EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUYING, COOKING AND EATING CHEESE 

from https://www.lovefood.com

SAY CHEESE: Cheese has been made across the world for centuries. It's a
simple and incredibly versatile food, which begins with fresh milk. It's
the alchemy from the cheesemaker, the air, the land, the breed of animal
and the specific method which makes it into something quite special.
Learn all about it with this guide, which explains how to serve it, cook
with it, choose it and eat it, with know-how, tips and inspiration to
ensure you'll be an expert in no time.

HOW CHEESE IS MADE: Cheese begins with heated milk, to which a starter
culture is added, which converts the lactose sugars to lactic acid, and
prevents any bacterial growth. Then rennet, an enzyme, goes in, which
curdles the milk and makes the proteins coagulate to create a solid
mass. The solid cheese is cut into curds, drained from the whey, then
salt is added and the process begins - cutting, draining, pressing and
ageing.

COWS' MILK CHEESES: Cheeses made from cows' milk are the most common
across the world, because cows produce a lot of milk and it's the most
versatile to make cheese. If the cow is grass-reared, the color of the
cheese will be a rich, golden yellow, from the high amount of beta
carotene (an orange plant pigment) in the feed, which increases the
butterfat content of the milk.

GOATS' MILK CHEESES: Goats' milk cheeses are always pure white, because
goats absorb the beta carotene from their feed or grass which is
converted to vitamin A, and the milk is therefore white. Cows don't
absorb it, so it passes into their milk, hence the milk is a different
color. Goats' cheese is lower in fat and is tangy with flavors of citrus
when young, which ages into more farmyard, earthy aromas and flavors.

SHEEP'S MILK CHEESES: Sheep's milk cheeses tend to be on the more
artisanal, expensive end of cheese, simply because rearing them for milk
is more time-intensive than cows or goats. The milk is in between cows'
milk and goats' milk - a soft, ivory color. It's quite high in fat, with
smooth, nutty flavors which develop as the cheeses age. 

BUYING CHEESE: Get to know your cheesemonger as well as your butcher.
With the steady rise in artisanal cheese-making, there's a better chance
of discovering new cheeses from small producers. Equally, many cheese
shops sell online, giving an excellent choice of quality cheeses.

PASTEURIZED VERSUS UNPASTEURIZED: In the US, making cheese from
unpasteurized or raw milk is prohibited. But not across Europe and UK,
where many famous cheeses are unpasteurized, following strict rules from
their controlled designation of origin. GruyŠre, Comt‚ and Camembert AOC
are such examples. Some makers say there is more expression from the
unpasteurized milk in the cheese, but just because a cheese is
unpasteurized, it's not necessarily better. It's all down to the
cheesemaker.

THE CHEESE FAMILY: FRESH CHEESES: These are young, reasonably soft
cheeses, with no rind on the outside, so they have a shorter shelf life.
The fresher the cheese, the faster you should consume it. They are
mild-tasting, with good acidity and often a citrus tang. Cheeses in this
category include buffalo mozzarella, feta and fresh goats' cheese.

THE CHEESE FAMILY: BLOOMY RIND CHEESES - These cheeses are white, creamy
and soft. They are inoculated with a white mold, after which they are
dried and left to age, which encourages the white mold to grow and
encapsulate the cheese. The most famous examples are Brie and Camembert.
English Tunworth cheese, similar to Camembert, is also definitely worth
a try.

THE CHEESE FAMILY: WASHED RIND CHEESES - Made in a similar way to bloomy
rind cheeses, these are usually soft (with a few exceptions, such as
raclette). Rather than allowing the white mold to grow, they are washed
frequently to encourage growth of an orange bacteria. This gives a rich,
savory flavor. These cheeses often smell stronger than they taste, like
Epoisses. Other examples are Taleggio, Vacherin Mont d'Or and Munster.

THE CHEESE FAMILY: SEMI-HARD CHEESES - These fall into two camps: hard
pressed, the classic British way in which Cheddar is made, where
moisture is driven out of the cheese by acidifying it, then stacking and
pressing it; and hard heated, more common in mountain cheeses from
France and Switzerland, where the curds are cut very small to draw out
the moisture then are heated, producing a sweeter flavor, such as
GruyŠre or Comt‚. Cheeses made from summer milk will be more herbaceous
than from winter milk. 

THE CHEESE FAMILY: HARD OR GRAINY CHEESES - The home of these rich,
savory cheeses is Italy, the most well known being Parmesan, pecorino
and Grana Padano. The curds are cut with a huge whisk, so they end up
being as small as a grain of rice. Once pressed into molds or wheels,
the cheese is soaked in a brine solution for up to 30 days. After
drying, they are aged for at least nine months, but you can find them at
30 months or even longer.

THE CHEESE FAMILY: BLUE CHEESES - These cheeses are usually soft or
semi-soft. The addition of blue mold - in the past natural molds
occurred in the air, often in caves, but now artificial strains are
added manually - causes blue veins to form where the cheese is in
contact with the air. Often, the cheese is pierced to allow the air in.
The most famous blues are Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort.

STORING SOFT CHEESES: With Camembert-style and Brie cheeses, the waxed
paper they come in is the best wrapping for the cheese. If there's no
waxed paper, use plastic wrap and cover tightly, ensuring no air can get
in. 

STORING BLUE CHEESES: Wrap all blue cheeses in plastic wrap, then place
in an airtight container. This will give the cheese more longevity, as
no air can get to it, and will stop any further blue veins developing.

... "If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive." Sam
oldwyn
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