Cheese

Dairy

Varieties of Cheese

American Cheese - (U.S.)
This "processed cheese" was originally made from a blend of cheeses, generally colby and cheddar but is now manufactured from components, generally milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, salt, which together meet a Federal definition, though each manufacturer has a somewhat different formula. Those labeled "American Cheese" and "American Process Cheese" are quite similar to regular cheese, while those labeled "American Cheese Food" or "American Cheese Product" are more like Velveeta and Cheez Whiz.

Color can range from white to orange depending on how much annatto or food coloring is used. "Individually wrapped" products (photo) are the least natural. They aren't actually "wrapped", the contents is "cast in place", poured into the wrappers and solidified there. Blocks and sliced blocks more approximate real cheese. American Cheese is valued for it's neat slicing and good melting properties and is mainly used for sandwiches, both hot and cold.

Armenian String Cheese - (Armenia, California)
A moderately firm white cheese that is pulled into an endless loop until it is stringy in texture, then twisted up into a hank and vacuum packed for distribution. It's used mainly as a snack cheese, and yes, it's actually made in Armenia too.

Armenian String Cheese is occasionally found smoked, similar to smoked mozzarella, and is sometimes packed with olive oil and herbs as well as with and without negella seeds.

The photo hank weighed 1 pound and was 7-1/2 inches by 3 inches, cultured pasteurized milk, kosher rennet, salt and negella seeds. Here in Los Angeles county, site of the "second capital of Armenia" (Glendale) we have several manufacturers of this cheese and authenticity is assured. This one was made by Karoun Dairies.

Armenian Sweet Cheese - (Armenia, California)
A very fresh soft cheese used mainly in Armenian pastries. "Sweet" means it has very little salt and no tang from fermentation, which means it's very mild in flavor and highly perishable.

This cheese melts completely exuding no oil and is just faintly rubbery when cooled but the flavor is enhanced by the melting. Whole pasteurized milk, vegetable rennet, salt.

Asiago (Italy)
A long aged cheese made from cows milk, similar to Parmesan but a little softer.

Brie (France)
A very soft whole or part skim cow milk cheese with an edible white moldy rind. Proper brie is not available in the U.S. or Australia due to our governments' penchant for protecting us from things we don't need protection from. Brie shipped to the U.S. must be made from pastureized milk which changes the flavor and texture. In Europe the name "Brie" is protected and limited to a particular region of France but cheeses named "brie" are made worldwide outside of Europe.

This cheese extremely popular and is almost always eaten plain or spread on crackers or some such. The rind should always be eaten along with the rest. double and triple cream versions are now made for the yuppie trade but taste a bit more like butter than like cheese.

Brie Noir is a version aged for several months to a year (normal brie is aged for one month) and the rind has becomes darker and crumbly.

Cashar

Cheddar
Technically, "cheddaring" is the process of pressing and standing for a few minutes to a couple hours after separating curds from whey to develop a desirable texture. Although many cheeses are "cheddared", in trade the name is applied to certain aged cheeses resembling those originally made in England. Cheddaring develops a fibrous texture, but "Cheddar" cheeses are ground after cheddaring to make them smooth.

This class of cheese comes in a wide range of types and an even wider range of quality.

Colby [Colby Cheddar (obs.), Longhorn Cheddar, (Wisconsin USA)]
First produced in Colby, Wisconsin, this is a semi-hard, mild, washed curd cheese that is not cheddared and is normally dyed orange. It is most often made in long cylinders (thus the name "longhorn") and sold in half round blocks. It is often combined with the similarly made Monterey Jack cheese to produce a marbled product called "Colby Jack".

Colby is a bit Velveeta-like in flavor and texture and can be used similarly but is also used as a table cheese and grated as a brownable topping for dishes finished in the broiler or oven. It melts well, exuding a moderate amount of oil and doesn't become too rubbery when it cools. Colby doesn't keep well so should be used within 7 days of opening the package. pasteurized cow milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto.

