How to learn to understand cheese: main types, textures and production features

What are cheeses

History of cheese startedHistory of Cheese / National Historic Cheesemaking Center thousands of years ago, when people domesticated goats and cows. It is believed that the cheese was made by accident: people tried to extend the shelf life of milk by placing it in makeshift containers made from animal stomachs and adding fruit juice or salt to it. Under the influence of enzymes and acids, the drink curdled. Noticing this effect, people began to make cheese on purpose.

The recipe has changed over the years. Now in the world there are about two thousand varieties of cheese. Experts divide them into categories according to different criteria:

• by type of milk used (from cow, goat, sheep, buffalo);
• according to the method of preparation (with a second heating of milk, without a second heating, ripening under anaerobic or aerobic conditions, smoked);
• by type of coagulation, that is, coagulation of milk (acid, rennet, mixed);
• by the amount of moisture (solid, semi-solid, soft);
• according to the proportion of fat (fat, semi-fat, low-fat, low-fat);
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• by maturity (ripe or mature, ripe or ripe with mold, immature and not ripe).

And this is only a part of the possible classifications. But in order to learn how to understand cheese at the household level and feel more confident in a restaurant or store, it is not necessary to study them all. It is enough to know a few basic varieties.

hard cheeses

What to try: Parmesan, Gruyère, Gran Padano.

The main feature of these cheeses is a bright spicy-spicy taste. To make the cheese fragrant, rich and hard, a long exposure helps - from 2 to 36 months, in special temperature and humidity conditions. Their violation will lead either to the formation of mold or to a violation of the fermentation of milk, so it is almost impossible to cook Parmesan or Gruyere at home on your own.

A mature hard cheese may change texture over time with graininess and small white crystals of calcium lactate. But this is not a sign of delay, but a natural process, so there is no need to be scared. Also, in some varieties, a dense crust forms over time, which is difficult to chew. You should not cut it off and throw it away - it will add new facets of taste to sauces or soups.

What to cook

Pasta Alfredo →
Jellied cheese pie with sour cream →
Caesar salad with bacon →

Semi-hard cheeses

What to try: edam, gouda, maasdam, Russian, cheddar (depending on exposure, it can also be referred to as hard).

The most commonly found type of cheese in stores. It is they who are usually meant in recipes when they simply write “cheese”. They are aged from a month to six months and have a rich creamy aroma. In addition, they are distinguished by slight elasticity: a piece of such cheese can be squeezed with a finger, and then it will return to its original shape.

The texture (with small, large holes or not at all) and taste characteristics of semi-hard cheeses may vary slightly due to the characteristics of the preparation or the raw materials used. For example, edam and maasdam have sweetish nutty notes, while the Russian one has a pronounced sourness. Nevertheless, the tastes of such cheeses are always quite understandable, so even those who are afraid of exotic flavors in this product will like them.

What to cook

Cheese balls with chicken →
Meat in French with potatoes →
Salad with chicken, carrots and cheese →

Soft cheeses

What to try: cheeses with white mold (brie, camembert), mascarpone, washed rind cheeses (mara, munster), adyghe, ricotta, paneer, stracciatella.

This type includes all cheeses with a soft and moist texture. These are obtained due to the peculiarities of maturation: exposure here is either not required at all, or takes only a few days. Because of this, the taste also differs: for soft cheeses, it can be fresh, creamy, sour, sweet, salty or nutty.

Soft cheeses also look different:

• creamy or curdled, such as Philadelphia or ricotta;
• with a clear shape of a circle or bar, but with a loose texture - Adyghe or Imeretian cheese;
• with a clear shape, a dense crust and a liquid or moist center - brie, camembert, munster.

Soft cheeses that do not have mold rinds can be cook Houses. The process does not require much time, and in most cases you can eat the finished product on the same day - just let it cool.

But because of the same feature, the shelf life is also reduced: soft cheese will last no more than a few days in the refrigerator. You can understand that it has gone bad by the aroma and taste: the first will become sour, the second - bitter.

What to cook

Baked Brie with Cranberries →
Peach dessert with mascarpone and raspberries →
Vareniki with Adyghe cheese →
Paneer butter masala →

Pickled cheeses

What to try: mozzarella, burrata, cheese, feta, suluguni, chechil.

Most varieties of these cheeses are also soft (but there are also semi-hard ones, such as suluguni). It is worth taking them to a separate point because of the peculiarities of production. Such cheeses after formation are placed in brine: there they ripen and are stored. Due to this, they do not form a crust and a light salty taste appears. Such cheeses are added to salads and pastries, but some varieties can become an independent snack.

However, they do not have to be sold in brine. For example, chechil is placed in a vacuum package. Also without brine on the shelves of shops you can find cheese.

What to cook

Potato balls with cheese and herbs→
Salad with smoked red fish, vegetables and mozzarella →
Strudel with spinach and feta cheese →

Blue cheeses

What to try: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Dorblu.

Blue cheeses are distinguished not only by their marble texture, but also by their special bright taste. Depending on the variety and age of the head, it can be spicy, salty, spicy, sweetish (in young people) - in any case, quite pronounced.

To obtain such cheese, noble mold spores, such as Roquefort penicillium (Penicillium Roqueforti), are added to the finished head. Then, for a week or two, the head is pierced daily with a large needle or knitting needle - oxygen is needed for the development of mold. Next, the cheese is covered with foil and sent to a cool room for several weeks or months: here the mold has already stopped growing, and its task is to give the product a taste, aroma and special consistency.

Before using blue cheese, you need to carefully look at its structure: there should be a lot of mold, but even more cheese itself. If the whole inside of a piece looks like a blue or green mass with occasional white streaks, then the cheese is too old or was made incorrectly.

What to cook

Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce →
Risotto with pear and gorgonzola →
Bruschetta with Figs and Blue Cheese →