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ASSESSMENT A – SHORT ANSWER

INSTRUCTIONS
 You are required to answer all questions.
 Read each question carefully. Ensure you have provided all required information.
 On completion, submit your assessment via the LMS to your assessor.
 These questions assess the knowledge evidence required for this unit.
 Should you require ‘reasonable adjustment’ to complete this assessment, discuss the options with your assessor
prior to attempting the task. Reasonable adjustment means modifications or changes that give you the same
opportunities in training as a person without a disability.
 Your assessor will discuss the conditions of assessment, e.g., open or closed book, time limits for completion,
etc., with you prior to attempting this task.
 To be deemed satisfactory in this task you are required to answer all questions correctly. Your assessor will
determine how many attempts are allowed for each question.
 You will require access to the learner resource for this unit, the internet and a computer (if submitting via LMS)
or a pen (if submitting hard copy).

Q1: Identify the cheese classification and subclassification for each cheese type. An example
has been provided for you.

Cheese Classification Sub classification

e.g., Ricotta e.g., Soft e.g., Fresh

Feta Soft Soft unripened

Brie Semi-soft White mould (soft ripened)

Gorgonzola Semi-soft Blue vein

Gouda Semi-soft Round-eye

Provolone Semi-soft Stretched curd

Tasmanian Heritage Red Soft Washed rind

Square
Tasty Semi-hard Cheddar

Romano Hard Hard

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SITHCCC017 HANDLE AND SERVE CHEESE – Short answer

Q2: Briefly explain the characteristics that denote the particular cheese style.

Cheese Characteristics (production method, shelf life, appearance)

Fresh cheese .

Soft unripened .

Soft ripened .

Blue vein
Stretched curd

Q3: Name three types of cheese for each classification.

Fresh cheese
Soft unripened
Soft ripened
Blue vein
Stretched curd

Q4: What is cheddar and what classification does it fall under?

Cheddar (‘tasty’ cheese) is the general name for an extensive range of whole cow-milk
cheeses made using the ‘cheddaring’ method. It is a semi-hard cheese.

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Q5: What is the cheddaring method and where did it originate from?
Essentially, all cheddars are made using the cheddaring method. .

Q6: List five imported or local cheddar examples.

 Colby
 Cheshire
 Lancashire
 Gloucester

Q7: Parmigiano reggiano and pecorino are examples of hard cheese. Name three other hard
cheeses.
 Pepato
 Reggianito

Q8: Briefly explain the production of hard cheese.

The hard texture is achieved by using skimmed milk and cooking the finely cut curd to
high temperatures (55 °C) to expel as much whey as possible..

Q9: What are the characteristics of hard cheese and how are they used in cooking?
Hard cheeses are generally very well matured, contain very little moisture (less than
30%), and have a low percentage of butterfat.

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Q10: Describe the likely origins of cheese.

Cheese was probably discovered in different ways in different regions around the world.
Around 6,000 BC, people began to breed goats, sheep and cows. These domesticated
animals produced a surplus of milk. To store, transport and trade this surplus, they
curdled, drained and salted it, turning it into simple cheese.

Q11: List the origins and flavour characteristics of these cheese examples.

Cheese Origin Flavour characteristics

Romano Rome, Italy, where it’s been
produced for over 2,000 years

Pecorino Italy – the word ‘pecora’ is the

Italian word for female sheep

Tasmanian The whitish-orange rind has a distinctive aroma

Heritage and may be a little sticky. However, the soft rich,
golden interior is subtly creamy and mild, similar
Red
to many brie type cheeses.
Square
Le Petit
Munster
Haloumi Cyprus It has no rind, a stringy rubbery texture (denser
than mozzarella) and a bland milk-like flavour.