Cotija [Queso Cotija, (Mexico, California)]
Named for the Mexican town of Cotija, Michoacan, this is a stiff, crumbly cheese with little tanginess and quite a bit of salt, aged from 3 months to a year. It is used mainly as a crumbled topping and in salads, because it not only doesn't melt, it hardly even softens. Avoid it for anything that requires a cheese that melts gracefully. There is also a softer version, Tajo Cheese, with less salt and less age. pasteurized part skim cultured cow milk, salt, enzymes.

Cream Cheese, American
Made from cow milk and cream and normally sold in foil wrapped blocks, but also in tubs. It is mild and spreadably soft, and when heated becomes very soft, but does not flow or seep oil (small slice on the left in photo is browned on the underside but held its shape).

Cream Cheese, Italian - see Mascarpone.

Danish Blue [Danablu, (Denmark)]
A semi-soft very crumbly (it can't be sliced) and rather salty white cow's milk cheese carefully prepared and cultured to be run through with blue mold which gives it a distinctive flavor and color. It is generally aged from 2 to 3 months and is not a traditional cheese but an imitation Roquefort invented around 1910. Danish is softer than other blue cheeses such as Stilton and Gorgonzola and the blue mold is more extensive and more uniform. Danish blue melts down to an oily green puddle that never solidifies so you want to use it where it will not be melted or only partially melted (example: inside French omeletes)

Farmers Cheese
This is basically acid coagulated cottage cheese with the liquid squeezed out of it. Squeeze it even more and you get hoop cheese. It is fairly soft but somewhat crumbly. This cheese, like the very similarly made Indian Paneer, softens but does not melt when heated, keeping its shape even until it starts to burn, as in the photo. Farmers cheese, once scarce here, has become very common in Southern California due to the growing population from Russia. It is much used in Eastern Europe for stuffing pastries, pierogi / piroshke. and for similar uses. It is perishable so refrigerate and use within a week of opening.

Feta
Traditionally Feta was a generic term for a rather crumbly semi-soft white cheese preserved in salt brine, but the EU recently gave Greece a monopoly on use of this name - the result of a long legal battle between Greece and Denmark. Bulgaria, Turkey and other major producers are currently using the name "White Cheese" or "Greek Style Cheese" but they should agree on something better. Major producers (there are many others) are Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Denmark with Bulgarian most common now in California.

This cheese is normally made from sheep milk but goat and even cow milk have also been used. After coagulation it is pressed into blocks and cured for several months in a salt brine made from whey or water. It is packaged and shipped in brine and refrigerated. It can range from very mild to quite sharp depending on origin. pasteurized whole sheep milk, salt, cultures, enzymes. Heated it becomes soft and sputters, but holds its shape and neither becomes runny nor exudes oil. Feta is an essential ingredient in Greek salads and in pastries from the region as well as in sandwiches and as a topping for many dishes. It is most often cut into 1/2 inch cubes or crumbled.

Fontina (Italy (& others))
This family of cow milk cheeses is properly made in Italy and and the name is protected to particular domains in the European Union. Cheeses called "Fontina" are also made in the U.S. and elswhere outside the EU. Italian Fontina is formally 'Fontina Val d'Aosta' and comes from a legally defined region. Imitations are made in various countries and called just Fontina. This cow's milk cheese comes in two forms, as a semi-soft table and melting cheese with a distinct tanginess, and as an aged grating cheese.

The soft version is about 45% milk fat and melts easily and thoroughly without exuding much oil, making it ideal for fondue type applications. Italian Fontina is considered the best, imitations tend to be softer and blander.

Fresh Cheese - Generically, any freshly made unsalted, unaged whole milk or part skim milk cheese subject to fairly rapid spoiling (5 days or less). These cheese range from soft to firm and are white unless dyed.

Rezaeyeh brand "Fresh Cheese" distributed by Mediterranean Enterprises is pretty much identical to California made Paneer

Goat Cheese (Anywhere)
Goat cheese is a generic term for a fresh white cheese made from the milk of goats. American goat cheese tends to be made up into logs about 1-1/2 inches diameter and can be quite soft while Greek goat cheese is often firmer and made up into blocks or packed in plastic tubs. Goat cheese becomes very soft when heated but does not become runny. pasteurized milk, salt, rennet (probably animal if Greek, probably microbial if American) and starter culture, 20% fat 0.4% Sodium.

