BONOPHOOL BANERJEE

CHEESE
WHAT IS CHEESE ?
Cheese is the curd of or the fresh or matured product obtained by enzyme activity and
subsequent separation of whey by drainage, after coagulation of milk, cream, partly
skimmed milk, butter milk or a combination of these bases.

The present word cheese is derived from the old English word "Cese" and "Chiese" from
the Latin "Caseus". The equivalent words in German" Kase", and French "Fromage", in
Spain it is called "Queso", and in Italy "Fromaggio"

The ingredients used for the manufacture of cheese making are Milk, starter, colour,
added chemicals, coagulates, salt.

COMPONENTS OF CHEESE MAKING

Milk - The various cheese of the world first owe their character and taste to the type of
milk used - double cream, toned, or skimmed milk. The character also greatly depends on
the what animal the milk came from - cow, goat, ewe, or water buffalo.

Starter - If left in a warm place, milk will sour by itself. This souring is due to the action
of bacteria on the milk sugar, lactose, and its conversion to lactic acid or sour milk. To
speed up the process of souring and to prevent the milk from becoming bitter and
unpleasantly sour, a little warm sour milk from the previous day’s milk is added to this
batch. This speeds up or starts the process of coagulation, and is known as the starter or
starter culture. In the case of pasteurized milk, all bacteria is killed, and hence the starter
consists of a combination of cultures grown in the lab.
Rennet - Although the starter culture speeds up the process of souring milk, and would
eventually cause it to curdle, it produces quite a sharp, acidic taste. The use of rennet,
which is an enzyme from the inner lining of young hoofed animals like lambs and calves,
significantly improves the product. Rennet also helps break down the curd into a smooth,
even consistency, contributing to the texture and flavor.

TYPES OF CHEESE

The type of cheese produced by the cheese maker depends on the amount of moisture he
wishes to eliminate and the size of the cheese. The amount of moisture in the cheese will
also determine what kind of rind or mould will grow on the cheese.
1. Fresh Cheeses
Fresh cheeses are usually made by setting the curd with starter and rennet and are high in
moisture. The young curd is placed in sacks or perforated containers and drained slowly
without pressure for a few hours so that the curd retains much of the whey. Once
sufficient whey has been drained off, the curds are either mixed or sprinkled with salt.
They are now ready to be eaten. For some cheese, like fromage frais, the rennet is not
added. Such cheese are called ‘lactic cheese’. Some fresh cheeses are allowed to mature
and grow either a white or bluish grey mould.

Fresh cheeses are always mild and high in moisture and therefore low in fat. They have a
slightly acidic or lactic taste. Most are used for cooking but some may be wrapped in
leaves or dusted with paprika or fresh herbs for serving as a table cheese.
2 .Soft Cheeses
The curd is ladled gently into perforated moulds and left to drain in an atmosphere of
high humidity so that the curd does not lose too much whey. After a few hours, the
cheeses are turned out of their moulds and left to mature for a few weeks. Their high
moisture content, coupled with high humidity, attracts and encourages the growth of
classic white pencillium mould, which helps to break down the curd and contribute the
flavour and texture of the cheese. The result is a creamy, smooth, interior that looks as
though it is almost ready to run
3. Semi-hard Cheeses
To obtain a firmer cheese, the curd is cut up to release some of the whey before the curd
is placed in the moulds. It is then often lightly pressed to speed up the draining. After a
day or so, the cheese is turned out of its mould and washed in brine. This seals the rind
before the cheese is placed in cellars or ripening rooms where moulds are encouraged to
grow.
The lower moisture content means the fermentation process is slower, producing cheeses
with a round, full bodied, rather than strong flavour. Their taste often seems to be
embodied with the oils and esters of the wild mountain flowers of Europe. When young,
semi-soft cheeses have a firm yet springy, school eraser texture, becoming elastic and
supple.

4. Hard Cheeses
To make a hard cheese, the curd must be cut more finely - from small cubes to rice-sized
pieces. - The smaller the pieces the more whey will be lost from the curd. The curds are
then gently heated in a vat to force out more moisture before the whey is drained out.
Salt is then added to the curd, which now resembles rubbery, lumpy cottage cheese.
They may be cut again before being placed in large, perforated moulds that are frequently
engraved with the unique symbol, logo, pattern or name to identify the finished cheese or
its maker. This is then sealed and left to mature for weeks or even years.

