Getting Your Cheese Facts Straight

People all around the globe love their cheese. It doesn't matter if you love good ole' American cheese or if you enjoy Feta cheese, there is a flavor and texture out there for everyone to enjoy. Whether you just enjoy your cheese or you are a cheese connoisseur many people are unaware of the multitude of cheese facts that are available. Many people just know that they love cheese, but don't know anything about the lengthy history or the actually process required to make their favorite cheese. On the internet you can find a wealth of cheese facts for any flavor or brand that has piqued your interest. Another way to find out cheese facts about your favorite brand is to visit the company's website; they have lots of interesting particulars about their products.

Every company has their own unique technique for making their brand even though the basic steps may be the same. Everything from the ingredients, machinery, and equipment will affect the end product's flavor and consistency. If you are unable to find a particular cheese fact on a company's website you can phone, email or write to get the information. Many companies will mail you literature in the form of a brochure detailing the history and cheese related facts of their company.

Some Little-Known Cheese Facts

Many cheese producers have found that in order to retain customer loyalty to their brand they should make their information readily available. One of the little-known cheese facts is the fact that the female cows that are used for cheese production do have horns. These horns are then later removed to help the cow prevent hurting itself. These businesses have discovered that while the cows wander around grazing the risk for injury is just too great, so to avoid that possibility they are simply removed.

Most people don't want to know that type of information about the production part of cheese. Many cheese lovers would sooner just learn about history and enjoy their cheeses, discovering past times to learn the way cheese was first created, and why it has gained its present star popularity. Anyone who would like a little extra history with your cheese factoids, will find many more little snippets available. Did you know that cheese was once used as a currency in Denmark way back in the sixteenth century? Cheese and other food products were regularly used to pay their church taxes.

Facts about cheese can be very informative and fun and all the while give you more insight about the history of several societies. Have you any idea where your favorite cheese is made? Invest some of your time today and you will be pleasantly surprised at what there is to learn.


By Christopher J

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Cheese Serving Guide

Cheeses come in a wide variety of flavors, textures, and types. Gone are the days of un-wrapping a slice of American cheese placing it on white bread and calling it a meal. Today’s specialty markets make it easy to serve gourmet cheeses as an appetizer, desert, or as a simple course in a larger meal.

When serving cheese never serve more than 5 varieties at a time. Vary the size, shape, flavor and texture of the choices to add interest to the selection. The tray you serve on should be a wooden board or marble slab. A silver tray with a wood insert can add elegance and glamour for a special touch. The tray should never be crowded, and any bread or fancy crackers should be served separately. Separate utensils and trays should be used if the cheeses have strong or distinctive flavors. Mild varieties will pick up the flavors and aromas of stronger cheese.

Coupling the cheese with fresh fruit or thin sliced onions gives added interest and texture and makes for an appetizing arrangement. Always remember to slice all the accompaniments in bite size pieces.

Cheeses can be served as a very elegant desert a light course after the entrée or as an appetizer. When using cheese as an appetizer, choose a light meal because cheese can be filling.

The temperature of your cheese will make a difference in how it taste. When served at room temperature cheese displays more of its natural flavors and characteristics. By leaving the cheese out for 30 minutes before serving the cheese will reach its optimum temperature. Just remember during warm months to keep watch so that the cheese does not get too warm and begin to sweat.


By Shauna Hanus

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A Quick Guide to Cheese

Cheese. It's a wonderfully versatile food. We use it to top pizzas, to sprinkle on our spaghetti, to spread on crackers. And without cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich would be nothing but buttered toast.

Cheese is produced in many parts of the world, two of the most well known countries being France and Italy. There are many varieties of cheese, but they are all made in a similar fashion. Milk and cream consist of two parts, the solid milk fats, and the whey. Cheese is produced by causing the fats to come together, forming curds. This is done by either adding acid or various bacteria to the milk or cream, causing it to curdle. The curds are then processed in different ways to form different cheeses. The type of cheese made depends on the type of milk used, the percentage of fats in the milk, and the process used to make the cheese. Most cheeses come from cow's milk, but cheeses are also made from goat's milk, sheep's milk, and real mozzerella cheese is made from water buffalo milk. Cheese is generally categorized by it's texture, hard, semi-firm, semi-soft, or fresh.

Hard cheeses are generally aged for 12 months or more. They usually have a sharp salty taste, and are excellent for grating over pasta or salads. Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano are examples of hard cheeses.

Semi-hard cheeses may or may not be aged. In general, the longer the cheese ages, the sharper the flavor will be. A taleggio, which only ages for about 6 weeks will have a milder flavor than a cheddar that has aged for months. Semi-firm cheeses are good melting cheeses, or good to eat on their own.

Semi-soft cheeses like Camembert are good cheeses for spreading on crackers or crusty bread.

Fresh cheeses range from a mild cream cheese, to a rich creamy marscapone. These cheeses can be eaten spread on crackers, but are also commonly used for cooking desserts. Marscapone is an essential ingredient in tiramisu.

While talking about cheese, we can't forget to mention blue cheese, which is a cheese, with blue-green veins of mold, which gives the cheese a sharp flavor and aroma. Blue cheeses include gorgonzola, roquefort, and stilton.

If you are going to be serving cheese as part of a cheese course, hard, semi-firm, and semi-soft cheeses shoud be allowed to stand at room temperature for an hour before serving. Fresh cheeses, should be served chilled. Choose three or four types of cheese, either cheeses with similar characteristics and flavors, or contrasting cheeses. If you like, you can serve the cheese with crackers or crusty bread. Also some people serve their cheeses with a variety of fruits, apples, pears, figs, and seedless grapes would be good choices, as well as shelled walnuts.

Whether you like using cheese for cooking, or eating on it's own, cheese delivers it's own goodness and flavor.


By Tim Sousa