| Annatto |
A natural vegetable dye
used to give many cheese varieties, especially the Cheddars, a yellow-orange
hue. Annatto is tasteless and is not a preservative. |
| Bitter |
An unpleasant, biting flavor
usually an aftertaste. A bitter aftertaste is sometimes associated with
variations in manufacturing and curing or aging procedures. It is more
prevalent in cured cheeses having higher moisture contents. Bitterness
is often confused with astringency. True bitterness is a sensation that
is typified by the aftertaste of a grapefruit peel. |
| Body |
The physical attributes
of cheese when touched, handled, cut or eaten. The body may feel rubbery,
firm, elastic, soft, resilient, yielding, supple, oily, etc. When rolled
between the fingers or cut, it may appear waxy or crumbly. Its "mouthfeel"
may be grainy or creamy. A cheese also may be felt to determine
its condition of ripeness. |
| Brining |
A step in the manufacture
of some cheese varieties where the whole cheese is floated briefly in a
brine solution. Brining is common in the production of Mozzarella,
Provolone, Swiss, Parmesan and Romano cheeses. |
| Casein |
The principal protein in
milk. During the cheesemaking process, casein solidifies, curdles or coagulates
into cheese through the action of rennet. |
| Cheddaring |
The process used in making
cheddar whereby piles of small curds that have been separated from the
whey are knit together and cut into slabs. The slabs are then repeatedly
turned over and stacked to help drain additional whey and aid in the development
of proper acidity (pH) and body of the cheese. The slabs are then cut or
milled into curds and placed in the cheese mold and pressed. |
| Chevres |
The plural form of the French
word for goat which was originally used to classify all cheese varieties
made from French goat's milk, but now commonly refers to all goat cheeses. |
| Creams |
Single, Double or Triple.
A classification of cheese derived from a butterfat content on a dry matter
basis. Single Creams contain at least 50% butterfat in the cheese solids
(dry matter), Double Creams contain at least 60% butterfat and Triple Creams
contain at least 70% butterfat. |
| Dry Matter |
All the components of cheese
(solids) excluding moisture (water). Dry matter includes proteins,
milkfat, milk sugars and minerals. |
| Fat Content |
The amount of butterfat/fat
in any cheese. Fat content is determined by analyzing the fat in the dry
matter of the cheese. The fat is expressed as a percentage of the entire
dry matter. |
| Laiterie |
The French words for dairy
farmer or dairyman which appear on French cheeses made in a creamery or
factory. |
| Laitier |
see Laiterie |
| Lipase |
An enzyme found in raw milk
and also produced by microorganisms that split the fat molecules into fatty
acids which create flavor. |
| Milkfat |
The fat content of cheese
expressed as a percentage of the total solids of the cheese. Most cheeses
are in the range of 45-55 percent milkfat in the dry matter because the
dry matter stays constant in a unit of cheese while moisture content in
the cheese may vary. |
| Pasta Filata |
Translated literally from
Italian, to spin pasta or threads. Pasta Filata refers to a type of cheese
where curds are heated and then stretched or kneaded before being molded
into the desired shape. The resulting cheese has great elasticity and stretches
when cooked or melted. Cheeses in this family include Mozzarella, Provolone
and String. |
| Pasteurized |
A term describing milk that
has been heat treated to destroy bacteria. Most factory-produced cheeses
are made from pasteurized milk to ensure greater control over quality and
more uniform consistency. Processed cheeses also may be pasteurized to
check further ripening. |
| Rennet |
An extract from the membranes
of calves' stomachs which contains rennin, an enzyme that aids in coagulating
milk or separating curds from whey. Rennet-like enzymes, also used commercially,
are produced by selected fungi and bacteria. |
| Starter |
A culture that normally
consists of varying percentages of lactic acid bacteria or mold spores,
enzymes or other microorganisms and natural chemicals which is used to
speed and control the process of curdling milk during cheesemaking. |
| Titratable Acidity |
Measure of total acidity
in milk and cheese. Total acidity is a combination of "apparent acidity",
which is derived from the alkali binding properties of casein, phosphates,
citrates and CO2 and developed acidity which results from the fermentation
of milk by lactic acid bacteria. |
| Turophile |
A lover of cheese. Taken
from the Greek word turos (cheese) and the root phil (love). |
| Weeping |
A descriptive term referring
to Swiss-type cheese whose eyes glisten with bits of moisture. This is
caused by the release of moisture by proteins as they are broken down during
ripening. Weeping often indicates that a cheese has achieved peak ripeness
and will exhibit full flavor. |
|
©1997 Wisconsin Milk
Marketing Board, Inc. |