Grana Padano - Italy
The best selling hard aged cheese in Italy, used for shaving or grating. Its manufacture is tightly controlled by a cheese cartel and it's made today very much as it was 1000 years ago by monks in the Po valley.

Havarti - [Cream Havarti, Flede Havarti (Denmark), (Denmark (and others))]
A cow's milk cheese named for an experimental farm in Denmark where it was invented. It has very small "eyes", a smooth almost spreadable texture, a buttery taste and aroma and is a bit sweet. It is generally aged for about 3 months. Suitable for slicing as a table cheese, grilling and melting, it melts smoothly and completely without stringiness, exudes only a little oil and cools soft with just a little rubberiness. I consider it a bit bland though with a touch more flavor after melting - probably best slightly browined. The photo sample was from Chili, pasturized cows milk, cheese cultures, rennet, salt.

Istanbolli - Near East
A soft white spreading cheese with a strong flavor of green peppers but no significant amount of heat. It is quite salty so keeps well in the refrigerator It softens and sags but does not run or get stringy and exudes almost no oil. It's strong green pepper flavor makes it unsuitable for most cheese recipes. The test example was made in Egypt from buffalo milk.

Jack Cheese - see Monterey Jack.

KachKaval

Kasar (Turkey)
A yellow sheep milk hard cheese made in central Anatolia but is also sometimes made with cow milk. It is traditionally put up in cylindrical molds and aged for at least a month, but aging in bee's wax is now being done. Traditionally raw milk was used and the cheese cultured by the milk's own flora, but today it is made from pasteurized milk using yogurt as a starter. Kasar is a meltable cheese used in recipes and is also eaten by itself.

Kasseri (Bulgaria)
A soft, almost spreadable sheep milk cheese, moderately salty and moderately pungent with a distinctive tang. Highly recommended.

Kefir Cheese - see Lebni

Lebni (Near East)
A very soft spreadable cheese popular in the Near East, particularly for spreading in sandwiches and the like. It has a sour tang very much like Yogurt, which stands to reason because it's essentially yogurt with the water squeezed out. If you need some for a recipe, you can make it just that way, wrap yogurt in clean muslin and squeeze the liquid out. Since it's not far from liquid to start with, lebni turns runny and bubbly when heated. Typically pasteurized milk, cream and enzymes.

Longhorn Cheese - see Colby.

Manouri (Greece (Macedonia, Thessalia))
This soft mild white sheep or goat cheese is made from the whey left from the manufacture of feta cheese. It has a slightly grainy texture and is creamier and less salty than feta and has an almost citrus like tang. Heated it stays firm, holds its shape and exudes just enough oil so it doesn't stick to the pan making it a good frying cheese. Manori is used in salads, pastries, fried appetizers and deserts. Typically pasteurized sheep milk, rennet, salt, water, 36% to 38% fat; 0.8% sodium. Subst: goat cheese.

Mascarpone (Italy)
A very mild cream cheese often used as a spread but also used in cooking for cheese sauces and as a thickener. When it melts if liquifies and exudes a fair amount of oil. Quite acceptable versions are made in Wisconsin.

Monterey Jack [Jack Cheese, Queso Monterey (California)]
Originally made by Franciscan monks in Monterey California, this cheese was put into production by David Jack, thus "Jack Cheese". Cultured whole milk, salt, enzymes. Because it is very low in tyramine Monterey Jack is considered one of the safer cheeses for migraine sufferers.

This cheese melts particularly well and is not too rubbery when cooled. It is normally sold as a mild, white, semi-hard cheese with about one month of age, but there are variations:

Mozzarella (Italy (now everywhere))
A stiff white cheese kneaded and stretched after cheddaring to produce a fibrous texture. Very important in Italian recipes and used extensively in the U.S. as well. In Italy, proper Mozzarella is made from buffalo milk which is richer than cow milk, but in the U.S. it's made from cow milk (the native buffalo aren't at all keen on being milked and water buffalo herds are still ramping up to production levels).

