Cheese, once described by American author Clifton Fadiman as “milk’s leap toward immortality,” can most simply be defined as a product of milk’s fermentation. On the calendar of casual holidays, cheese is granted a remarkable number of days. The folks at National Calendar Day count 19 cheese-related “national days,” including one devoted to the food itself — National Cheese Day on June 4 — and another devoted to those who love it — National Cheese Lover’s Day on January 20.
The word “cheese” is granted an impressive assortment of unappetizing descriptions such as: “A food consisting of the coagulated, compressed and usually ripened curd of milk separated from the whey,” or “curdled milk infused with bacteria and often mold.”
However, cheese lovers, or turophiles, certainly agree that cheese is so much more than its definition. Part of our fascination with cheese may come from the sheer number and diversity of cheeses worldwide. The types are numbered in the thousands, although an exact count is difficult, as cheeses are notoriously difficult to classify. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the source of the milk, including the animal’s diet, whether or not the milk is pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, and the processing and aging. Herbs, spices or wood smoke may be used to enhance flavor. The yellow to red color of many cheeses is produced by adding annatto derived from the seeds of the achiote tree.
A description of cheese based solely on its bacteriological composition neglects the symbolism of ancient mythologies, regional pride and artistic ingenuity that are embedded in this simple AND complicated food. The mythology of cheese is shared by contrasting groups: the Greek gods and mortals, the conquerors and conquered of the Roman Empire, as well as a delighted Napoleon, who was first offered Camembert by a French peasant (it is said that he kissed her in gratitude).
The origins of cheesemaking are unknown, but it has been generally reasoned that the knowledge of how to turn milk into cheese closely followed the domestication of lactating animals, particularly cows, buffalo, goats or sheep. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking comes from the Middl]e East’s Fertile Crescent, where animals were domesticated around 8,000 BC.
An oft-repeated legend has it that the first cheesemaker fell into the role by accident. A nomadic tribesman set out on a long desert journey, carrying with him a traditional bag made from the dried stomach of a young sheep. He filled the bag with milk for the trip. As he traveled along under the relentless sun, the rennet in the lining of the bag caused the
milk to separate into curds and whey. Not wanting to waste his food supply, he sampled this “fresh cheese” and found that it had a pleasant taste and did not spoil as easily as milk. The nomad later drained off the whey and salted the curds to enhance the flavor. The cheesemaking tradition had begun.
While modern cheesemaking techniques are more refined and recipes have become standardized, the basic principles remain the same as when the nomad of cheese legend opened his sheep’s stomach bag, warmed by the sun and agitated by his rhythmic trek. Cheesemaking became an efficient means of preserving an extremely perishable food (milk) from the spoiling effects of the Near East climate. The art and science of cheesemaking spread into Europe and quickly became a regular part of the diet and a symbol of strength in ancient Greece, where Olympians trained on diets of cheese. Polyphemus, the brutal Cyclops of Homer’s Odyssey, milks his animals amid the racks of cheese in his cave while Odysseus watches quietly nearby. According to Greek mythology, the knowledge of cheesemaking was a gift to mortals by the gods of Mount Olympus. Roman soldiers carried cheese rations with them as the Roman Empire grew. Cheesemaking was also highly developed in the Celtic parts of Europe.
Through centuries, cheese production grew as an art and an industry. The first commercial cheese factory in the United States was established in Rome, New York, in 1851. Innovations like the kind of cream cheese popularly known as Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and pasteurizing whole cheese, were developed by James Kraft in 1916. Currently, more than one-third of all milk produced each year in the U.S. is used to manufacture cheese. Almost a century of pasteurized process cheese sales in the United States and abroad have demonstrated their popularity, but a growing number of cheesemakers and cheese lovers are committing to the preservation and production of artisanal and farmstead cheeses.
CHEESEMAKING IS “CONTROLLED SPOILING"
There are as many recipes for cheese as there are cheeses, but all of them follow some combination of the same steps.
Acidification: Souring the milk. The milk is gently warmed to encourage the growth of lactic acid bacteria, Streptococci and Lactobacilli. These bacteria feed on the milk sugar lactose, changing it to lactic acid. As the acidity rises, the solids in the milk clump together, forming curds in the watery whey. This is the first step for making all cheeses. In ancient times, cheeses were most likely the result of leaving pots of milk to sour naturally in the sun. Some cheesemakers still wait for these processes to begin with free, airborne lactic acid bacteria, but most use a “starter” culture, much like the process for sourdough bread.
Renneting: Coagulating the curd. Cheesemaking has been referred to as “controlled spoiling” because of the need to efficiently form curds before undesirable bacteria cause the milk to become rancid. The enzyme rennin, traditionally removed from the stomach lining of a young animal, hastens and completes the curdling process. The curd is left to “set,” forming a network of protein that traps the other milk solids inside. As the solids bind more tightly together, they begin to push out the liquid whey, a process the cheesemaker may continue by cutting, cooking and pressing.
Treating the curds: After renneting, cheese recipes diverge. Some soft cheeses, like fresh goat’s milk cheese, are gently transferred to molds. The curd’s own weight will continue to press out whey. These cheeses might be labeled “hand ladled” to indicate that they were created using this time-consuming method. The Greeks called the molds that held the curds formos, which became the root word for cheese in Italy (formaggio) and France (fromage). Our English word “cheese” has its root in the Latin caseus, which became Käse in German and queso in Spanish.
