Cheese is a solid food made by coagulating milk, usually through bacterial culture and rennet enzymes. Cheesemaking dates back thousands of years and involves processes like curdling, pressing, salting, and aging the curds. There are hundreds of varieties of cheese from around the world, categorized by factors like milk source, texture, aging process, and the addition of molds or bacteria. When serving cheese, it is presented on a board with a variety of styles, accompanied by crackers, bread, mustards, and fruits or vegetables.

1. CHEESE

2. WHAT IS CHEESE?
 CHEESE IS A SOLID FOOD MADE FROM
THE MILK OF COWS, GOATS, SHEEP
AND OTHER MAMMALS.
 CHEESE IS MADE BY COAGULATING
MILK .
 FIRST ACIDIFICATION WITH A
BACTERIAL CULTURE
 EMPLOYING AN ENZYME, RENNET TO
COAGULATE THE MILK TO "CURDS AND
WHEY."

3. ORIGIN
 CHEESE IS AN ANCIENT FOOD .
 PROPOSED DATES FOR THE ORIGIN
OF CHEESEMAKING IS RANGED FROM
8000 BC TO AROUND 3000 BC.
 THE FIRST FACTORY FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF CHEESE WAS
OPENED IN SWITZERLAND IN 1815 .

4. PRODUCTION
 CURDLING
 CURD PROCESSING
 AGING

5. CURDLING
 CURDLING IS A PROCESS OF
SEPARATING THE MILK INTO SOLID CURDS AND
LIQUID WHEY.
 THIS IS DONE BY ACIDIFYING THE MILK AND
ADDING RENNET.
 THIS DONE BY THE ADDITION OF AN ACID LIKE
VINEGAR OR STARTER BACTERIA( LACTOCOCCI,
LACTOBACILLI, OR STREPTOCOCCI FAMILIES).
 THESE STARTER BACTERIA CONVERT MILK SUGARS
INTO LACTIC ACID

6. CURD PROCESSING
 AT THIS POINT, THE CHEESE HAS SET
INTO A VERY MOIST GEL .
 SOFT CHEESES ARE COMPLETE: THEY ARE
DRAINED, SALTED, AND PACKAGED.
 HARD CHEESES ARE THEN HEATED TO
TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE OF 35°C–
55°C .
 THIS FORCES MORE WHEY FROM THE CUT
CURD. IT ALSO CHANGES THE TASTE OF
THE FINISHED CHEESE.

7. CURD PROCESSING
 SOME CHEESES ARE SALTED FROM THE
OUTSIDE WITH DRY SALT OR BRINE
WASHES. MOST CHEESES HAVE THE SALT
MIXED DIRECTLY INTO THE CURDS.
 IT PRESERVES CHEESE FROM SPOILING,
DRAWS MOISTURE FROM THE CURD, AND
FIRMS UP A CHEESE’S TEXTURE IN AN
INTERACTION WITH ITS PROTEINS

8. CURD PROCESSING
 STRETCHING: (MOZZARELLA, PROVOLONE) THE
CURD IS STRETCHED AND KNEADED IN HOT WATER,
DEVELOPING A STRINGY, FIBROUS BODY.
 CHEDDARING: (CHEDDAR, OTHER ENGLISH
CHEESES) THE CUT CURD IS REPEATEDLY PILED UP,
PUSHING MORE MOISTURE AWAY. THE CURD IS
ALSO MIXED (OR MILLED) FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME, TAKING THE SHARP EDGES OFF THE CUT CURD
PIECES AND INFLUENCING THE FINAL PRODUCT'S
TEXTURE.
 WASHING: (EDAM, GOUDA, COLBY) THE CURD IS
WASHED IN WARM WATER, LOWERING ITS ACIDITY
AND MAKING FOR A MILDER-TASTING CHEESE.

9. CURD PROCESSING
 MOST CHEESES ACHIEVE THEIR
FINAL SHAPE WHEN THE CURDS ARE
PRESSED INTO A MOLD OR FORM .
 THE PRESSURE DRIVES OUT
MOISTURE — THE MOLDS ARE
DESIGNED TO ALLOW WATER TO
ESCAPE — AND UNIFIES THE CURDS
INTO A SINGLE SOLID BODY.