Mysost (Norway)
A "whey cheese" made from the whey left over from making other cheeses, as Ricotta originally was, but Mysost is still made from whey.

Nabulsi (Near East (Jordan, Palestine), California)
A smooth, dense white cheese flavored with ground mahlab seeds and mastic, and often with a sprinkling of nigella seeds (which may be called "black caraway: on the label). Quite firm with medium tang and moderately salty, it melts slightly when heated and exudes very little oil. In the Near East it is commonly made from sheep, goat or camel milk, coagulated with animal rennet, boiled in brine and put up in cans and jars. In California production it is generally made from whole cow milk and bacterial rennet, formed into slabs 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, cut into squares, boiled or steamed in brine and vacuum packaged in heavy plastic bags. Nabulsi is suitable as a table cheese, in sandwiches and in cooking.

Oaxaca
Similar to mozzarella this mildly tangy cheese has been stretched and knotted. It melts smoothly with very little oil and when melted strings well when pulled, considered a necessity for a Mexican melting cheese. At certain temperatures it can seem just a bit rubbery. The photo specimen was about 4-1/2 inches diameter and weighed 12 ounces. Cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes and sodium citrate.

Parmesan - [Parmigiano, (Italy, Wisconsin)
The best known grating cheese, Parmigiano is the Italian name and Parmesan is French, but used in North America. Real Parmisan / Parmigiano is made in Italy and the name is a protected designation of origin. There are several regions allowed to use the Parmigiano name, with Parmigiano-Reggiano the most prestigious.

In Italy this cheese is made in a number of grades, ages and degrees of hardness. The minimum age is 12 months and the normal maximum is 36 months but some goes for 48 months. In Italy this cheese is made from raw whole cow milk that must be from cows fed only on grass. A starter whey is added and the curds are coagulated with calf rennet

Quite serviceable versions or Parmisan for general culinary use are made in Wisconsin though tasteless dry pre-grated versions are also made there. North American Parmesan manufacture differs somewhat from that of Italy. Pastureized milk may be used and milk may be from cows fed other than on fresh grass. Microbial rennet may be used and the curds are cut less fine and are mechanically pressed to remove moisture.

Parmesan melts reluctantly but well and does not become runny, but it does exude a fair amount of oil. It also grates very well. Always grate your Parmesan fresh just before use because quality rapidly declines when pre-grated.

Paneer - (India - variously spelled)
A soft fresh whole milk cheese used in Indian cooking. It's not widely available under that name in the U.S., but it's pretty much identical to Hoop Cheese which is Farmer Cheese with more water squeezed out (which you can do by wrapping it a cloth and putting a weight on it). You can make Paneer yourself quite easily.

An important property of Paneer in Indian cooking is is that it doesn't melt but holds its shape stubbornly when heated even to browning. Of course Hoop Cheese does this too.

Panela - [Queso Panela, Queso Canasta, Quesillo, (Mexico, California, also Paraguay,Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador)]
This is a firm white mild flavored fresh cheese made from part skim cow milk, salt and enzymes. Bacterial rennet is used by California producers but in village production animal rennet is used. The cheese takes the shape and texture of the little baskets it is formed in and can be either sliced or crumbled.. Like Indian Paneer it softens with heat but holds its shape and will brown without melting. It is often cubed or crumbled for salads, enchiladas and tacos but is also sometimes cut into slices and fried until lightly browned as a snack. The photo specimen was 4 inches diameter, 1-5/8 inches thick and weighed 12 ounces.

Not to be confused with the Panela of Columbia which is a similarly shaped cake of unrefined sugar cane juice.

Pinconning (Michigan USA)
This cheese, developed in Pinconning Michigan is very similar to Colby but the formula is a little different allowing it to be aged. It ranges from mild to extra sharp depending on length of aging. A 10 year "super sharp" is available only by direct order from the Pinconning Cheese Company. Pinconning has a rich, creamy flavor and texture and is used as a table cheese in place of Colby or cheddar. It is also used for mac-and-cheese, in soufflés, and as a base material for manufacturing cheese spreads.