Hard block cheeses are pressed into shape and then matured in special plastic wrap that
allows the cheese to age without the development of either mould or rind. The moisture
that would normally be lost during maturation is also retained.
5. Blue Cheeses
Blue cheeses are neither pressed nor cooked. Most frequently the curd is crumbled,
eliminating much of the whey, then scooped into stainless steel cylindrical moulds, each
with a wooden disc on top. The curd remains in the moulds for one to two weeks and is
churned frequently to let the weight of the curds to press out more of the whey. Once the
cheeses can stand up on their own, they are removed from the moulds, rubbed with salt,
and returned to the cellars.

The blue mould is a strain of pencillium that is added to the milk before the rennet
is added. For the blue mould to grow however, it needs to breathe, and this is aided
by piercing the cheese with rods. The blue then grows along the tunnels and into the
nooks and crannies between the loose curd producing shattered porcelain look that
typifies blue cheese. Most blue cheese are normally wrapped in foil to prevent them
from drying up.

MATCHING WINE AND CHEESE

CHEESE WINE

Fresh Cheese Fresh light, crisp white wines like

Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc
Frascati, Soave or Loire whites
Soft cheese Slightly sweet wine with the mild,
slightly sharp or salty cheeses
Fruity wines with rich, sweet and
creamy cheeses
Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Noir,
Chardonnay
Semi-hard Cheese Full bodied gusty whites or light,
fruity reds
Chianti
Rioja
Merlot
Hard Cheese Mild - fruity reds like Merlot
Medium - Cotes du Rhone, Cabernet
Sauvignon
Strong - Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Extra strong - Port or Madeira
Blue Cheese Mild - fruity whites or Rose wines
 like Vouvray, Chenin Blanc
Piquant - Cotes du Rhone, Shiraz
Roquefort - Sauternes
Stilton - Port

MAKING OF CHEESE

MILK

STARTER BACTERIA WARM

& RANNET
MOIST CURD

CUT,COOK
WHEY
DENSE CURD

CHEDDAR
(PILE CURDS)

FIBROUS CURD

MILL

CURD GRANULES

SALT PRESS
WHEY
GREEN CURD

SPECIAL MOULD OR RIPEN

BACTERIA

RIPE CHEESE

The process of making cheese can be divided into three fundamental steps.The first is the
precipitation of casein into curd. Bacteria that produce lactic acid are infused in to the
warm milk to obtain an adequate acidity for the action of rennet and to crowd out less
desirable organisms.Then , rennet is added , which causes the caseins to
aggregate ,trapping fat globules and whey in the protein network.

The second stage is the concentration of curds.Any free whey is drained off.The curds are
cut,pressed,cooked and salted to remove much of the rest.

The final stage is the ripening or ageing of the green curd.It transforms the initially
produced bland and either crumbly or rubbery curds into a smooth substance with a
pronounced and complex flavour.Ripening is mostly a matter of molecular breakdown
caused by the enzymes of microbes , both the original starter bacteria and special
ripening organisms.

One way of classifying the thounds of cheeses that are still made today is by the
characteristic ripening organisms and their location.Blue cheese,for example .are ripened
from within by veins of mould.Brie and Camembert from without by surface
moulds.Another useful consideration is the water content ,which is primarily a function
of the methods used in concentrating the curds.

Preparation of milk

Milk is one of the prime ingredient was making cheese, it is a high protein dairy product
made from the milk of animals like cows, sheep, goat, buffalo, yak etc.

Prior to manufacture process, milk needs to be prepared; this is done by pasteurizing the
milk, homogenizing it and then clarifying it.

Addition of starter

This is done by two methods:

o In sour milk cheese lactic acid bacteria thickens the milk

o In sweet milk cheeses (most cheeses are of this kind), which are also called
rennet cheeses, the cheese maker adds rennet- an enzyme taken from the
stomach of suckling calves to separate solids in the milk from the fluid.

