Luna'

This multi-award winning cheese is recognised as one of Australia's best. It is hand-made by Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie Monda with 100% organic milk from their own herd of dairy goats. The fresh, clean, citrus flavours of the goat's milk shine through and there is a subtle nutty note from the wrinkly white rind. The texture is smooth and velvety. Region: Sutton Grange, Victoria Milk: Pasteurised Goat (organic) Size: approx 110g each