CHEESE

Contents
• History and origin of cheese.
• Methods of manufacturing
cheese.
• Countries manufacturing
cheese.
• Countries exporting cheese.
• Different types of cheese.
• Accompaniments of cheese.
•
•
 History and origin of
cheese

• Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded

history. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where
cheese making originated, either in Europe, Central
Asia or the Middle East, but the practice had spread
within Europe prior to Roman times.
• The earliest archeological evidence of cheese making has
been found in Egyptian tomb murals, dating to about
2000 BCE. The earliest cheeses were likely to have been
quite sour and salty, similar in texture to rustic cottage
cheese, a crumbly, flavorful Greek cheese.
• Cheese produced in Europe, where climates are cooler than
the Middle East, required less salt for preservation. With
less salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable
environment for useful microbes and molds, giving aged
 Manufacture of cheese
• Curdling - A required step in cheese making is
separating the milk into solid curds and liquid whey.
Usually this is done by acidifying (souring) the milk
and adding rennet. The acidification can be
accomplished directly by the addition of an acid like
vinegar in a few cases (paneer, queso fresco), but
usually starter bacteria are employed instead.
These starter bacteria convert milk
sugars into lactic acid. The same bacteria (and
the enzymes they produce) also play a large role in
the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses
are made with starter bacteria from
the Lactococci, Lactobacilli, or
Streptococci families. Swiss starter cultures also
include Propionibacter shermani, which produces
carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging,
giving Swiss cheese its holes (called “eyes"). Some
fresh cheeses are curdled only by acidity, but most
cheeses also use rennet, in general, softer, smaller,
fresher cheeses are curdled with a greater
Curd Processing .
At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some soft
cheeses are now essentially complete: they are drained, salted,
and packaged. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into small
cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual pieces of
curd. Some hard cheeses are then heated to temperatures in the
range of 35–55 °C (95–131 °F).. It changes the taste of the
finished cheese, affecting both the bacterial culture and the
milk chemistry. Cheeses that are heated to the higher
temperatures are usually made with thermophilic starter bacteria
that survive this step either lactobacilli or streptococci.
Salt has roles in cheese besides adding a salty flavor. It
preserves cheese from spoiling, draws moisture from the curd, and
firms cheese’s texture in an interaction with its proteins. Some
cheeses are salted from the outside with dry salt or brine
washes. Most cheeses have the salt mixed directly into the curds.
Most cheeses achieve their final shape when the curds are pressed
into a mold or form. The harder the cheese, the more pressure is
applied. The pressure drives out moisture, the molds are designed
to allow water to escape, and unifies the curds into a single
solid body
Ripening .
A newborn cheese is usually salty yet bland in flavor and, for
harder varieties, rubbery in texture. These qualities are
sometimes enjoyed, cheese curds are eaten on their own—but
normally cheeses are left to rest under controlled conditions.
This aging period (also called ripening, or, from the
French, affinage) lasts from a few days to several years. As a
cheese ages, microbes and enzymes transform texture and
intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result of the
breakdown of casein proteins and milkfat into a complex mix
of amino acids, amines, and fatty acids.
Some cheeses have additional bacteria or molds intentionally
introduced before or during aging. In traditional cheese making,
these microbes might be already present in the aging room; they
are simply allowed to settle and grow on the stored cheeses.
More often today, prepared cultures are used, giving more
consistent results and putting fewer constraints on the
environment where the cheese ages. These cheeses include soft
ripened cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, blue cheeses such
as Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, and rind-washed cheeses such
as Limburger.
Packing of cheese .
Hard Cheeses ( Dutch : Half harde kazen en Goudse kazen )
Gouda cheeses are fairly forgiving to many conditions. Cut parts of Gouda
cheese are therefore mostly vacuum packed in PE/PA bags. The vacuum
package retards the growth of spoilage organisms and stops contamination
from out-side. The resulting shelf life is about 10 weeks. Vacuum packed
hard cheeses are compact products, having logistical benefits over more
spacious top-sealed MA-packages. On the other hand the top-sealed 