The rennet causes the milk protein to build up and the milk to curdle without the
milk turning sour. In this method all other solid particles like fat, protein and
vitamins get encompassed. Most of the rennet used today in cheese making comes
from the lining of a calf’s stomach.
Formation of Coagulum

o Addition of starter leads to coagulation of milk into a thick mass called

‘young curd’ and separation of whey.
o When the process is complete the liquid whey is drained off and the solid
mass of curd or coagulated milk protein is used to make cheese. At this stage
this is called as ‘firm curd’

Cutting

o Firm curd is cut into smaller pieces by use of knives or chains. The size of
the cut will be dictated by the type and recipe of cheese. In most countries
this process is carried out manually.
o This process is carried out for hard cheeses.

Stirring/ Scalding

o This process is also carried out for hard cheeses. It expels more whey
and shrinks the curd.
o This process also speeds up the bacterial metabolism.

Salting

o Salt is added into the cheese by wet or dry method as per the recipe.
o Brining in some cheeses also leads to longevity in shelf life

Moulding or Vatting and Pressing

o After salting cheese is put in moulds for it to acquire a particular

shape.
o This can be done in plastic or wooden moulds
o The cheese is pressed which gives it a definite shape.
o In case of blue chesses pressing is not done.

Finishing
o Cheese is de moulded and a rind or coating is given to the cheese.
o This process includes coating, wrapping or bandaging the cheese.
o The softer cheeses acquire a natural rind while it matures.
o In some cases rind is dried by rubber ash, use of grape must and
wrapping it in leaves.
o Such as Gorgonzola which is coated with plaster of Paris
 Ripening/ Maturing

o Mostly the harder cheeses are matured. They are matured in caves. A
hard cheese can take anything from 8 weeks to a year to ripen and
mature.

Holding and storage

o In Europe people normally place the cheese on a stone, cover it with a cover made
of clay and store it in the coolest part of the house.

o All first class hotels normally have a separate refrigerator to store cheese, as the
temperatures normally maintained in the refrigerators are too high.

o Cheeses are both held and stored under refrigeration. Their most significant
limitation is that they tend to dry and harden when exposed to air. This means that
as soon as you cut into a block of cheese you must either use it or you must wrap
it up tightly in a plastic wrap.

o Hard and firm cheeses if wrapped can keep from a week to several months if
refrigerated. Even with the best of care, once a whole cheese has been cut it tends
to dry out, get a sharper flavour, and develop inedible molds around the edges.

o Semi soft and soft cheeses keep for about 1 to 2 weeks, the fresh cheese should
not be kept for more than 1 week.

Cooking with cheese

o Cheese cookery poses no problems so long as you keep the temperature low or the
cooking time short or both. The high protein content of cheese means that it
becomes tough and stringy with high temperatures and prolonged cooking. It’s fat
content may also separate out.

o Cheese used in starch infused sauces must not be added until the thickening
process is completed.

o Cheese for gratinating should be added near the end of the cooking process. A
glaze administered in the salamander is always a quick trip, whatever the product
Famous Cheeses of the world

English

Cheddar
o Often called American cheese, but it is English and made in the Cheddar Gorge
region in Somerset.

o It is a best seller among the cheese and is a firm ripened type; it comes in many
varieties ranging in flavour from very mild to very sharp “rat cheese”.

o It is used in sandwiches and appetizers and as a dessert cheese. It is also the most
used cooking cheese, the one the cook uses when the recipe says “cheese”.

Stilton
o Considered the “King of Cheeses” and is the best of all English blue cheeses and
can take its place confidently alongside the world famous Roquefort in France and
Gorgonzola from Italy.

o Stilton is a white cheese with a light yellow hue and a strong blue-green mold
culture. The taste is spicy and is mostly drunk with a glass of Port.

Italian

Parmesan
o Another well-known flavourer of salad dressings and sauces.

o It is a hard ripe cheese with a piquant and sharp flavour. This is the cheese you
shake onto spaghetti, and it tastes delicious when you grate it fresh from a hard
block.

Gorgonzola
o Originally produced near Milan in a town called Gorgonzola, from full cream
pasteurized cow milk.

o It is very creamy, soft and marbled with blue veins. To allow the blue veining to
spread through it the cheese is punctured with long high grade needles from one
side and then a week later from the other side.

o It has a sharp and spicy taste which is an excellent contrast to the creamy texture
of the cheese.

