Cheese FAQ
Everything you ever wanted to know about cheese.
If you have a question that you would like us to cover please let us know using this form.
Cheese Anatomy
Milk (Pasteurized, Unpasteurized, Raw)
Bacterial cultures which give the cheese flavour.
Salt
A coagulation agent which binds the milk protein together.
Animal rennet
Microbial enzyme, which is laboratory made. (Vegetarian-friendly)
Cardoon, from the Spanish thistle plant. (Vegetarian-friendly)
Yes, following the federal government law that the cheese was aged for a minimum of 60 days.
Health officials recommend that pregnant women do not eat raw protein products.
Lactose intolerance is different for every person. Best to consult your medical professional.
Cheese made of sheep, goat or cow A2 milk tends to be easier to digest.
Alpine-style cheese, such as Gruyère and Emmenthal, have no lactose due to their cheesemaking process.
Aged cows’ milk cheese (ie. multi-year old cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano…) are low in lactose.
Most rinds are edible such as the white rind of a Camembert cheese, salt water-washed rind of a Port Salut cheese and the dry rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Smell the rind to ensure it has not become ammoniated due to its age or poor storage.
Rinds coated in wax are not edible.
Best to read the labels or ask your cheesemonger.
Penicilium roqueforti or Penicilium glaucum bacterial cultures are added into the milk at an early stage of the cheesemaking process. Once the wheel of cheese has been formed, it is needled to permit air to reach these cultures, permitting them to grow and become blue/green in colour.
This gives the cheese an earthy, salty, rich and piquant taste .
Creating a Cheese Board
Offer an odd number of cheeses (3, 5, 7 etc.).
Calculate a minimum of 30g (1 oz) of cheese per person.
Offer different styles of cheese (fresh, soft, washed rind, semi-soft, firm, hard).
Offer cheeses made from different kinds of milk (cow, goat, sheep, water buffalo, or blend).
Include mild to strong flavoured cheeses.
Place small tags identifying each different cheese by its name and type of milk used.
Have a different knife to cut each cheese, so that flavours are not accidentally combined.
Let the cut pieces of cheese warm-up, unwrapped for 60 to 90 minutes to permit the aromas and flavours to awaken from their cold sleep.
Be creative:
Fresh or dried fruit
Jam, honey, jelly, marmalade, chutney, mustard
Roasted nuts
Sliced baguette or crackers
Roasted garlic
And whatever else you like
Storing Cheese
Best to re-wrap it in its original cheese wrapping and refrigerate.
Feta cheese should be stored in its salty water solution in the container.
Brie-style cheese are to be wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a sealable plastic bag.
Blue cheese are to be wrapped in aluminum foil, to control its aromas from other foods.
Firm cheese such as cheddar, gouda, alpine Swiss can be wrapped in plastic wrap.
Special cheese wrapping paper is available for purchase from cheesemongers.
Yes, for cheese that has been at home past the best before date. The cheesemakers place the best before date on the cheese as a suggestion for consumption before the stated date.
When cheese thaws after being frozen, its texture will change. The cheese will crumble as it is drier.
Best to buy the cheese you plan to use and enjoy them in the next seven days.
Yes, depending on the moisture and milk fat content of the induvial cheese:
Hard cheese (ie. Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino…) can be grated or shaved.
Firm cheese (ie. Alpine, cheddar, Gouda…) can be sliced or cubed and melted.
Semi-soft cheese (ie. Port Salut…) can be sliced or cubed and melted.
Soft cheese (ie. Camembert, Brie…) can be sliced and melted.
Fresh cheese (ie. Fior di latte mozzarella, ricotta, mozzarella…).
Blue cheese (ie. Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola…) can be crumbled, sliced and melted.
Chêvre cheese can be spread or melted.