TYPES OF CHEESE: types of cheese

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Different Types of Cheese

There are different types of cheese all over the world. Here is more information about the types of cheese. Different Types of Cheese Cheese is one of the most used ingredients for breakfast around the world. It is a milk based solid food. Cheese can be prepared from cow, sheep, goat and other mammal milk.The basic procedure of preparing cheese is by curdling milk and further acidification. Rennet or other rennet substitutes are used for the curdling of milk.

Hundreds of types of cheese exist all over the world. The types of cheese exist due to the usage of the milk from different mammals, specific species of molds and bacteria and also varying the aging length. Other processes are also used to prepare different types of cheese. Other factors which determine the type of cheese is the diet of the animal the milk is taken from. The diet can include herbs, spices and wood smoke.

Cheese cannot be categorized on a single categorization concept. Therefore, there various systems used for the categorization of cheese. Some factors taken into consideration while classifying cheese are the length of aging, the methods of making it, the curd and the various processes relating to the curd, the kind of milk, the fat content and the whether the texture of the cheese is hard or soft.

The most common type of cheese is Fresh Cheese.

To prepare fresh cheese, milk is curdled and drained. There is little other processing involved in preparing Fresh Cheese. Some examples of Fresh Cheese are chevre, Cas and cottage cheese.Cheese is also classified according to its firmness. The various classifications are soft, semisoft, semihard and hard. However, this type of categorization is not exact.

Cheddar cheese.

Semi hard cheese is created with the cutting of the curd, heating gently, piling and then stirred before pressed into forms. The most common semi hard cheese are the cheddar cheese like Gloucester and Chesire. Milder cheese, like the Colby and Monterey Jack are prepared by having curd rinsed and then pressed. This washes away the acidity and calcium in the cheese. This procedure is also used to create the Edam and Gouda cheese. Gruyere and Emmetal, swiss type of cheese are quite firm. They have a texture of holes, which add to their sharp flavors and aroma. Parmesan, Romano and Pecorino are the hardest cheese, also known as grating cheese.

Some cheese are prepared by allowing Penicillin Candida to grow on the outside ot the soft cheese for a preset time. THe mold adds to the runny and gooey textures of the cheese and also intensifies the flavors of these cheese. The mold forms a white crust on the cheese. Molds are of two types, blue and white. The white molds are generally used while preparing cheese from goat's milk.

Blue mold cheese is commonly called blue cheese.

Stilton, Gorgonzola and Roquefort are some of these types of cheese. They are prepared by injecting Penicillum roqueforti molds into the cheese. This mold then grows within the cheese, as opposed to Brie and Carmembert, where the mold is allowed to grow on the outside of the cheese. Blue cheese can be of soft or firm texture and have assertive flavours.

Processed cheese .

Processed cheese is prepared by adding emulsifying agents, milk, preservatives, more salt and food coloring to traditional cheese. Velveeta and yellow American cheese are the most popular types of processed cheese. Washing Rind is also a major type of cheese. These cheese are bathed in saltwater brine while they age. This makes their surface available for bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for the flavors and odors of washing rind cheese. Types of Cheese.....

popular-cheeses.

Different Types of Cheese Video :

Fresh Soft Cheese

Pantysgawn goats cheese (Abergavenny),
Rhosygilwen cows soft cheese.

These types of cheese have a high moisture content and a limited shelf life. Some are made by souring the milk, then straining the curd or passing it through a separator to remove much of the moisture, giving a white, crumbly, but soft spreadable product.

The flavour is mildly acid. This type of cheese lends itself to rolling in or mixing with herbs, spices, fruits etc. and being sold tubs, small rounds or logs. Another form of soft cheese is made by cutting the curd, and placing it in a shaped mould to allow for natural drainage. This gives the cheese a soft silky texture. Salt is sprinkled or rubbed onto the surface.

The flavour is mild and delicate when a few days old. This cheese can be matured under the right conditions when a distinctive mouldy rind develops. None of these cheese are pressed. They are light in texture and lower in fat than many of the hard cheese. Soft cheese can be eaten spread on a biscuit or with a salad, it are also much used in cooking. Cool. Fresh Soft Cheese !!!

