Glossary

Acid - A slightly sour flavour

Ammoniated - Some overripe cheeses (especially soft ones like Camembert and Brie) develop this Janola smell

Aroma - The smell of a particular cheese, from lightly aromatic to ferociously overpowering. Though not always, strong smelling cheeses are usually strongly flavoured

Barnyardy - The best example of this aroma and taste is probably goats cheese.

Bleu - French name for blue veined cheeses.

Bloomy or Flowery rind - A light 'down' of mould - a result of the cheese being cultured with a light spray of penicillium candidate spores.

Brushed - By machine or hand, the brushing of the rind on naturally rinded cheeses for moisture and flavour.

Casein - The milk protein that solidifies once coagulation (setting) takes place.

Cheddaring - Stacking and turning curds at the bottom of the vat every 10 -15 minutes for 11/2 hours.

Close - Smooth, unblemished texture, free of holes or cracks.

Cooked - All hard cheeses are cooked by being heated.

Creamy - Yielding texture and rich taste.

Curdling - Coagulation of the milk by introduction of rennet.

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Curing - Maturing by leaving to ripen.

Crumbly - Condition of cheese that breaks away when cut - fetta & blue.

Dry Matter - What remains once moisture is removed - Parmesan is largely dry matter, Camembert is still 50% moisture.

Earthy - Distinctive characteristic of monastery cheeses.

Fat Content - Indicated on the packaging. Ranging from 4% to 75% but on the average about 33%.

Fresh Cheese - Unripened cheese e.g. Cottage, Ricotta and Cream Cheese.

Gruyere - One of the best known Swiss cheeses. Also general name for large French cheeses eg: Beaufort, Emmentaler.

Hard - Cooked cheeses.

Holes or Eyes - Caused by cultured bacterial activity, these round holes give distinctive character to Gruyere and other Swiss types.

Lactic - Milky aroma, and sometimes flavour of certain cheeses.

Micro-organisms - Yeasts and fermenters naturally present in milk and milk curd.

Moulds - Use of penicillium candidate results in exterior mould while penicillium glaucum or roqueforti create internal moulds used to create blue vein.

Mushroomy - Flavour and aroma of soft and semi- softs eg: Camembert and Brie.

Nutty - Usually a hazelnut flavour and aroma.

Open - Cheese with openings or holes in it.

Paraffin Wax - Protective outer coating. eg: Edam.

Pasteurisation - Heating of milk to sterilise and kill bacteria.

Paste - Interior of a cheese.

Pronounced - Descriptive term for dominant flavour or aroma in a cheese.

Piquant - Sharp tasting.

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Rennet - Substance which contains a milk coagulating enzyme. Found in calves' stomachs or as a vegetable extract.

Rind - Natural or artificial external surface of cheese designed to protect the paste, allow it to ripen and develop to the desired flavour.

Skimmed milk - Milk from which part or all cream is removed.

Starter - Bacterial culture which produces lactic acid - tastes like yoghurt.

Supple - Firm but not hard texture, pliable and resillient.

Tangy - Sharp, distinctive, flavoursome.

Texture - Largely dependent on moisture content. Harder cheeses have less moisture, softer cheeses more.

Washed rind cheeses - Regular rind washing of some varieties while being ripened. This keeps the cheese moist and supple and contributes to the final flavour of the cheese. Some of the strongest smelling and flavoured cheeses have washed rinds.

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