Mascarpone
o It is described as curd cheese.
 o Serves as a very good alternative to double cream cheese in tiramisu.

Bel Paese
o Another delicious cheese from Italy, which is soft and yellow, sweetish and
very mild. Made from pasteurized milk.

Dolcelatte
o It is a famous sweet cheese from Italy

Mozzarella
o Mozzarella is one of the most famous Italian cheeses, it is used more to give
finish to a dish rather than taste.

o It is a creamy cheese made from Buffalo milk.

Parmigiano - Reggiano
o It is a hard cheese with orange rind.

o It has a strong and fruity aroma, but not over powering.

o Used in sauces, salads and over pasta and risotto.

Ricotta
o Is a soft, moist yet firm cheese.

o Used as a dessert cheese with sugar and fruits and also in pastry fillings. It is also
used for filling savories like ravioli

French

Brie and Camembert

o Most French cheeses are soft and the luxury end of the scale is two dessert
cheeses Brie and Camembert-both almost sauce soft. They taste much better
than their aroma and rather unattractive appearance, which would lead you to
believe. But an odour of ammonia will tell you when they are past their prime.

Roquefort
o Comes from the region of Rouergue.

o It looks like marble, for its noble paleness is patterned with blue veins and
patches. It is made from sheep’s milk that is full cream and unpasteurised.

o Is used for blue cheese dressing for salads.

 o It originates from a classic sheep area in the south of France called Roquefort
sur Soulzon.

Reblochon
o It has a creamy and supple texture.

o It has a yellow orange rind with a white mold. The elastic smooth creamy dough
has a pleasantly mild taste somewhat reminiscent of hazelnut.

Boursin
o Boursin is a soft fresh cheese it comes from Normandy region in France.

o This is a moist and creamy cheese, it melts in the mouth.

o Boursin is in two famous flavours i.e. cracked peppercorns and garlic.

Neufchatel
o Comes from Normandy region in France.

o It is a soft white cheese with a grainy texture.

o It has a slight taste of mushroom and is salty and sharp.

Greece

Feta
o This is a goat cheese from Greece made from goats or sheep’s milk and is an
integral part of Greek cuisine.

Swiss

Emmenthal
o Emmenthal cheese is equated with Swiss cheese all over the world. It is made
of raw cow milk and with the addition of rennet.

o It is easily recognized by the large holes. The gas produced is partially

entrapped in the cheese and this causes the formation of the holes. The
smoother the productions the more even and attractive are the holes.

o It is a mild cheese with a nutty aroma.

Gruyere
 o Another delicious cheese from Switzerland, which also has holes though, they are
much smaller.

o It’s mild when young and sharper when older. It's a sharp cheese with a nutty
aroma.

Raclette
o Based on a variety of regional cheeses it was a meal for alpine herdsmen and
farmers. At some point of time, we don’t know when the cheese got too close to
the fire. Melted cheese was found to be delectable and thus the Raclette was born.
Originally Raclette was limited to just jacket potatoes and pickles. These days we
have a whole new range with chicken, meat, fish, game and vegetables count
among the ingredients.

o A Raclette grill has a heating element under which you place your cheese and
then serve it. Authentically the cut surface of half the cheese is pushed towards
the fire, and the melting cheese is scraped onto the plate. The cheese is scraped
with a knife.

o It was the knife, which gave its name. Derived from French Raclette means
spatula or scraper.

Holland

Edam
o Named after the small port of Edam, north of Amsterdam, it is a
pressed, semi soft cheese.
o Edam is coated in red wax, which makes it so distinctive and is sold young.

o Edam coated in black wax indicates that it is aged between 4-10 months.

Gouda
o It accounts for more than 60% cheese in Holland.
o Gauda is firm, smooth and supple cheese; it has a sweet and fruity flavour.

o Also had as a breakfast cheese.

Danish
Danablu/ Danish Blue
o Danablu is a one of the most famous blue cheese.

o It is sharp, metallic and salty taste

Indian cheeses used in Hotels

o Amul
o Britannia
o Flanders – Mozzarella, Gouda, Quark ( Cream Cheese)

Cheese fondue

Switzerland attributes its standard of living to cheese and has a great many cheese recipes
of which the cheese fondue is the most famous.