Fresh Soft Cheese Video :

Mold types of Cheese

Mold types of Cheese

Vacherin du Haut-Doubs cheese, a French cheese with a white Penicillium mold rind.
There are three main categories of cheese in which the presence of mold is an important feature: soft ripened cheeses, washed rind cheeses and blue cheeses.

Soft-ripened
Soft-ripened cheeses begin firm and rather chalky in texture, but are aged from the exterior inwards by exposing them to mold. The mold may be a velvety bloom of P. camemberti that forms a flexible white crust and contributes to the smooth, runny, or gooey textures and more intense flavors of these aged cheeses. Brie and Camembert, the most famous of these cheeses, are made by allowing white mold to grow on the outside of a soft cheese for a few days or weeks. Goat's milk cheeses are often treated in a similar manner, sometimes with white molds (Chèvre-Boîte) and sometimes with blue.

Washed-rind
Washed-rind cheeses are soft in character and ripen inwards like those with white molds; however, they are treated differently. Washed-rind cheeses are periodically cured in a solution of saltwater brine and/or mold-bearing agents that may include beer, wine, brandy and spices, making their surfaces amenable to a class of bacteria Brevibacterium linens (the reddish-orange "smear bacteria") that impart pungent odors and distinctive flavors, and produce a firm, flavorful rind around the cheese. Washed-rind cheeses can be soft (Limburger), semi-hard, or hard (Appenzeller). The same bacteria can also have some impact on cheeses that are simply ripened in humid conditions, like Camembert. The process requires regular washings, particularly in the early stages of production, making it quite labor-intensive compared to other methods of cheese production.

Smear-ripened
Some washed-rind cheeses are also smear-ripened with solutions of bacteria or fungi, most commonly Brevibacterium linens, Debaryomyces hansenii, and/or Geotrichum candidum[8]) which usually gives them a stronger flavor as the cheese matures. In some cases, older cheeses are smeared on young cheeses to transfer the microorganisms. Many, but not all, of these cheeses have a distinctive pinkish or orange coloring of the exterior. Unlike with other washed-rind cheeses, the washing is done to ensure uniform growth of desired bacteria or fungi and to prevent the growth of undesired molds.[9] Notable examples of smear-ripened cheeses include Munster and Port Salut.

Blue
So-called blue cheese is created by inoculating a cheese with Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum. This is done while the cheese is still in the form of loosely pressed curds, and may be further enhanced by piercing a ripening block of cheese with skewers in an atmosphere in which the mold is prevalent. The mold grows within the cheese as it ages. These cheeses have distinct blue veins, which gives them their name and, often, assertive flavors. The molds range from pale green to dark blue, and may be accompanied by white and crusty brown molds. Their texture can be soft or firm. Some of the most renowned cheeses are of this type, each with its own distinctive color, flavor, texture and aroma. They include Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton.

Moisture: soft to hard Cheese

Moisture: soft to hard Cheese

Emmentaler
Categorizing cheeses by moisture content or firmness is a common but inexact practice. The lines between "soft", "semi-soft", "semi-hard", and "hard" are arbitrary, and many types of cheese are made in softer or firmer variants. The factor that controls cheese hardness is moisture content, which depends on the pressure with which it is packed into moulds, and upon aging time.

Soft cheese
Cream cheeses are not matured. Brie and Neufchâtel are soft-type cheeses that mature for more than a month.

Semi-soft cheese
Semi-soft cheeses, and the sub-group Monastery, cheeses have a high moisture content and tend to be mild-tasting. Some well-known varieties include Havarti, Munster and Port Salut.

Medium-hard cheese
Cheeses that range in texture from semi-soft to firm include Swiss-style cheeses such as Emmental and Gruyère. The same bacteria that give such cheeses their eyes also contribute to their aromatic and sharp flavours. Other semi-soft to firm cheeses include Gouda, Edam, Jarlsberg, Cantal, and Cașcaval. Cheeses of this type are ideal for melting and are often served on toast for quick snacks or simple meals.

Semi-hard or hard cheese
Harder cheeses have a lower moisture content than softer cheeses. They are generally packed into moulds under more pressure and aged for a longer time than the soft cheeses. Cheeses that are classified as semi-hard to hard include the familiar Cheddar, originating in the village of Cheddar in England but now used as a generic term for this style of cheese, of which varieties are imitated worldwide and are marketed by strength or the length of time they have been aged. Cheddar is one of a family of semi-hard or hard cheeses (including Cheshire and Gloucester), whose curd is cut, gently heated, piled, and stirred before being pressed into forms. Colby and Monterey Jack are similar but milder cheeses; their curd is rinsed before it is pressed, washing away some acidity and calcium. A similar curd-washing takes place when making the Dutch cheeses Edam and Gouda.

