The Ages Of Fromages
Soft, hard, yellow, blue, mouldy or just plain smelly, the world of cheese is a varied one. It's as fine as food as can be, but as ever, science is at the heart of successful production.
The type of milk used determines the quality of the product and this is directly linked to grazing, stage of lactation and even the weather!
The exact date of the first case of cheese making is open to debate but archaeological evidence suggests that it could be as early as 5000BC. It is believed that shepherds in Samaria, the mountainous region of the West Bank, made the first discovery quite by accident when milk curdled in their leather bottles.
The milk would have contained bacteria and the bottle, which was likely to have been made from calf stomachs, would have contained the enzyme rennin. This would first have caused acidification, then coagulation of the milk - in essence, this process that has changed very little over the last 7000 years.
Egyptian tomb murals from 2000BC depict cheese being made and show pictures of skin bags hanging from poles. Perforated earthenware bowls dating back to 1800BC have been unearthed in Wiltshire and it is suggested that these were used to drain cheese curd. Even today, woven baskets are used in the developing world for this very purpose.
The Romans, with their characteristic efficiency were quick to master the fine art of cheese making and consequently spread the word of cheese wherever their empire extended. In 55BC Romans are thought to have taken Cheshire cheese back to Rome but the fall of the Roman Empire around AD 410 saw cheese making spread via the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.
Monks were great cheese makers and the dissolution of the monasteries in 1534 meant that their knowledge was passed down to farmers. By 1870 the first British factory opened for the mass production of cheese, but farmhouse cheese making was severely curtailed as part of wartime rationing. Automation, vacuum packing and flavour enhancing enzymes are now seen as the enemy of fine cheese and since the 1980s there has been a drive for the renaissance of farmhouse cheeses.
With so many different varieties now available, there are a lot of complex procedures and little quirks carried out to make cheese look as good as it does for all you turophiliacs - the posh name for cheese lovers.
The famous blue-veined cheeses, such as Stilton, Cambozola and Dolcelatte all contain mould. Penicillium roqueforti (blue mould fungus) is added to the milk to give it the characteristic blue veined appearance. It sounds pretty disgusting, but is in fact no worse than the fermented liquid which we (well at least I) drink all the time in the form of alcohol. The mould needs air to grow and so the cheese is pierced with long needles at about 6 weeks; these holes also enable the spores to get right into the centre of the cheese and happily grow, creating blue veins throughout.
The type of milk used determines the quality of the product and this is directly linked to grazing, stage of lactation and even the weather!
The exact date of the first case of cheese making is open to debate but archaeological evidence suggests that it could be as early as 5000BC. It is believed that shepherds in Samaria, the mountainous region of the West Bank, made the first discovery quite by accident when milk curdled in their leather bottles.
The milk would have contained bacteria and the bottle, which was likely to have been made from calf stomachs, would have contained the enzyme rennin. This would first have caused acidification, then coagulation of the milk - in essence, this process that has changed very little over the last 7000 years.
Egyptian tomb murals from 2000BC depict cheese being made and show pictures of skin bags hanging from poles. Perforated earthenware bowls dating back to 1800BC have been unearthed in Wiltshire and it is suggested that these were used to drain cheese curd. Even today, woven baskets are used in the developing world for this very purpose.
The Romans, with their characteristic efficiency were quick to master the fine art of cheese making and consequently spread the word of cheese wherever their empire extended. In 55BC Romans are thought to have taken Cheshire cheese back to Rome but the fall of the Roman Empire around AD 410 saw cheese making spread via the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.
Monks were great cheese makers and the dissolution of the monasteries in 1534 meant that their knowledge was passed down to farmers. By 1870 the first British factory opened for the mass production of cheese, but farmhouse cheese making was severely curtailed as part of wartime rationing. Automation, vacuum packing and flavour enhancing enzymes are now seen as the enemy of fine cheese and since the 1980s there has been a drive for the renaissance of farmhouse cheeses.
With so many different varieties now available, there are a lot of complex procedures and little quirks carried out to make cheese look as good as it does for all you turophiliacs - the posh name for cheese lovers.
The famous blue-veined cheeses, such as Stilton, Cambozola and Dolcelatte all contain mould. Penicillium roqueforti (blue mould fungus) is added to the milk to give it the characteristic blue veined appearance. It sounds pretty disgusting, but is in fact no worse than the fermented liquid which we (well at least I) drink all the time in the form of alcohol. The mould needs air to grow and so the cheese is pierced with long needles at about 6 weeks; these holes also enable the spores to get right into the centre of the cheese and happily grow, creating blue veins throughout.
|
Cheese variety |
Date first recorded |
| Brie Gorgonzola Roquefort Cheddar Parmesan Gloucester Stilton |
5th century |
Cheese rind is also a mould, which covers the surface of the cheese creating a protective cover as the fresh curd settles. Rinds play an important role in maturing the cheese, especially in soft cheeses such as Stilton and Brie. It affects the flavour and texture of the curd inside, and without proper care the rind can die and ruin the cheese.
Instead of rinds, Edam and Gouda have characteristic wax coatings, which protect the flavour and seal the soft supple cheese from the elements. They are usually red and orange respectively, but sometimes they have a black wax coating, meaning the cheese inside has been matured for at least 4 months for Edam and 18 months for Gouda.
Instead of rinds, Edam and Gouda have characteristic wax coatings, which protect the flavour and seal the soft supple cheese from the elements. They are usually red and orange respectively, but sometimes they have a black wax coating, meaning the cheese inside has been matured for at least 4 months for Edam and 18 months for Gouda.
The holes in Swiss cheese are almost as famous as the cheese itself, Emmental being the classic example. A few weeks after being made, Emmental is taken to specially designed cellars, which reproduce optimal maturing conditions: the air is warm and damp, full of carbon, ammonia and salt. At this stage, natural bacteria in the cheese start to ferment the dairy acids, producing bubbles of carbon dioxide within the mixture. If the cheese is sufficiently supple and elastic, the gas forms round cavities, which constitute the “eyes” of the cheese.
| The Null’s simple guide to making cheese 1. Milk - the fattier the better, from a cow is as good a place as any. 2. Heat it up to kill harmful bacteria - pasteurisation if you want to be clever. 3. Add some starter culture, it'll turn the milk acid, yum! 4. Add rennet - a coagulant that will convert the slop into curd. 5. Add salt. 6. Remove the whey. 7. Press (for hard cheese). 8. Leave to ripen - this can take from a few days to 3 years. |
Processed cheese is similar to normal cheese, but is exposed to higher temperatures when it’s made and contains emulsifying salts that stabilise the product. This all helps to make the smooth, mild flavoured cheese that melts easily - especially on burgers!
TOP CHEESE FACTS:
The term ‘Big Cheese’ derives from a medieval term of envy for those who could afford to buy expensive whole wheels of cheese.
In 1910, the average person ate 2.25 kg of cheese per year, but that had grown to 12.7 kg per year by 1998.
The term ‘Big Cheese’ derives from a medieval term of envy for those who could afford to buy expensive whole wheels of cheese.
In 1910, the average person ate 2.25 kg of cheese per year, but that had grown to 12.7 kg per year by 1998.
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