This document provides information on classifying and producing cheeses. It discusses how cheeses can be classified by country of origin, production techniques, milk type, flavor, and other physical properties. It then describes the key steps in cheese production as coagulating the milk, shaping the curds, salting, washing, seeding, and ripening. Various milk types used for cheese including cow's, buffalo's, sheep's, and goat's milk are outlined. Common cheeses made from each milk type are listed. The aging process and how it develops texture and intensifies flavor over time is also summarized.

5. Cheeses may be classified by:
 Country, region or town of origin
 Variations in production techniques
 Milk type
 By flavour, size and texture
 Physical properties such as shape and
appearance
 Chemical composition and microbiological
criteria
 Moisture content

6. CLASSIFICATION
Soft – Cream cheese, Ricotta, Mascarpone,
Cottage cheese, Chevre, Feta, Fresh Mozzarella,
Brie.
Semi-soft- Fontina, Havarti, Mozzarella di Buffala,
Bocconcini and Port Salut.
Semi-hard – Emmental, Asiago, Gouda, Stilton,
Gongonzola, Roquefort, Edam, Raclette, Cheddar.
Hard –Gru’yere, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano,
Provolone, Gloucester, Parmigiano, Beaufort.

7. Dolce latté
Goat cheese
Ricotta
Bowl of Cottage cheese
Cream
Mozzarella
Camembert

8. Raclette
Edam cheese
Swiss
Emmental

9. Parmigiano
Gloucester
Parmesan
Pecorino

10. Cow’s Milk:
 Double Gloucester
 Cheddar
 Wensleydale
 Lancashire
 Appenzeller
 Taleggio
 Raclette
and so many to
mention…..

11. Buffalo’s Milk:
 Mozzarella di buffala
 Bocconcini
 Caciotta
 Burrata
 Stracciatella di
buffala

12. Sheep’s Milk
 Idiazabal
 Serena
 Pecorino
Idiazabal
 Serpa
 Roquefort
 Stella Royale
Stella Royale

13. Goat’s Milk: Feta
cheese
 Feta cheese
 Garrotxa
 Ibores
 Majorero,
Pimentone
 Fromaggio Capra
 Crottin
and many more to
mention……
Majorero, Pimentone

14. Camel’s milk:
 Caravane-(one of most difficult
cheese to produce).
Ewe’s milk:
 Ackawi
 Castellano
 Roncal
 Telemea
 Ricotta Salata
etc.

16.  Curdling or coagulation of the milk
 Shaping of the curds(de-moulding and
draining)
 Salting, washing and seeding
 Ripening

18. At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some
soft cheeses are now essentially complete: they are drained,
salted, and moulded. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into
small cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual
pieces of curd.

19. This aging period (also called ripening, lasts from a few days to
several years. As a cheese ages, microbes and enzymes transform
texture and intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result
of the breakdown of casein proteins and milk fat into a complex
mix of amino acids, amines and fatty acids.

21. NAME MOISTURE FAT PROTEIN ASH AND SALT
Brick 42,5 30.7 21.1 3.0
Camembert 47.9 26.3 22.2 4.1
Cheddar 36.8 33.8 23.7 5.6
Cottage 69.8 1.0 23.3 1.9
Cream 42.7 39.9 14.5 1.9
Edam 38.1 22.7 30.9 6.2
Limburger 54.8 19.6 21.3 5.2
Parmesan 17.0 22.7 49.4 7.6
Roquefort 38.7 32.2 21.4 6.1
Swiss 33.0 30.5 30.4 4.2
Gouda 38.1 24.5 29.6 6.1

22.  Cheese tastes best at room temperature (allow to
sit wrapped outside for at least one hour).
 You can't judge a cheese by its smell (some
smellies are bland, some blandies are flavourful).
 Artisanal cheese is expensive because it's
handmade in limited batches.
 Cut pieces so that everyone gets a bit of the rind
(flavour varies from rind to centre).
continued…..

23.  Mould is natural (just scrape it away & enjoy
the rest of the cheese)
 Drinking plain water with cheese invites
indigestion.
 Hardest wines to pair are Cabernets
& Chardonnays - easiest wines to pair are
Pinot Noirs & Rieslings.
 Store cheese wrapped in wax paper in humid
fridge drawer (let cheese breathe - never let it
freeze).
 Hard cheeses last for months, soft cheeses last
for weeks (let your nose help you decide).

24.  Best cheeses come from animals that graze
on organic grasses, flowers, plants.
 Best cheese accompaniments are fruit, olives
& nuts.
 Best appetizer cheeses are fresh chevres.
 Best dessert cheeses are washed rinds &
blues.
 Best way to eat a flight of cheese is on order
of strength, from mild to wild.

25.  Best cheese course is 3-5 types, with various
milks & textures.
 Best way to taste hard, sharp cheeses is with
the tip of the tongue.
 Best way to taste softer & blue cheese is
pressed to the roof of the mouth.

26.  Fresh - uncooked, unripened curds which are
usually mild & moist (ricotta, chevre) - try sweet
wines, dry wines, rose wines.
 Bloomy Rind - surface is exposed to moulds that
make them ripen inward & become creamy (brie,
camembert) - try medium reds, ciders.
 Washed Rind - washed with brine or liquid to
promote sticky rind with “stinky” quality
(munster) - try dry white wines & full-bodied
reds.
 Natural Rind - self-made rind with an
appearance of mottled rock (stilton) - try fruity
red.
continued…..

27.  Uncooked/Pressed - curds are not cooked, and
whey is removed by pressing- try medium reds.
 Cooked/Pressed - curds are cooked until solidified,
then pressed (parmigiano, gruyere) - try fruity
whites, full-bodied reds.
 Semi-Hard/Hard - cooked and pressed, with or
without rinds, then aged usually 1-2 years
(cheddar, gouda) - try spicy & racy reds.
 Blue - infused with penicillin mold spores, then
aged in caves or cellars (gorgonzola, roquefort) -
try sweet wines, port.

29.  Cleanliness is the first and foremost aspect to
maintained while handling , cutting and wrapping.
 Even knives and chopping boards used should be
separate, if not, should be cleaned or washed in
between uses.
 Always select the coldest area of refrigerator for
storage.
 Avoid placing cheese next to strong foods like
onions, sauces or spices.

30.  Always need to cover securely to avoid
contamination- Formaticum is especially made to
wrap cheese
 Soft cheese should be stored in airtight containers
as they remains for few weeks only.
 If want to store cheese for a specific use,
recommended to change the wrap once a week.

33. 

35. Thank you!