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Eat Wisconsin Cheese - Cheese production glossary Category: Agriculture and Industry > Cheese production Date & country: 27/04/2011, USA Words: 279

Pronounced
A descriptive term for cheese that exhibits a distinct aroma or flavor stronger than mild but not as powerful as intense. See Intense.

Pull Date
A code date stamped on cheese to indicate when the product should be removed from stock as being too old.

Pungent
A descriptive term for cheese with an especially poignant aroma or sharp, penetrating flavor. Limburger cheese aroma is classed as pungent.

Quarter Wheel
Cheese manufacturers cut 20-pound wheels or larger into four quarters for more efficient use by the end user.

Queijo
The Portuguese word for cheese.

Queso
The Spanish word for cheese.

Rancid
A term relating to flavors caused by lipase enzymes releasing fatty acids from butterfat. Some cheeses are not supposed to have flavors caused by fatty acids in high concentrations, such as Cheddar, while others, such as Romano, gain much of their flavor from the rancidity of fatty acids. In many dairy flavors, excessive rancidity is considered a ...

Raw Milk
Milk that has not undergone pasteurization.

Rennet
An extract from the membranes of calves' stomachs that 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.

Rind
The outer surface of cheese. A rind varies in texture, thickness and color. Cheeses may be rindless, display natural rinds or possess rinds that are produced by harmless mold. See Bloomy Rind and Natural Rind.

Rindless
Cheese without a rind. Some rindless varieties, such as Brick and Colby, are ripened (cured) in plastic film or other protective coating to prevent rind formation. Some cheeses, such as Feta, are rindless because they are not allowed to ripen.

Ripe
A descriptive term for cheese that has arrived at peak flavor through aging. The optimum period of aging varies widely among cheese varieties.

Ripening
The chemical and physical alteration of cheese during the curing process. See Aging and Curing.

Robust
A descriptive term for cheese with a very strong aroma and full flavor.

Round
See Ball/Round.

Rubbery
A term characterizing the resilient feel and texture of a cheese. Generally a term for cheese that is overly chewy or excessively elastic in texture.

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

Rustic
A descriptive term for cheese with a hearty or earthy flavor and distinct aroma. Country or mountain cheeses are sometimes referred to as rustic.

Salami
A Provolone style resembling a small to large log, ranging in size from 13 to 100 pounds.

Salamini
Similar to a Provolone Salami, the Salamini is smaller

Salting
A step in the cheesemaking process requiring the addition of salt. Depending upon the cheese variety, salt can be added while the cheese is in curd form or rubbed on the cheese after it is pressed. Salt is used to help preserve cheese, as well as to enhance its flavor. Cheese also may be soaked in a salt solution, a process termed brining.

Salty
Most cheeses possess some degree of saltiness. Pronounced saltiness is characteristic of specific varieties; however, excessive saltiness is a defect. Cheeses lacking in salt are described as dull or flat.

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

Sell-by Date
A code date put on cheese by the manufacturer to indicate the date recommended that the cheese be sold to the consumer.

Semi-hard
A classification of cheese based upon body. Cheddar, Colby, Edam and Gouda are examples of semi-hard cheese varieties.

Semi-soft
A wide variety of cheeses made with whole milk. Cheeses in this category include Monterey Jack, Brick, Muenster, Fontina and Havarti, and melt well when cooked.

Sharp
A descriptive flavor term referring to the fully developed flavor of aged cheeses, such as Cheddar, Provolone and some Blue-veined varieties. The flavor is actually sharp and biting, but not excessively acrid or sour.

Sheep
A classification of cheese made from ewe's milk.

Sheepy
Characteristic flavor of some cheeses made from ewe's milk.

Shredded
A very popular style or form with many varieties of cheese. Manufacturers now make standard, small strip shreds to fancy, very fine strip shreds of cheese. This form is ideal when cooking with cheese.

Silky
See Satiny.