MA-packages have a more

attractive appearance, which can
enhance sales. Recent
developments in material
technology have made it possible
to manufacture bio-degradable
vacuum bags with almost
comparable properties and
performance as the conventional
vacuum bags. Processed hard
cheese (such as grated, sliced
and cut in pieces) is more
demanding with respect to the
packaging. These cheese products
can benefit significantly from
MA-package concepts.
Surface moulded cheeses such as Camembert and Brie are respiring
products. The respiration depends strongly on the age of the cheese
and hence the development stage of the surface moulds. The vitality
of the surface mould depends strongly on the applied conditions in
the supply chain and the microclimate inside the package.
The technology of equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (E-MAP)
allows the ideal storage microclimate for these cheeses to be
approached inside the package.

For a successful implementation a

close match between the
respiration rate of the cheese
and the film permeability is
required under supply chain
realistic conditions. This
technology can offer large shelf
life extensions of several weeks.
The exact shelf life depends
strongly on the nature of the
product; two-three weeks is
feasible for cut cheeses, whereas
six weeks is possible for whole
cheeses.
Internal moulded cheeses ( Dutch : Blauwschimmelkazen ) Internal
moulded cheeses (such as Roquefort, Danish Blue) are slowly respiring
cheeses. They are fairly tolerant to the conditions of storage and hence
many packaging technologies can be applied to  control their quality,
such as: vacuum packaging and MA-packaging. Important criteria for the
choice of a package are the softness of the cheese and the respiration
rate.Very soft internal moulded cheeses can best be MA-packaged. Since,
vacuum packaging could result in liquefying the cheese. Good packaging
concepts can extend the shelf life for many weeks, strongly depending on
the nature of the product.
Smear coat cheeses ( Dutch : Roodbacteriekazen )
The quality of smear coated cheeses (Port Salut , Kernhem , Münster ) is
strongly dependant on the vitality of the surface culture (often
Brevibacterium Linens), which is related to the relative humidity inside the
package. 

A high controlled humidity

prohibits the growth of
competing organisms such as
moulds. Therefore, the
technology of Modified
Humidity Packaging is well
suited for this type of soft
cheese. A shelf life of six to
ten weeks can be obtained.

Fresh and cream cheeses ( Dutch : verse roomkazen )

Fresh cheeses (Mon Chou , Hüttenkase ) are very sensitive to dehydration.
Therefore, they need to be protected from moisture loss by barrier
packages. Moreover light and oxygen can also result in quality
deterioration. Hence some of these cheeses are packed under low oxygen
conditions in barrier packages, such as top-sealed MA-packages
Countries manufacturing cheese
Top cheese producers
(1,000 metric tons)
United States 4,275 (2006)
Germany 1,927 (2008)
France 1,884 (2008)
Italy 1,149 (2008)
Netherlands 732 (2008)
Poland 594 (2008)
Brazil 495 (2006)
Egypt 462 (2006)
Argentina 425 (2006)
Australia 395 (2006)
The biggest exporter of cheese, by monetary value, is France;
the second, Germany (although it is first by quantity). Among
the top ten exporters, only Ireland, New Zealand, the
Netherlands and Australia have a cheese production that is
mainly export oriented: respectively 95%, 90%, 72%, and 65% of
their cheese production is exported. Only 30% of French
production, the world's largest exporter, is exported. The
United States, the biggest world producer of cheese, is a
marginal exporter, as most of its production is for the
domestic market.
Top cheese exporters (Whole Cow Milk only) – 2004 value in U.S.
$
 France 2,658,441 
Germany 2,416,973 
Netherlands 2,099,353 
Italy 1,253,580 
Denmark 1,122,761 
Australia 643,575 
New Zealand 631,963 
Belgium 567,590 
Ireland 445,240 
United Kingdom 374,156
Top consumers of cheese
Top cheese consumers - 2009
Total cheese consumption (kg) per capita per year 
Greece 11.0 
France 22.6 
Iceland 25.4 
Germany 31.1 
Switzerland 21.41 Italy 21.0 
Finland 26.1 
Austria 17.4 
Sweden 18.9 
Netherlands 10.8 
Czech Republic 16.7 
Norway 15.3 
United States 14.8 
Canada 12.3 
United Kingdom 10.9 
Australia 12.0 
Argentina 11.3 
Poland 9.8
Types of cheese
Cheese can be classified into various categories
depending on its texture .
1 . Hard cheese
2 . Semi soft cheese
3 . Soft cheese
4 . Blue cheese
1.Hard cheese
2.
Harder cheeses have a lower moisture content than softer cheeses. They are
generally packed into molds under more pressure and aged for a longer
time