Q12: There are roughly 13 basic stages of cheese production and which ones are used varies
on the cheese style being produced. List the 13 production stages.
 Start with milk
 Add starter culture
 Add rennet
 Cut the curd

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Q13: Why is the milk the most critical factor in cheese making?
Milk’s flavour and consistency depends on the animal it comes from (cow, sheep, goat, yak,
camel, mare or buffalo, etc.), its breed (Friesian, Jersey, etc.), the climate it’s bred in, and the
quality of its feed.
Q14: Explain the similarities and differences between farmhouse, specialist and commodity
cheeses.
 Farmhouse cheese
Handmade using milk from only one farm, either on the farm itself or somewhere local.

 Specialist cheese
 Also handmade on farms, however, the milk isn’t from just the one farm. Some of it
is bought from a controlled group or cooperative of dairy farms.
 Commodity cheese
Mass-produced in factories using a mechanised manufacturing process. Milk is sourced in
bulk and may even be partially supplemented with milk protein concentrates, skim milk
powders, additives and preservatives.

Q15: Describe ways you could use the following cheeses.

 Mascarpone
In tiramisu, cheesecake, as an accompaniment to prosciutto, or served with
fresh/poached fruits.
 Raclette
Scraped onto potatoes or crusty bread and topped with chopped gherkins.
 Parmesan and other hard cheeses
Grated or shaved as a topping for pasta, soups, meat dishes and salads.
 Gorgonzola
An excellent table cheese and is also suited to salads, dressings and dips.
 Feta
Greek dishes, including Greek salad and spanakopita. It’s also eaten on its own or grilled
as an appetiser.

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Q16: After a function, you have 1.8 kg of Dutch edam left over. Suggest ways to use it
productively.
 Sandwich fillings
 Salad garnishes

Q17: There are many uses for the different types of cheese. Look at the cheese and decide
how it is commonly used. Your choices are cheese plates, cooked/melted, desserts,
salads (you can choose more than one option).

Cheese Common usage

Bocconcini Salads, cheese plates

Mozzarella Cooked/melted

Havarti Cheese plate, melted

Danish blue Cheese plate

Camembert Cheese plate

Cream cheese Desserts

Q18: List four preparation tasks you may need to do when preparing accompaniments and
garnishes.
 Poach fruit.
 Marinate olives.
 Make wine jellies.

Q19: List one cheese category that matches each of these accompaniments and garnishes.
(More than one answer is possible.)
 Olive bread, anchovies, capers
Fresh
Soft unripened
Stretched curd

 Grapes, quince paste

White mould
Blue vein

 Sliced fresh pears and dried apples

Washed rind
Hard

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Read the order and answer Q20, Q21 and Q22.

Wanderer’s Hotel
Quantity Item Position
Cheese platters
2 (1 x no walnut bread, no walnuts) 2
(1 x no blue vein) 3
1 Cheesecake 1

1 Tiramisu 4

Q20: What can you conclude from the cheese ordered by customer 2? What will you serve
instead?
The customer could have an allergy to nuts. You could serve fruit bread (as long as it has
no nuts) or crackers, and any other fresh or dried fruit, paste, jelly, etc.

Q21: Customer 3 has ordered the cheese platter as an entrée and has ordered one less
cheese. Standard serving is four cheeses per customer on a platter. How do you
accommodate this when cutting the cheese for the customer?

Q22: What type of cheese is used in tiramisu? What is its classification?

Mascarpone. It is classified as a soft, fresh cheese.

Q23: Provide three appropriate and interesting accompaniments for each cheese to help
enhance the flavour and texture.
Double brie
 Almond bread, spiced pear paste, poached figs

Blue castello
 Walnuts, fruit bread, watercress

Jarlsberg
 Sliced baguette, peaches, dried fruit

Vintage cheddar
 Muscatels, sourdough, pickles and chutney

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Q24: Identify six characteristics of fresh, high-quality cheese which is in optimum condition for
service.
 Ripe
 Mature
 At its peak
 Room temperature
 Aroma (pungent, nutty, buttery, etc.) appropriate to its variety
 Natural, earthy, sweet smell

Q25: How can you visually assess if semi-soft cheese such as brie and camembert are at their
optimum degree of ripeness ready for serving?
They have a smooth, flowing consistency

Q26: What temperature should cheese be when you serve it so it’s in optimum condition? Why?
Room temperature: 18 °C
Room temperature reveals each individual cheese’s true flavour and distinct texture.