Hard cheeses — "grating cheeses" such as Parmesan and Pecorino Romano—are quite firmly packed into large forms and aged for months or years.

Types of Cheese: Soft Mould Ripened Cheese

Types of Cheese: Soft Mould Ripened Cheese

Mould ripened cheese are still regarded by some with some suspicion. Moulds can grow when and where they are not welcome, and in such cases it may be correct to discard such cheese. However, there are desirable moulds, both white and blue, which not only assist in the process of maturing the cheese but also provide another wonderful array of textures and flavours.
The soft mould ripened cheese are flat and normally cylindrical in shape. At their best they are creamy in texture and have a delicate mushroom aromatic flavour. Some consumers prefer a runny texture and a very ripe ammoniacal taste. Types of Cheese, to most consumers is cheese past its best, but as with all foods personal preferences will differ.

Specially selected white moulds such as Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camemberti may be added with the starter culture or sprayed on the surface of the drained cheese.
After a few days a bloom appears and this develops into a distinct white fluffy rind. This surface mould is an integral part of soft mould ripened cheese.

When young the cheese is firm, almost Cheshire like in texture with a very mild taste. As it matures or ripens it becomes softer, maturing from the outside to the centre of the cheese. Types of Cheese have a limited life and are best purchased when thdre is still a small core or line of firm cheese in the centre, allowing the consumer to complete the ripening process and eat it when it is at its best.

Types of Cheese: Hard and Semi Hard Cheese

Types of Cheese : Hard and Semi Hard Cheese

Most of the cheese produced and consumed in Wales and the UK can be placed in this category. Cheddar is the most popular and the most copied of the hard cheese. Caerphilly is a softer cheese, sometimes classed as a semi hard cheese because it is only lightly pressed when compared with Cheddar. Hard cheese of the Cheddar type can be defined as a firm cheese with a close texture. A Cheshire type can be a little more open, almost granular in texture, whereas a
traditional Caerphilly has a close but flaky texture.

Traditional cheese, pressed in the old style presses, usually have a degree of openness. This adds to the character of the cheese. Modern commercial blockformers draw vacuum rather than press the curd into shape. This gives a dense cheese, a product preferred for cutting and packing into portions and slices.

However, none of these types of cheese should have round holes typical of some of the continental cheese such as Emmenthal. These holes are the result of the gas produced by
special bacteria added to the starter culture. The colour of the hard cheese will vary according to the season and the milk used. The milk of the cow is a creamy yellow colour whereas sheep and goats milk are much whiter. On occasion a colour - carotene or annatto, is added to the milk to give a coloured cheese such as Double Gloucester and Leicester.

These are natural plant colours. They have no effect on the texture or flavour of the cheese.
The process of making hard and semi hard cheese is basically the same, but the end result will vary considerably. The revival of old recipes, of small scale and farmhouse cheesemaking is again allowing consumers to appreciate the complex flavours that can develop on maturing these cheese.
Large scale commercial production is also providing excellent quality cheese for another sector of the market place.
Types of Cheese

Washed Rind Cheese

Types of Cheese: Washed Rind Cheese

This can be a semi soft or a hard type of cheese. The distinguishing feature is the colour of the rind, caused by washing or wiping the surface of the cheese with a cloth soaked in brine and containing a bacterium called Brevibacterium linens, often with other selected micro-organisms. The liquid may also contain herbs or wine and is usually a recipe secret to the maker. Some cheese have a dry orange brown rind, whereas others have a distinctive sticky rind with a rather pungent aroma. The texture of most of these types of cheese is soft and pliable, even creamy.

The flavour is mildly aromatic. Many find the aroma overpowering, even objectionable. Because of this, they are very much the choice of the connoisseur, but once tried these cheeses are superb..
Types of cheese; blue-cheese

Types of Cheese: Blue Cheese

Types of Cheese: Blue Cheese

Granston Blue (Llangloffan), Landsker Blue, Soft Blue (St. Florence), Gorau Glas (Quirt)
Blue cheese is a mould ripened type, with blue green veins throughout the cheese. Many are only made when the milk is most suited to this type of cheese and thus are not available throughout the year. Granston is typical of cheese made only when the milk is deemed to be at its best. Some such as Landsker are pressed whereas others are a softer creamier type of cheese. Gorau Glas has the distinction of winning a gold award at the 2002 British Awards.

