THE BASICS
THINGS TO DO WITH CHEESE
Consider The Following
BUYING
COOKING
DESCRIBING
SERVING
STORING
TASTING
BUYING
It is important to choose a reputable specialty food store or cheese shop with a knowledgeable staff.
Familiarize yourself with your taste preferences by trying different types of cheese with different milks, different textures,
different styles, pasteurized or unpasteurized, cheeses that are suitable for vegetarians etc.
Check the labels for expiration dates either found on the cheese packaging itself or on the label generated from the scale.
If there isn't a date on the cheese and the store as precut cheeses, ask when the cheeses were cut and wrapped.
Check the cheeses carefully for any off appearances and/or aromas. Make sure that the texture for fresh cheeses doesn't look
slimy or too dried out. Sliminess can result from wrapping fresh cheeses to the point where it cannot breathe.
Cheeses that have been dried out cheeses have not been handled properly.
Avoid cheeses that have strong ammonia odors as well.
Think about the foods you will be eating with the cheese and ask your store's cheesemonger
which cheese will complement best with your meal.
Think about the wines, beers, and spirits you will be drinking and ask your store's cheesemonger
which cheese will complement best with your meal.
Do not buy too much. Understand that fresh cheese must be consumed shortly after it's purchased.
Take into account the rind if you are buying cheese for a recipe. You may have to buy more.
COOKING
When cooking with cheese, remember that it is best to add cheese towards the end of the cooking processes
since too much exposure to heat can cause the cheese to separate and toughen.
Take into account the amount of cheese lost in the rind. You may have to purchase more for a specific recipe.
It is easier to grate or cube when the cheese is cold. Cheeses that are typically used for grating or cubing for recipes
have higher concentrated flavors so keep that in mind when adding additional seasoning.
DESCRIBING
Like wine, describing cheese is not an easy task. Cheeses change flavor at different stages of the maturation
and create different experiences to different people. The best way to describes theses flavors is to use
descriptors from other food and nonfood items. Keep in mind that describing cheese is subjective.
The following are adjectives that are traditionally used when describing cheeses:
Texture
Spreadable
Luscious
Dense
Chewy
Sticky
Bold
Firm
Fluffy
Rich
Soft
Elastic
Supple
Crumbly
Tangy
Flaky
Creamy
Pillowy
Delicate
Pasty
Dry
Sandy
Moist
Pliable
Thick
Grainy
Airy
Custardy
Velvety
Aroma and Flavor
Barnyardy
Fruity
Earthy
Straw
Hay
Nutty
Citrusy
Lemony
Sweet
Buttery
Beefy
Gamy
Herbaceous
Caramelly
Sharp
Grassy
Mild
Tangy
Smoky
Mushroomy
SERVING
Arrange the plate from mildest to strongest. People eat from left to right or in a clockwise direction
so keep this in mind as you arrange your plate.
Make sure to choose cheeses with contrasting flavors, shapes, colors, etc.
It will create diversity and make the plate look interesting.
Be mindful of the presentation that the cheeses will be arranged on.
Wooden boards are the most traditional route but marble or ceramic dishes work well too.
Bread and crackers are traditionally used, as well as fresh and dried fruits, nuts,
and chutneys and pastes such as membrillo or mostarda.
STORING
Because cheeses are living organisms they need the careful balance of making sure
that they are not cut off from air, but also not drying out.
The best way to accomplish this is to use waxed paper or aluminum foil.
Plastic wrap is ok as well since it is more common to use but you need to make sure to consistently rewrap theses cheeses.
Plastic wrap is more ideal for harder cheeses.
The best place to store your cheeses is in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
It is slightly warmer than other areas, has a nice level of humidity,
and is away from other foods that might release some odors that the cheeses can potentially pick up.
Never freeze cheese.
If mold should appear on fresh cheeses or should the cheeses become slimy,
throw them out. If spots of mold appear on other types of cheeses simply scrape them off
and cut around the spot and the cheese should be fine.
TASTING
Let the cheese warm up to reach room temperature. Its flavors, textures,
and aromas will be at its maximum and this is important to appreciate the cheeses full value.
Make sure that every cut piece of cheese has equal portions of the rind.
When tasting several cheeses, always go in the progression of mild to strong.
The area furthest away from the rind is always the mildest on each piece so start there with each piece.
Make sure to have the cheese hit all corners of your tongue as these different areas have different taste receptors.
Be mindful about the different characteristics typically used to describe cheese: look, feel, texture, flavor, aroma etc.
Refer to the “Describing Cheese” section to review the adjectives used to describe cheese.