1 ) »   Abbaye du Mont des Cats   «

This cheese requires the same production methods as "Port du Salut". It has
been produced in the north of France since 1890 by the monks from an abbey
near the town of Godewaersvelde (meaning God's plain). It is made in a small,
independent dairy with milk from neighboring farms. In Flanders it is
sometimes eaten as a breakfast cheese with coffee. Affinage (maturing) takes
a minimum of one month and during this period the cheese is washed in
salted water and dyed with rocou (a South American bush plant), a
reddish derivative from annatto seeds. The pâté is hard, uncooked, pressed
and has small holes.
Country : France
Milk : cow milk
Texture : hard
Fat content : 50 %
2 ) »   Zamorano   «
Famous Spanish cheese, usually produced in the
shape of drum. The cheese is very similar to
Castelanno and Manchego, but is less grainy. The
cheese has a natural rind covered in gray mould.
The flavor has a hint of burnt caramel and
buttery taste of sheep's milk. Zamorano is used
as a table cheese and it ripens in three to nine
months.
Country : Spain, Milk : ewe milk, Texture : hard,
Fat content : 50 %

3 ) »   Berkswell   «
Modern, farmhouse, unpasteurized, vegetarian, hard
cheese made from sheep's milk. It has a flattened
round shape. The deep russet-red natural rind bears
the intricate marks of the basket mould in which it
is made. It is used as a table cheese, for grating,
but also in soups. The cheese is sold at around four
months, when the hard, crusty, ridged rind has an
aroma of lanolin and damp wool. The cheese is hard
and chewy, almost granular. Each bite reveals more of
its complex flavors - roasted nuts, caramelized
onions and meadow flowers with prickly tang.
Country : England, Milk : ewe milk, Texture : Hard
Fat content : 48%
 4 ) »   Bra   «
Traditional, unpasteurized, hard cheese which has a
round shape. The cheese is named after place where it
was originally sold. There exist two types of Bra. The
traditional, hard version that ripens for three to six
months. The color darkens and the flavor intensifies.
The other type is sold young, at 45 days, when the
paste is still soft. This version is made from
pasteurized milk. Bra is used as a table cheese, but
also for grating and melting.
Country : Italy, Milk : cow milk, Texture : hard

