"Cheese is the purest, most romantic link between humans and the
earth."
-Pierre Androuet, Guide du Fromage
Artisan cheeses come from all over the United States, as well as from
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece. They're produced from the
milk of goats, cows, sheep, and buffalo, and their range of textures
includes very soft, soft, semi-soft, semi-hard, and hard. The spectrum
of flavors goes from mild to strong (or sharp). These cheeses are often
molded by hand in small quantities, and it can be hard to resist taking
them all home to try! Here is a small sampling of European cheeses as
featured on the cheese board at Cetrella restaurant. Roll your mouse over the cheeses to learn a bit about each one.
A few cheesy facts
What's the difference between sheep's, goat's, and cow's cheese?
"The difference between the three milks is their composition or structure.
The milks have different protein structures, different fatty acids, and
different butterfat contents. This is part of the reason that each milk,
when it becomes cheese, tastes different from the others. There are
other factors too, including how each animal metabolizes what they eat.
That translates directly to the milk. For example, goats don't
metabolize carotene the way that cows do. As a result, goat's milk
remains snow white in color, while cow's milk has a yellowish or
sometimes orangeish hue." -Laura Werlin, The All American Cheese and
Wine Book
Which types of milk are used for aged cheeses?
"When it comes to aging,
some milks lend themselves to aging longer than others-that is, cow's
and sheep's milk cheeses tend to be aged longer than goat's milk cheeses
because of their structure. However, there are at least three California
goat cheese producers who are making long-aged goat's milk cheeses.
Those cheeses are extremely flavorful-nutty, caramel-like, and yet
fruity. Still, they tend to be more dry and crumbly than their cow's and
sheep's milk cheese counterparts." -Laura Werlin, The All American
Cheese and Wine Book
What makes blue cheese blue?
"A beneficial mold called Penicillium
Roqueforti. A cousin to the penicillin that fights infection in people,
it gives a wonderful flavor to cheese, and protects against any
undesirable molds and bacteria." -Dan
Strongin, Edible Solution (www.ediblesolution.com)
Why is one cheese soft, like a Brie, and another cheese firm, like
Parmesan?
"Milk is made up of many nutrients, among them a protein
called casein. During cheesemaking, milk is fermented by a collection of
beneficial bacteria we call a starter culture. Enzymes released by the
starter culture change casein, milk protein, in a process called
proteolysis. This controls whether a cheese is soft or firm. How well
and how long you heat the curds, how you manipulate the curd, and the
kind of rind you cultivate also have some influence, but for the most
part you need to choose the right starter culture for the right kind of
cheese." -Dan
Strongin, Edible Solution (www.ediblesolution.com)
Is "raw milk" cheese safe?
"If a cheese is made with raw milk and aged
over 60 days, as required by Federal Law, it is as safe as a cheese made
with pasteurized milk. Of course, you only want to eat cheeses made by
professional cheesemakers that are regularly inspected, whether raw or
pasteurized. The reason raw milk, which in rare cases can carry
organisms that make you ill, is safe in cheese aged over 60 days is
because cheese is cultured. Beneficial bacteria are added to the cheese
which wipe out all competition and protect their turf, much like gangs.
After 60 days, any unwanted bacteria have been vanquished." -Dan
Strongin, Edible Solution (www.ediblesolution.com)
