Page 6 - EI Catalog 2018-2019 Revised flipbook 7-18-18

Cheese Styles
Fresh & Unripened
Some of the most common cheeses, fresh and unripened cheese are made to be eaten in their simplicity, quickly and without delay. Often these cheeses are little more than the collection of milk solids (coagulation) through acidulation and/or renneting. It is within these young cheeses that milk takes on its first steps to immortality.
Milk quality becomes paramount. Familiar styles within this group are Cottage Cheese, Fromage Blanc, Farmers Cheese, Queso Fresco and the traditional French Chevre. Whey, the residual liquid from previous cheese batches, can be used again to make fresh whey cheeses, such as Ricotta.
Of the most famous
and often eaten
cheeses in this country,
Mozzarella also falls within
this grouping. Although a
Pasta-Filata, or stretched curd
cheese, real fresh Mozzarella was
traditionally eaten immediately, even within
hours of being made. Low-moisture
Mozzarella, typically used on a pizza and
comprising the vast majority of Mozzarella
consumed in the United States, can be kept much
longer. Fresh and unripened cheeses are often used as ingredients, as they are versatile enough to be used in either sweet or savory recipes – they can be baked in pastries, layered or stuffed in pasta...the uses are endless!
Ripened, Cured or Aged
This is a vast group, really summarizing any cheese that is not eaten fresh. Often they are categorized by texture, from soft to hard. Typically sorted by
the moisture level left within
the cheese after being made, they can be held and cured from days to years.
Through the laborious
care of affineurs, or aging experts, milk transformed into cheese can be made to last several years! Flavors are intensified and refined, from the mild and buttery to the dry and crystallized with complex profiles.
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Soft-ripened
These cheeses often gain fame by the cultures and molds
used to age them. The fleuri
or flowery crust created by wonderful molds or delicate yeasts, give us distinct
styles such as Brie, Camembert and Robiola.
It is often with these styles we find the enriched cream variations called double and triple cream cheeses.
Others are washed with brine or flavorful liquids to develop enzymes and bacteria, often becoming quite stinky! French Munster, Taleggio and Epoisse are prime examples.
CHEESE • CHEESE