5 ) »   Caerphilly   «
Traditional, farmhouse, unpasteurized, vegetarian
cheese made from cow's milk. It usually has a wheel-
shape with ivory-white rind dusted with fine flour. As
the cheeses are aged in a moist cellar, the white and
gray moulds become thicker and more leathery. This
cheese is known as "the crumblies". These cheeses
originate from South and West Wales. It was first made
in Caerphilly in about 1830. When young, Caerphilly has
a fresh taste, the texture is moist yet supple. With
maturity the edges become creamy and the flavor
becomes more rounded.
Country : Wales, Milk : cow milk, Texture : Hard Fat
content : 48 %
Semi soft cheese
1 ) Port - Salut .
Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurised cow's milk
cheese from Mayenne, France, with a distinctive orange
crust and a mild flavour. The cheese is produced in
disks approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in diameter,
weighing approximately 2 kg (5 lb).
Though Port Salut has a mild flavour, it sometimes
has a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. The
smell increases the longer the cheese is kept — this
however does not affect its flavour. It can be
refrigerated and is best eaten within two weeks of
opening.
2) Munster
Munster or Munster - géromé, is a
strong tasting, soft cheese made mainly
from milk from the Vosges, between
Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté in
France.
The name munster may come from the
little town of Munster, where, among
Vosgian abbeys and monasteries, the
cheese was conserved and matured in
monk's cellars.
 3 ) Havarti or Cream Havarti (Fløde Havarti in
Danish) is a semi-soft Danish cow's milk cheese. It is
a table cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted.
Havarti cheese was initially created by Hanne Nielsen
who operated an experimental farm called
Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the
mid-19th century.. Havarti is an interior-ripened
cheese that is rindless, smooth and slightly bright-
surfaced with a cream to yellow colour depending on
type.. Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat
sharp in the stronger varieties, much like Swiss
cheese. The taste is buttery, and from somewhat sweet
to very sweet, and it is slightly acidic. It is
typically aged about three months, on ageing it
becomes more salty and taste like hazelnut.
4 ) Mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella is generally white, but may vary
seasonally to slightly yellow depending on the
animal's diet. It is a semi-soft cheese. Due to its
high moisture content, it is traditionally served
the day it is made, but can be kept in brine for up
to a week, or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed
packages. Low-moisture mozzarella can keep
refrigerated for up to a month, though some pre-
shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a
shelf life of up to 6 months. Mozzarella of several
kinds are also used for most types of pizza,
lasagna, or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in
Colby
Colby is similar to Cheddar, but does not undergo the
cheddaring process. Colby is a softer, moister, and
milder cheese than Cheddar because it is produced
through a washed-curd process. Colby is considered
semi-hard (Sans-kendrall). The washed-curd process
means that during the cooking time, the whey is
replaced by water; this reduces the curd's acidity,
resulting in Colby's characteristically mild flavor.
Like most other cheeses, it takes a little more than
a U.S. gallon of milk to produce just 1 pound (just
over 8 liters for a kilogram) of cheese.
Monterey Jack cheese is produced almost
identically as Colby, but is uncolored and softer.
Longhorn is the best known style of the American
Colby cheeses. ("Longhorn" cheese refers to a mild
Cheddar or Colby cheese made into a long orange
cylinder. Now available in both its original shape
and also in rectangles and half rounds.) Colby should
not be aged. Colby dries out quickly. Colby cheeses
are typically sold in half-rounds. Pinconning cheese
is a sharp aged relative of Colby cheese.
 Soft cheese
1 ) Brie : Brie may be produced from whole or semi-
skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by
adding rennet to raw milk and heating it to a
maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The cheese
is then cast into molds, sometimes with a
traditional perforated ladle called a "pelle à
brie". The 20 cm mold is filled with several thin
layers of cheese and drained for approximately
18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the
molds, salted, inoculated with
cheese mold (Penicillium candidum or Penicillium
camemberti) and/or Brevibacterium linens, and aged
in a cellar for at least four to five weeks.
Country : France, Milk : cow milk, Texture : soft
Fat content : 45 %
Recommended Wine : Bourgogne
2) A very famous French cheese, Camembert dates back to
the 18th century and is named for a Norman village in
which there is a statue of the creator of this particular
variety (Marie Harel). Originally, this cheese was dry and
yellow-brown, but after a few modifications it became
softer and more earthy. In 1855 one of Marie Harel's
daughters presented Napoleon with a piece of that cheese,
saying that it came from village called Camembert. He liked
it a lot and from that moment Camembert became known by
its contemporary name. At the beginning of its ripening,
Camembert is crumbly and soft and gets creamier over time
(usually 2-3 weeks). A genuine Camembert has a delicate
salty taste. Country : France, Milk : cow milk, Texture :
Soft
3)
»   Bouyssou   «
French cheese of rectangular shape made from cow's
milk. This cheese is only produced by the farmers in
the Averyron region of France. It matures in freshly
ground, wood ashes. The taste is characteristic of
the arid land and tender fruits of the south of
France. The period of ripening is about three weeks
and it tastes delicious with a glass of red wine.
Country : France, Milk : cow milk, Texture : soft
Recommended Wine : Marcillac Rouge