Facts worth knowing about fondue

 A fondue pot with a handle is a must whether it is made of glazed ceramic, clay or
enameled cast iron.

 The basic recipe contains white wine and two kinds of cheese grated or shredded,
all combined and stirred while heating.

 Usually Emmenthal and Gruyere are used in combination as one alone would be
too mild and the other alone would be too sharp.

 A little lemon juice should be added to the wine to provide greater acidity to
break up the cheese.

 The thickened and sharp cheese dish is taken and served to the guest over a lamp
at the table. Guests help themselves to bite sized pieces of bread, spear a piece of
bread and dunk it into the cheese cream.

CHEESES OF THE WORLD

CHEESE TYPE COUNTRY MILK

Cottage Fresh Universal Cow, goat, buffalo
Cream Fresh Universal Full cream milk of
cow, goat, buffalo
Mozzarella Fresh Italy Cow, buffalo
Ricotta Fresh Italy Cow
Feta Fresh Greece Ewe, cow, goat
Quark Fresh Germany, Austria Cow
Barbery Soft France Cow
Bel Paese Soft cream Italy Cow
Brie Soft France Cow
Camembert Soft France Cow
Bonchester Soft Scotland Jersey Cow
Munster Soft, with orange red France Cow
rind
Stracchino Soft Italy Cow, buffalo
Appenzeller Semi hard with pale Switzerland Cow
yellow or burnt
orange rind
Caerphilly Semi-hard with Britain Cow
buttermilk flavor
Cantal Semi-hard France Cow
Cheddar Semi-hard Britain Cow
Cheshire Semi-hard Britain Cow
Chevre Semi-hard France Goat
Danbo Semi-hard, caraway Denmark Cow
flavored, square
cheese
TYPE COUNTRY MILK
CHEESE
Derby Semi-hard Britain Cow
Edam Semi-hard with Netherlands Cow
yellow or red wax
rind
Emmenthal Semi-hard Switzerland Cow
Esrom Semi-hard, with red Denmark Cow
rind
Gloucester, Double Semi-hard, full cream Britain Gloucestershire cow
Gloucester
Gouda Semi-hard, with Netherlands Cow
yellow or red rind
Gruyere Semi-hard, with pea Switzerland Cow
size holes
Havarti Semi-hard Denmark Cow
Jarlsberg Semi-hard, with Norway Cow
yellow coating
Lancashire Semi-hard Britain Cow
Leicester Semi-hard Britain Cow
Limburger Semi-hard, pungent Belgium, Germany Cow
Pont l’Eveque Semi-hard, square France Cow
cheese
Port Salut Semi-hard France Cow
Reblochon Semi-hard, creamy France Cow
with a mild flavor
Tilsit Semi-hard, strongly Germany Cow
flavored
Raclette Semi-hard Switzerland Cow

CHEESE TYPE COUNTRY MILK

Asiago d’Allevio Hard Italy Cow
Bergkase Hard Germany Cow
Caciocavallo Hard, saddle-shaped Italy Cow
Kefalotyri Hard Greece Cow
Sauermilchkase Hard Germany Cow
Parmigiano Reggiano Hard Italy Cow
or Parmesan
 Pecorino Romano Hard Italy Cow, buffalo
CUT,COOK
STARTER
MOIST
DENSE
WHEY
WARM
BACTERIA
CURD
Provolone Hard, smoked USA, Australia, Italy Cow, buffalo
& RANNET Sapago Hard, green, with Switzerland Cow
dried clover aroma
Bavarian Blue Blue, cream Germany Cow
Blue d’Auvergne Blue France Cow
Blue de Bresse Blue France Cow
Blue de Laqueuille Blue France Cow
Blue Shropshire Blue Scotland Cow
Blue Cheshire Blue Britain Cow
Danablu Blue Denmark Cow
Dorset Blue, hard pressed, Italy Cow, skimmed milk
crumbly
Gorgonzola Blue, soft, with sharp Italy Cow
taste
Roquefort Blue France Ewe
Stilton Blue Britain Cow