In contrast to the light touch required for soft cheeses, which derive their creamy texture from a higher water content, the curds for other cheeses are sliced and chopped, by hand or machine, to release more whey. The smaller the curds are cut, the firmer the resulting cheese. Cheddar and some other cheeses undergo a unique process called “cheddaring,” which results in its firm, flaky texture. Blocks of curd are stacked, turned and restacked to press out as much whey as possible. Then the dry curds are milled, ground into tiny pieces and packed into molds.
Preparation for aging: Salting, molding and pressing. Cheeses can be salted in four different ways. For some cheeses, the salt is stirred directly into the curd. A second method involves rubbing or sprinkling dry salt onto the rind of a cheese. This helps to form the rind, protecting the inside of the cheese from ripening too quickly. Some large cheeses are soaked in a pool of brine. The fourth option is to wash the surface of the cheese with a brine solution. In the case of washed-rind cheeses, the salt does not protect the cheese from bacteria — it invites them. The cheeses must be regularly rubbed with water, brine or alcohol to encourage the growth of bacteria that give them their sticky orange rinds and distinctive aroma.
Cheese is then transferred, if it has not been already, to a mold where the final cheese will take shape. The whey of soft cheeses drips through the holes in their molds, pressed out by the cheese’s weight. Other, firmer cheeses are pressed by hand or machine to extract the last bits of whey.
Ripening: During the ripening or aging stage, the cheesemaker cares for the cheese at a precise temperature and humidity level until it is ready to eat; this can range anywhere from a few weeks for a soft-ripened cheese to a few years for a wheel of Pamigiano-Reggiano. Depending on the variety, ripening cheeses need to be turned to equally distribute the butterfat, and brushed to maintain the rind quality.
Since there are thousands of types of cheeses, they are extremely difficult to classify. General characteristics, such as the type of milk used or the country of origin, provide a starting point. Other classifications include the moisture content of the cheese (hard, semi-hard, soft or fresh), whether it was made from pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, or the length of aging. When cheese is classified by “type,” it is grouped by similar characteristics like taste, aroma, appearance, rind type and the method of production.
Some “families” of cheese include: fresh cheese, which is not ripened and has no rind, cream cheese and feta are examples; soft-ripened cheeses, like French Camembert and Brie; washed-rind cheeses, which are orange and sticky, with a strong aroma, Limburger and Winnimere are the most well-known; natural-rind cheese, which forms a rind mostly from air contact, like Parmigiano-Reggiano; processed cheese, the best known is American; also blue-veined cheeses, like Stilton, Gorgonzola or Roquefort; uncooked pressed cheese, like cheddar or Spanish Manchego; and cooked pressed cheese, like Gruyère or other Swiss cheeses. Some cheeses belong to more than one family.
When planning a cheeseboard for your next gathering, be sure to visit a well-stocked shop and enlist the advice of a knowledgeable cheesemonger. Include a few of your tried-and-true favorites and take expert advice on a few adventurous selections. Add some fruits, nuts, and veggies — and there you have it — a cheese course to suit any taste. In the meantime, try a couple of our favorite recipes and “Say Cheese!”
CAMEMBERT WITH FIGS, PISTACHIOS AND HONEY
Ingredients:
• 1 round of Camembert
• 2 figs, cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon of honey, or more as desired
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the Camembert on a baking tray; sprinkle the pistachios and walnuts on top, along with the sliced figs. Bake for 10-15 minutes to soften the cheese and toast the nuts slightly. Take the cheese out of the oven and drizzle with honey. Serve with toasted ciabatta bread, Melba toast, baked pita bread slices or your favorite crackers.
CACIO E PEPE (Literally cheese and pepper)
Cheese wheel pasta is a great dish to make if you really want to impress.
Special Tools:
• Cheese wheel cutter
Ingredients:
• 1 or 1/2 wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup long pasta of your choice (spaghetti, linguini, etc.)
• Olive oil
• Salt
Directions:
Carefully trim off the top of the wheel of cheese. Scrape the inside of the cheese wheel to create a bowl shape, leaving about half of the cheese scrapings, or according to taste. Save the remaining scrapings for another recipe. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions (al dente). Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese wheel and scrapings. Add the Pecorino Romano and toss until the cheese is creamy and melted into the pasta. Sprinkle pepper onto the pasta and toss again. Serve immediately.
CHEESE STUFFED DATES
Ingredients:
• 12-24 large Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2-3/4 cup shredded Manchego or other mellow hard cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, lightly crushed into small pieces
• 12-24 slices of pre-cooked bacon, or 1/4-pound Serrano ham (thin slices cut into 2-inch strips)
Directions:
Preheat oven to broil. Cover a baking sheet in foil or parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix shredded cheese and toasted walnuts. Open each date along the center line and, using a teaspoon, stuff with cheese/walnut mixture. Pinch edges of date around the filling. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon or ham. Secure with a toothpick. Place dates on the baking sheet and broil for about two minutes or until bacon/ham is crispy and golden brown and filling is melted. Keep a close watch; it doesn’t take long! Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute or two. Place dates on a serving platter; garnish and serve.