Some varieties have a white mould on the surface and blue mould within the body of the cheese. This combination of the two Penicillium moulds provides a mild soft cheese usually classified within the soft ripened cheese category. Although some of the Blue mould cheese now available are the result of modern technologies, they first occurred naturally. Where cheesemakers stored their cheese in caves or cellars, those places often provided the correct humidity and temperature conditions for the wild or natural yeasts and moulds to grow.

In a booklet on the practice of Cheshire Cheesemaking dated 1892, there is mention of the 'green fade', a minute fungus growth. Cheese, which naturally blued were regarded as very special cheese, 'accidents' in the maturing process that were much sought after.

The Penicillium roqueforti mould, obtained from specialist suppliers, is now normally added with the milk. Reassurance can be given that eating this type of cheese does not create any antibiotic resistance or affect the usefulness of the antibiotic penicillin.
Blue cheese is not pressed as it is essential for the curds to be loosely packed, leaving space for the mould to grow. The mould requires air to grow and turn it a blue colour. This is aided and also controlled by piercing the cheese with stainless steel needles - never copper needles as is still stated by some. The tunnels created by the needles, allows air into the body of the cheese and it quickly develops the attractive blue mould picture.
The flavour of a blue cheese varies according to the type of milk and season. It should be mellow, with a slightly piquant, possibly peppery taste with mushroom overtones.
There should not be a bitter aftertaste. The cheese is left unwrapped during maturing and the rind can be eaten. This is a mixture of micro-organisms left to develop naturally and they also have an important part to play in the flavour and texture development of this type of cheese.
Types of cheese: washed-rind-cheese.

Mozzarella - Pasta Filata or Stretched Curd Cheese

Types of Cheese: Mozzarella - Pasta Filata or Stretched Curd Cheese

Traditional Mozzarella is a fresh, stretched curd (pasta filata) cheese made from the milk of water buffalo. The curds are kneaded in hot water to give the stretched texture which looks like rolled chicken breast. It is formed into hand size balls and is sold in a mixture of brine and whey. As a freshly made cheese it is delicious with a delicate milky flavour. It can be eaten like an apple, or sliced with tomato, basil and a little olive oil. Its claim to fame however is the elastic nature of the cheese when melted, an essential ingredient for a pizza.

Traditional mozzarella balls are not suited to large scale manufacturing as they have a limited shelf life. A longer keeping block Mozzarella, with a more rubbery texture is made on a large commercial scale at the Dansco factory at Newcastle Emlyn. The popularity of pizzas has ensured the success of this product and the continuation of cheesemaking at Newcastle Emlyn.
Types of Cheese: smoked-cheese.

Types of Cheese: Smoked Cheese

Types of Cheese : Smoked Cheese

The smoking of foods was a means of preservation and it still retains that preservative function in some cases. It has also been a tradition to smoke certain varieties of cheese. Today smoked cheese supplies another variant of a particular type of cheese.

It is possible to add a liquid smoke preparation but this does not normally produce the best flavoured product. Most cheese are smoked using oak or other local wood. The shavings are allowed to smoulder and provide the smoke in comparatively low temperatures so that the cheese is not 'cooked', but it does bring some of the fat to the surface. This, together with the deposits from the smoke vapours, provide an attractive and characteristic colour to the cheese.
Types of cheese

Grated and Sliced Cheese

Grated and Sliced Cheese
Types of Cheese
The development of take away, ready meals and other convenience foods has resulted in a demand for cheese as an ingredient. This is not a new concept, although in many cases the making of cheese sauces or even Welsh rarebit was considered only as a useful means to use up the 'leftovers'.Good food requires good raw materials and this is as true of cheese used as an ingredient as any food product. Ash Manor provides such a service in the form of sliced, cubed and grated cheese suited to customer requirements. Specialised equipment enables this company to produce the desired cheese quality in the form most suited to the recipe.
Types of Cheese: popular-cheeses.

