Cheese Glossary

Welcome to The Cheese Glossary. Here you'll find a comprehensive glossary of cheese terms and definitions. The more you know about Ile de France cheese, the more you can share and enjoy its authentic flavor. To find a term, simply click on the first letter of the word.
 

Often referred to as curing or ripening, aging is the process of holding cheeses in carefully controlled environments to allow the development of microorganisms that usually accentuate the basic cheese flavors. See Curing and Ripening.

Used as starters in cheese making, to bring the milk to the proper acid level. They also contribute to the flavors and textures found in cheese.

The French word for blue that is used in reference to the Blue-veined cheese varieties. Blue molds are typically Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum. Famous varieties include Bleu, Gorgonzola, and Stilton.

A characteristic of cheese varieties that develop blue or green streaks of harmless, flavor-producing mold throughout the interior. Generally, veining gives cheese an assertive and piquant flavor.

A descriptive term for an edible cheese rind (crust) that is covered with a harmless, flavor-producing growth of white Penicillium mold. The bloomy rind is formed by spraying the cheese surface with spores of Penicillium candidum mold before curing. Occasionally, brown, pink or red specks are interspersed through the white mold as it ages or cures. Bloomy-rind cheeses, such as Brie, camembert , and some Chevres are classified as soft-ripened.

Represents 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.

A round, creamy, soft-ripened cheese with a bloomy rind. American-made Brie is usually made in four- to six-ounce sizes.

Originated in Normandy, France, Camembert is a creamy, bloomy-rind, soft-ripened cheese. The desirable outer mold is usually created by the spraying of the Penicillium candidum or P. camemberti mold. Sometimes, though, it is not sprayed and instead mold forms naturally as the result of particular molds that have been added to the curds. Unlike in France, where the wheels are larger, American Camemberts are usually made in four- to six-ounce wheels. Traditionally this is a cheese made with cows ’ milk, but many American cheesemakers are making camembert from goat's and sheep’s milk as well.

A grouping of cheese that is served either before, after, or instead of a meal.

The French word for goat, chèvre refers to a fresh s made with pasteurized goats’ milk. It comes in many shaped, including logs and rounds, or it can be sold in small tubs or in bulk at some cheese shops. It is a soft, spreadable cheese that is equally good on its own or as an ingredient in salads or cooked dishes, both sweet and savory.

Term used to describe cheesess that have been aged for a long period, and/or pressed, causing them to lose their moisture and become hard. Grating s are hard cheeses.

A descriptive term for ripened cheese, such as Brie, with an aroma and flavor similar to the clean, pleasant fragrance of mushrooms. The flavor is produced by the surface mold that is related to commercial mushrooms. A mushroom aroma may be detected in other soft or semi-soft varieties. This aroma is also referred to as mildly earthy.

A rind that develops naturally due to bacteria in the cheese, and/or introduced to the surface of the cheese, and/or found in the cheese aging room. Molds may also be added to the surface of the cheese to create the rind.

The process of heating milk to a specific temperature for a specific period of time in order to destroy any disease-producing bacteria, also checking the activity of fermentative bacteria.

Synonymous with aging, ripening is the process of maturing a cheese.

A descriptive term for cheesess that have returned to a partially liquid state as a result of insufficient drainage of whey or exposure to excessive heat. Soft-ripened varieties often become runny at the peak of ripeness or if placed in warm temperatures for long periods.

A descriptive term referring to the texture and “mouthfeel” of soft, spreadable cheese varieties. A satiny texture is characteristic of perfectly ripe Brie. Also referred to as a smooth, silky texture.

A cheese that ripens from the rind inward due to the mold or bacteria added in the cheesemaking process and/or sprayed on the surface of the cheese. Evidence that a soft-ripened cheese has begun its ripening or softening is that the part of the cheese that lies just under the rind is becoming soft, sometimes to the point of being runny. Camembert and Brie are the best-known examples.

A subjective term used to classify cheeses of exceptional quality, notably unique or produced in limited quantities. cheeses that are combinations of different cheese types also may be referred to as specialty. For example, Blue/Brie is a soft-ripened specialty cheese with a blue vein mold throughout.

The French term for cheese that contains over 72 percent butterfat in the cheese solids.

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