Queso Fresco (Mexico, California)
Literally "fresh cheese". A part skim milk cheese that's very soft, yet crumbly, and has a tang similar to Ricotta. It melts well, exuding some oil. Made in Mexico and California.

Quartirolo Lombardo - Italian
A semi-soft cheese made from whole cow milk. It has a pinkish rind that acquires reddish-gray molds with age and may be a little lumpy and crumbly in the center. It is most used with salads and cold meats.

Ranchero (Mexico, California)
Another variety of Queso Fresco used in Mexican cooking.

Ricotta (Italy & everywhere)
An Italian cheese originally made from the whey left over from making other cheeses (the name means "recooked"). Today it's just about all faked up from whole milk with vanishingly little made from whey. It's a soft cheese (sold in tubs) with a unique tang and is used in many Italian recipes, especially for stuffing pasta. Sometimes it's called for as a substitute for Paneer in Indian recipes, but Farmers / Hoop Cheese is a better substitute.

Romy - Aged (Egypt)
An almost hard crumbly aged cheese made from buffalo and cow milk. It has a fairly strong flavor which is sometimes enhanced by embedded peppercorns. When heated it softens and exudes a small amount of oil but does not lose it's shape, even when fried brown and crisp.

Sbrinz (Swiss)
A whole cow milk hard grating cheese aged at least two years. It has a dark yellow interior, a brownish-yellow rind and a rich mellow flavor. If it hasn't been aged the full 2 years it is called Spalen.

Spalen (Swiss)
A whole cow milk grating cheese same as Sbrinz but not aged as long.

Sulguni [Suluguni, (Georgia (Caucasus), California)]
Typical of the highly respected Georgian cuisine, this firm white cheese is similar to mozzarella but a little softer and with a smooth texture (mozzarella is stringy from pulling and kneading). It melts very well. In Georgia it is often just sliced, coated with flour and fried, and is also used in making cheese bread.

In California production it is commonly made up into 1 pound 5-1/4 inch wheels and is also popular smoked. The photo shows a wedge of smoked, a wedge of regular and a piece melted. Typically part skim milk, enzymes, salt, bacterial rennet (Georgian production would likely use animal rennet) 18% fat, 0.61% sodium. Subst: standard market mozzarella (expensive fresh mozzarella doesn't work well).

Syrian Cheese (California)
This is probably patterned after the Charkassiye cheese of Syria. Like other fresh "farmers cheese" type cheeses it softens when heated but does not melt, holding its shape even through browning.

Tulum [Tulumu, (Turkey)]
A distinctly tangy semi-soft cheese generally made from sheep or goat milk, but cow milk is also sometimes used used. It is put up with salt and aged for three months or more in special bags, traditionally made from animal skins. Tulum from the Agean region are put up in salt brine. Most versions are white but some harder yellow versions are also made. Tulum melts quite well without exuding too much oil but remains a trifle rubbery.

Velveeta [Velveta (Germany), Kraft Cheddar Cheese (Australia), (Kraft Foods, U.S. & elsewhere)]
A "pasteurized process cheese product" (it contains less than 51% cheese so can't legally be called a "processed cheese food"). It melts, easily and evenly to a creamy consistency. Many claim it's the best product to use in the ever popular American macaroni and cheese, but many also complain it isn't as good as it used to be. Velveeta was invented in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey, so it's not all America's fault. The texture is smooth and creamy, soft but firm enough to slice. It is currently sold in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Korea, Australia and Germany. This product does not need to be refrigerated after opening.

White Cheese
While this term can be variously used, it is currently being used to indicate Feta type cheeses made outside Greece since the EU got conned into giving Greece a monopoly on the word "feta" though this type of cheese has been made for thousands of years throughout Southeastern Europe and Anatolia.

Nutrition & Health

Nutrition:  

Links

• C1 - Swiss Cheeses - Switzerland Cheese Marketing AG
• C2 - Greek Cheeses - Hellas
• C3 - Turkish Cheese - Turkish Cultural Foundation