Q27: Your colleague doesn’t know how to temper cheese. Explain how to do it.
Remove it from refrigerated conditions before service. Allow it to slowly come to room
temperature. Find a suitable cool position for the tempering to take place. Lightly drape
the cheese with plastic film.

Q28: You’re tempering soft and hard cheeses for a function at 5.00 pm.
What time should you remove the soft cheeses from refrigeration?
Between 4.00 and 4.15 pm

What time should you remove the hard cheeses from refrigeration?
3.00 pm

Q29: Pre-sliced cheese is an example of mass-produced commodity cheese. List five other
examples.
 Pre-shredded cheese
 Individually wrapped cheese slices
 Individually wrapped cheese sticks
 Blocks of processed cheese

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Q30: Cheese is naturally high in saturated fat. Many customers these days are health-
conscious and cheese makers have responded with a wide variety of low and reduced fat
cheese options. Which cheeses are naturally low in fat? List three.
Part-skim mozzarella, neufchâtel, string cheeses, farmer’s cheese and goat cheese.

Q31: I am a vegan. What type of cheese can I eat and how is it made?
Soy-based cheese. It is made using plant-based proteins rather than dairy, making it
suitable for consumption by vegans or people with a dairy allergy or intolerance. Early
versions of soy cheese were highly processed, however, a number of companies are
starting to use traditional methods to produce dairy-free cheeses using nut milks, such as
almond or cashew.

Q32: As mentioned, milk is the main component in the making of cheese. List two types of
cheese for each milk type.
Individual response required. There are many further options to choose from for cow,
sheep and goat milk.

Cow Haloumi, camembert, brie, Danish blue, stilton, gorgonzola,

Gippsland blue, edam, gouda

Sheep Feta, haloumi, kefalotyri, roquefort

Goat Feta, haloumi, chèvre, kefalotyri

Buffalo Mozzarella (originally), bocconcini

Q33: What are the three main components in cheese itself?

 Milk
 Bacterial starter culture
 Rennet

Q34: What are the five main nutrients in cheese?

 Water
 Lactose (milk sugar)
 Fat
 Protein
 Minerals (calcium, phosphorous, sodium and iodine as well as small traces of
magnesium and zinc)

Q35: Using your knowledge of the types of milk used in the production of cheese, list the
cheeses in order of lowest fat to highest with 1 being lowest and 3 being highest.
Camembert 2
Ricotta 1
Cream cheese 3

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Q36: List at least five different contexts/courses in which cheese platters can be served on a
menu.
 Appetiser
 Entrée
 After main course
 As part of a dessert course
 Cheese tasting
 Stand-alone meal

Q37: Depending on the course in which the cheese is served, the portion sizes and the number
of portions will change. What are the portion sizes for the different courses?
 As an appetiser, entrée, after main course, as part of the dessert course
 Allow approximately 60 g cheese per person.
 If you’re displaying three different types of cheese, allow 20 g (60 g ÷ 3) of each variety
per person.
 If you’re using four cheeses, allow 15 g (60 g ÷ 4) of each variety per person.

 Stand-alone meal or cheese tasting

 For ‘stand-alone’ meals or a cheese tasting, allow 90 g per person.
 If you’re displaying three different types of cheese, allow 30 g (90 g ÷ 3) of each variety
per person.
 If you’re using four cheeses, allow 22.5 g (90 g ÷ 4) of each variety per person.

Q38: Look at these two images. For what course would you serve image A and image B?

A B

 Image A would be served in a multi-course dinner – as an appetiser, entrée, after main

or as a dessert course.
 Image B would be served as a stand-alone or cheese tasting course.