10. AGING
 CHEESES ARE LEFT TO
REST UNDER CAREFULLY
CONTROLLED
CONDITIONS
 THIS AGING PERIOD
(ALSO CALLED
RIPENING, OR, FROM
THE FRENCH, AFFINAGE
 LAST FROM A FEW DAYS
TO SEVERAL YEARS .
 AS A CHEESE AGES,
MICROBES AND
ENZYMES TRANSFORM
ITS TEXTURE AND
INTENSIFY ITS FLAVOR.

11. AGING
 THE AGING IS THE BREAKDOWN OF
CASEIN PROTEINS AND MILKFAT INTO
AMINO ACIDS, AMINES, AND FATTY ACIDS.
 ADDITIONAL BACTERIA OR MOLDS
INTENTIONALLY INTRODUCED INTO SOME
CHEESE BEFORE OR DURING AGING.
 THEY ARE SIMPLY ALLOWED TO SETTLE
AND GROW ON THE STORED CHEESES.

12. VARIETY OF CHEESES
 Fresh
 Whey
 Pasta Filata
 Semi-soft
 Semi-firm
 Hard
 Double and
triple cream
 Soft-ripened
 Blue vein
 Goat or sheep
 Strong-smelling
 Processed

13. FRESH CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
COTTAGE SKIMMED
COW’S MILK
USA
CREAM FULL MILK USA
MOZZARELLA COW’S MILK ITALY
RICCOTA COW’S MILK ITALY
NEUFCHÂTEL ROMANIA

14. SOFT CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
BRIE COW’S MILK FRENCH
CAMEMBERT COW’S MILK FRENCH
FETA GOAT’S MILK GREEK
MUNSTER COW’S MILK FRENCH, WITH
RED ORANGE RIND
LIPTAUER SHEEP AND
COW’S MILK
HUNGARIAN

15. SEMI HARD CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
CHEDDAR COW’S MILK BRITISH
CHESHIRE COW’S MILK BRITISH
DERBY COW’S MILK BRITISH
EDAM COW’S MILK DUTCH,YELLOW
OR RED WAX
COATING
GOUDA COW’S MILK, SOFT
AND MILD .
DUTCH,YELLOW
OR RED WAX
COATING

16. SEMI HARD CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
EMMENTHAL COW’S MILK SWISS
GRUYERE COW’S MILK
PEA SIZE HOLES
SWISS,FRENCH
GLOUCESTER COW’S MILK BRITISH
LANCASHIRE COW’S MILK BRITISH

17. HARD CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
KEFALOTYRI GREEK
PARMESAN ITALIAN
CACIOCAVALLO ITALIAN

18. BLUE CHEESE
NAME SOURCE COUNTRY
BLUE
CHESHIRE
COW’S MILK BRITISH
DANISH BLUE COW’S MILK DUTCH
GORGONZOLA COW’S MILK ITALY
ROQUEFORT SHEEP’S MILK FRANCE
STILTON COW’S MILK BRITISH

19. SERVICE OF CHEESE
 CHEESE BOARD IS PRESENTED
WITH VARIED SELECTION OF CHEESE
WRAPPED IN FOIL.
 WITH SUFFICIENT CHEESE KNIVES
FOR CUTTING AND PORTIONING.
 FOIL ARE REMOVED BEFORE SEVICE
AND RIND REMOVED IF NOT
PLATABLE.

20. COVER REQUIRED FOR SERVICE
 SIDE PLATE
 SIDE KNIFE
 SWEET FORK (SOMETIMES)

21. ACCOMPANIMENTS
 CRUET SET WITH MUSTARD
 BUTTER
 CELERY SERVED ON CRUSHED ICE.
 RADISHES IN GLASS BOWL WITH
UNDER PLATE AND TEA SPOON.
 CASTOR SUGAR FOR CREAM CHEESE
 ASSORTED BISCUITS OR BREADS.

22. ASSORTED CHEESE BISCUITS
 CREAM CRACKERS.
 RYVITA.
 SWEET DIGESTIVE.
 WATER BISCUITS ETC.