4) »  Mascarpone    «
A soft, white, fresh, vegetarian, cream cheese from the
Lombardy region of southern Italy. In fact, it is not cheese
at all, but rather the result of a culture being added to the
cream skimmed off the milk, used in the production of
Parmesan. It is, however, described as a curd cheese, although
it is made in much the same way as yogurt. To make
Mascarporne cheese tartaric acid (natural vegetable acid
derived from the seed of the tamarind tree) is needed. After
the culture has been added, the cream is gently heated, then
allowed to mature and thicken. This whitish to straw-yellow,
creamy, mild fresh cheese is compact, but supple and
spreadable and it is added to famous Italian desserts,
sometimes accompanied by cognac. Frequently it is used for
the preparation of certain dishes and sauces. It takes only a
few days to ripen and has a fat content of 75 per cent.
Country : Italy, Milk : cow milk, Texture : Soft, Fat
content : 75 %
 5 ) »   Ricotta   «
Traditional, creamery, whey cheese made from cow's milk.
It is a basin-shaped cheese, pure white and wet but not
sticky. Good Ricotta should be firm, not solid and
consist of a mass of fine, moist, delicate grains,
neither salted nor ripened. It is white, creamy and mild
and is primarily used as an ingredient in lasagna. It is
primarily made with cow's milk whey which is heated to
170 degrees F. Citric acid is added to encourage
destabilization and separation and the temperature is
quickly raised to 185 degrees F. Proteins from the whey
separate rise and coagulate; the proteins (lactalbumin)
are skimmed off and put in a wicker basket to drain for
two days after which the "cheese" is ready for market.
There are three distinct varieties of ricotta: ricotta
salata moliterna (ewe's milk whey), ricotta piemontese
(cow's milk whey + 10% milk) and ricotta romana (a
byproduct of Romano cheese production).

Country:
Milk:
Texture:
Recommended Wine: soft
Muscadet
Italy
cow milk Sauvignon
Blanc
Blue
cheese »   Roquefort   «
Roquefort is considered as the "King of cheeses". It has a
tingly pungent taste and ranks among blue cheeses. Only
the milk of specially bred sheep is used and is ripened
in limestone caverns. It has the cylinder-shape with
sticky, pale ivory, natural rind. Ripe Roquefort is creamy,
thick and white on the inside and have a thin, burnt-
orange skin. The ripening of the cheeses is in the
natural, damp aired caves found under the village of
Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. It is the quality of the milk, the
processing of the curd, the adding of “Penicillium
roqueforti” and finally the ripening in natural caves
unique andus
that give remarkable
this cheese. Country : France Milk : ewe milk Texture : semi-hard
Recommended Wine : Zinfandel Port