Q39: You’re serving 60 people ten varieties of cheese at a tasting where total serving size is 90
g per person. How much of each variety do you need to cut off the blocks?
540 g

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Q40: You’re planning a cheese display for a cheese-tasting function. Identify three factors you
need to consider.
 The overall context of how and when service is taking place
 The theme
 The number of cheese varieties
 The type(s) of cheese
 The categories of cheese
 The accompaniments and garnishes
 The overall look of the display

Q41: When should you assemble the cheese display for the cheese tasting? Why?
As close to service time as possible so it’s fresh and appealing.

Q42: You’re serving both soft cheese and hard cheese in the same cheese-tasting display.
Describe how you would position them.
 Place smaller and softer cheeses in the middle of the display.
 Arrange harder varieties around the outside.

Q43: At what temperature should you store cheese to avoid bacterial spoilage and
contamination?
Below 4 °C

Q44: What is the appropriate humidity for storing cheese?

85%

Q45: Cheeses are wrapped in paper, wax, foil or kept in brine to prolong their shelf life. How are
these cheeses protected when stored and why is this medium used?
 White mould cheese
Wrap in original perforated paper so that the exterior mould can continue to live.
 Blue cheese
Wrap in waxed paper and cover with aluminium foil. Don’t wrap it in aluminium foil for
more than a week. The bacteria in the cheese react with the foil. Store blue cheese away
from other cheeses. This prevents its odour and blue mould spores from spreading to
other cheeses.
 Feta
Keep immersed in its original liquid solution.

Q46: What do you do if you see cheese come into contact with a cutting board that was
previously used for the preparation of meat, which was not cleaned properly before use?
Throw the cheese out.

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Q47: The cheese is at the optimum temperature of 18 °C for serving. It has been on the buffet
table for three hours. Can you wrap and keep the cheese for tomorrow?
No. It’s been in the temperature danger zone for more than two hours. You must throw it
out.

Q48: Identify five food-handling practices for handling and storing cheese.
 Make sure you keep equipment and service utensils meticulously clean.
 Keep an eye on the time and temperature.
 Wash cheese-cutting knives every time you cut a different cheese.
 Refrigerate cheese between 2 to 4 °C.
 Make sure humidity (moisture in the air) is at least 80%.
 Avoid positioning cheese near the coolroom fan as the air movement dries the cheese
out.

Q49: Provide five personal hygiene tips on how to handle cheese safely and prevent bacterial
spoilage during preparation, storage and service to avoid cross-contamination.
 Wash your hands before entering the kitchen or before handling any food.
 Wash your hands after visiting the toilet, smoking, eating, using a nasal tissue, touching
ears, nose, hair, mouth or any part of the body, handling garbage, soiled linen,
chemicals or raw foods.
 Shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth and shave daily.

Q50: Cheeses have strong flavours and odours and grow moulds. Given the potential for
bacterial spoilage how should you maintain your work area?
Clean as you go. Thoroughly clean any chopping boards, knives, slicers, storage
containers or service equipment used when preparing and serving cheese. Use hot water
and detergent to remove all soiling and a sanitiser to kill any remaining bacteria or
moulds.

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Q51: Define these culinary terms related to different cheeses commonly used in the industry.
 Au gratin
French term for a dish topped with a layer of either cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with
butter. It is then broiled or baked until brown.
 Bocconcini
An Italian word meaning ‘mouthful’. It can be used to describe a particular dish’s
appetising appeal or small portions (significantly, fresh mozzarella cheese).
 Fondue
Swiss specialty consisting of one or more cheeses (usually comté or gruyere cheese)
melted in a special pottery dish with white wine and seasonings. The dish is then held
over a small flame during service where guests use long, two-pronged forks to dip cubes
of bread into the hot mixture.
 Queso
The Spanish word for cheese. Many Latin American cheeses are called queso followed
by an adjective to describe the particular cheese’s characteristics.
 Mouli grater
A handheld tool used to grate small amounts of cheese, nuts, chocolate, etc., by placing
the food in the rotary grater, applying pressure to the handles and turning the crank.
 Rennet
A natural enzyme obtained from the stomach of calves or lambs. It is used to coagulate or
curdle milk when making cheese.

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