Popular Cheeses

Types of Cheese : Popular Cheeses

There are numerous types of cheeses, and we've sought to provide information on five of the more commonly sought or popular cheeses.

Goat Cheese - made from goat milk. It is sometimes called ‘chevre’. Goat cheese comes in a wide array of forms. It can either be made firm or semi-firm in

Cheddar Cheese - originates from an English village called "Cheddar". It is a firm cheese made from cow’s milk and is one of the most popular types of cheese in the world

Blue Cheese - is a common categorization of cow's milk and/or goat's milk cheeses with a blue or blue-green mold. The blue mold in these cheeses is due to mold spores

Swiss Cheese - is the general name for numerous tpyes of cheese that were initially prepared in Switzerland. It is also known as Emmental. Swiss cheese is made from cow’s milk

Feta Cheese - is one of the oldest cheeses in the world, and is said to be a genuine product from Greece.

types of cheese: grated-and-sliced-cheese.

History of Cheese

History of Cheese

Cheese is one of the most assorted and delicate foods in the world. The taste of cheese can be mild, buttery, spicy, rich, creamy, sharp, salty or subtle. Its texture can be firm, flaky or so soft that it needs to be eaten with a spoon. The aroma can be mild to intense. Cheese can serve as the perfect escort for wines, an excellently pleasing finish to a gourmet meal.

Cheese appeared for the first time in approximately 7000 B.C., which was about the time persons, began to raise farm animals. Legend has it that a desert nomad was carrying milk in a pouch made from a sheep’s stomach. Rennet or rennin which is a coagulating enzyme was formed in the lining of the pouch. Combined with the sun’s heat it caused the milk to separate into solid white lumps and a pale watery liquid.

Inquisitive, and no doubt starving, the nomad drank the whey and tasted the curd. The nomad found the whey drinkable and the curds edible.It is said that cheese was first manufactured in the Middle East. The most primitive type of cheese was a kind of sour milk. This type of milk came into being when it was found out that domesticated animals could be milked.

Cheese making was done with ability and knowledge and reached an elevated standard. By then the ripening process had been developed and several treatments and conditions in regards to storage resulted in different flavours, textures, aroma and colours, which are the main characteristics in types of cheeses.
In the middle ages, monks became trendsetters and developers and it is to them we should be obligated to for many of the classic assortment of cheese on the market today. During the Renaissance era cheese went through a decrease in fame. It was said to be unhealthy, but reclaimed favour by the 19th century, the era that saw the beginning of the progress from
farm to factory production.

According to Greek Mythology what perhaps happened is one day a shepherd realized that milk curdled when placed with certain herbs or the juice of specific fruits. This curdled milk tasted more enticing than ordinary milk and lasted longer. The shepherd perfected his cheese making skills as cheese became the first man-made food. As cheese is just the concentrated milk, it made sense to ancient man that the excellence of the milk determined the quality of the cheese.

So man began to move his animals to the fertile meadows full of wild herbs, flowers and grasses. The early days of cheese making were not restricted to cows, goats and sheep. Cheese was made from mares and donkeys also.

It is said that the Greeks established the advance of cheese making procedures from basic to newer methods. However, Romans were accountable for coaching the rest of the world in how to make cheese. Nutrition, maturing, temperatures and salting of cheese are written in Roman texts. Cheese today is one of the most interesting, diverse, wholesome and delicious foods known to man. Thanks to Romans, Greeks and others before them.
Types of cheese..
different-types-of-cheese.

Types of Cheese: Gouda

Types of Cheese : Gouda
Small variations in the cheesemaking recipe produce a vast variety of cheese. In the Gouda type of cheese, some of the whey is removed and replaced with water, thus it is known as a washed curd cheese. Once the curd is compacted under this watery whey mixture, it is cut and moulded. There is no texturing as for the Cheddar type of cheese.
The result is a supple, mild cheese with a buttery taste.
Some might say the texture was more of a plastic nature. It is a different texture to the traditional cheese of the UK and typical of that found on the Continent of Europe. The cheese matures with a range of flavours as complex as any, especially if it is made from raw organic milk.The starter cultures used for this type of cheese often contain bacteria that produce gas. This collects in the curd and cheese as it matures, producing small holes in the finished product. Few of these cheese are wrapped. The rind is left to form naturally but they are frequently cleaned and waxed before being sold to the retailer or consumer.