»   Stilton   «
Historically referred to as "The King of Cheeses" Stilton is
a blue-mould cheese with a rich and mellow flavor and a
piquant aftertaste. It has narrow, blue-green veins and a
wrinkled rind which is not edible. Stilton is milder than
Roquefort or Gorgonzola, and is equally excellent for
crumbling over salads or as a dessert cheese, served with a
Port Wine. There are two types of Stilton: Blue and White
Stilton. Rennet is added to milk at 86 degrees F and after
an hour curd forms. The curd is drained and moulded. One
week passes and then Stiltons are allowed to mature for 6
to 8 months. Country : England, Milk : cow milk, Texture :
semi-hard
Fat content : 55 %
 »   Gorgonzola   «
Gorgonzola is a traditional, creamery and co-operative, blue
cheese. The greenish-blue penicillin mould imparts a sharp,
spicy flavor and provides an excellent contrast to the
rich, creamy cheese. Gorgonzola is made in the northern
Italian village, according to which the cheese has its name,
either from unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which the
mould is added. At about four weeks the cheeses are pierced
with thick needles to encourage the spread of the mould.
Gorgonzola ripens in three to six months. The cheese is
usually wrapped in foil to keep it moist. Its color ranges
from white to straw-yellow with an unmistakable marbled
green or bluish-green mould. The taste ranges from mild to
sharp, depending on age. Gorgonzola is also excellent in
salads and dips.
Country : Italy, Milk : cow milk, Texture : Soft, Fat
content : 48 %
»   Blue Castello   «
Modern, creamery, blue cheese made from cow's milk. It is
a half-moon-shaped cheese. The moist, natural rind may
develop some gray, brown or white moulds. The cheese was
developed in 1960's. Blue Castello has a Brie-like
texture, with the blue in fairly thick, horizontal lines.
Enriched with cream. The aroma is of mushrooms and the
taste is mildly spicy. Country : Denmark, Milk : cow milk,
Texture : soft, Fat content : 70 %
Cheese and its accompaniments .
cheese is wonderful on its own, but like pairing the right wine with the right food,
cheese condiments can bring out unique aspects of both the cheese and the condiment.
Similar to wine pairings, many things are taken into account when deciding what
condiments fare best with which cheeses. In some cases, the best idea is to find
condiments that compliment the cheese, while with others, pairing with a contrasting
flavor is more exciting. For example, one could pair Italian condiments with Italian
cheeses, or try to balance out the saltiness of an aged Parmigiano-Reggiano with the
tart sweetness of a marmalade.
Bread: Baguette, currant/raisin bread, fig cakes (pan de higo) and date cakes, nut bread,
peasant bread, olive bread, semolina raisin bread.
Crackers:  Savory crackers, water crackers.
Dried Fruits: Apricots, cherries, currants, cranberries , peaches and raisins.
Fresh Fruit: Apple and pear slices, figs, grapes.
Nuts: Caramelized walnuts, Marcona almonds, black walnuts.
Olives: Serve a variety of sizes, textures and flavors.

Fruits & Nuts There are many classic pairings Feta or goat cheese with pine
Dried and fresh fruits and plain of both fruits and nuts with nuts and green apple;
or toasted nuts are the cheese specific cheeses—ask your
“condiments” most people have cheese monger, get a good Asiago with almonds, apple and
grown up with. book on cheese or do online mango;
research. Some pairings are
goat cheese or Brie with
walnuts, figs and strawberries.
Honey
Think “beyond the bear” and
look for infused varieties. Tea
Together sells Italian infused
honeys in flavors like orange,
pear, truffle and eucalyptus.
Mustards
Look for French and English
mustards. Both offer a good
degree of heat while maintaining
a level of complexity that will
compliment the cheese.
A thick sweet syrup produced
by bees and extracted from
their hives, honey is excellent
on a variety of cheeses, and
the “cheese condiment” most
of us already have in the
kitchen.
Prepared mustard is made from
the seeds of the mustard plant,
which are ground into a powder
and then combined with wet
ingredients and spices. Prepared
mustard gets some of its flavor
and consistency from vinegar,
white wine, turmeric and sugar.
Many mustards contain other
ingredients like horseradish,
honey, whole mustard seeds or
fruit. These flavored mustards
are also delicious with cheese.
Honey is a delicious
counterpoint with both strong
and mild cheese. Try it with
strong blue cheeses like
Cabrales, Roquefort,
Gorgonzola and Stilton; and
with fresh goat cheeses.
English and Scottish mustards
pair well with strong Cheddars
like Gloucester.
Pair the slightly more delicate
French mustards with Port Salut
or the grassy Le Berger Basque.