Silky (Satiny)
A descriptive term referring to the texture and

Skimmed Milk
The milk that remains after all or part of the cream containing the fat has been removed.

Sliced
Another popular style or form of cheese is the slice. First incorporated into the world of American Pasteurized Process cheese, you can now find hundreds of natural cheese varieties in this form.

Smoked Cheese
Cheese that has been smoked in a process similar to smoking meat. Methods for smoking cheese include the addition of liquid smoke to the brine or smoking over woodchips. Smoked Cheddar, Swiss and Provolone yield a unique flavor.

Soapy
Descriptive of a taste caused by long-chain fatty acids sometimes present in cheese caused by excessive milkfat breakdown. See Lipase and Rancid.

Soft-fresh
A category of cheeses with high moisture content that are typically direct set with the addition of lactic acid cultures. Cheeses in this category include Cottage cheese, Cream cheese and Neufchatel, Feta, Mascarpone, Ricotta, and Queso Blanco.

Soft-ripened
A classification of cheese based upon body. Brie and Camembert are examples of soft-ripened cheese varieties.

Soft/Fresh
A category of cheeses with high-moisture content that are typically direct-set with the addition of lactic acid cultures. Cheeses in this category include Cottage cheese, Cream cheese and Neufch

Solids
See Dry Matter.

Solids (Dry Matter)
All the components of cheese (solids) excluding moisture (water). Dry matter includes proteins, milkfat, milk sugars, and minerals.

Sour
A descriptive term for cheese with an excessive acid content. However, a mild, tangy, sour flavor can be attractive in young cheeses. Tartness is the same as sourness in flavors.

Sour Milk
Milk made acidic by fermentation. The predominant acid formed is lactic acid. See Lactic and Starter.

Sour Milk Cheese
Cheese that has been curdled (coagulated) by natural souring or by the addition of lactic acid bacteria, such as Cottage cheese. Sour milk cheese does not use rennet for coagulation.

Spiced
A term sometimes used to classify all cheese varieties containing spices, herbs or flavorings. For example, caraway Gouda is a spiced cheese.

Spicy
A descriptive term for cheese varieties with a peppery, herby flavor.

Springy
A descriptive term for cheese with a resilient texture that springs back when gently pressed. Ripe or nearly ripe, soft-ripened varieties should be springy.

Stabilizer
An ingredient added to a product to bind water, improve consistency or stabilize an emulsion. Examples include whey protein concentrate (WPC), gelatin, xanthan gum, guar gum and locust bean gum.

Starter
A culture that normally consists of varying percentages of lactic acid, bacterial or mold spores, enzymes or other microorganisms and natural chemicals. Starter cultures speed and control the process of curdling milk during cheesemaking in part by converting lactose to lactic acid. They also lend unique flavor characteristics to the cheese.

Stick
See Chunk/Bar.

String Like (Plastic Curd)
A classification of cheeses whose curd is heated and then kneaded to form various shapes. The Italian term for these cheese varieties is pasta filata. Mozzarella, Provolone, and String cheese are plastic-curd type cheeses and may be described as string like. See Pasta Filata.

String-like
See Plastic Curd.

String/Rope
Small cylinders of typically Mozzarella or Provolone. This snack-style cheese is very popular to use in school lunch packs.

Strong
A descriptive term for cheese with a pronounced or penetrating flavor and aroma.

Style
A classification of cheese based upon its shape, size and packaging.

Supple
A term describing the body of certain cheeses when handled. Supple cheese varieties, such as Fontina, are somewhat elastic, consistent and yielding.

Surface-ripened
A term referring to cheese that ripens from the exterior when a harmless mold, yeast or bacteria is applied to the surface. Bloomy-rind cheeses, like Brie and Camembert, and washed-rind cheeses, like Limburger, are both surface-ripened.

Swiss-type
A term used to classify cheeses that share the common characteristics of eyes (holes) in their interior. Eyes develop during the curing process when gas, formed through fermentation, is trapped and expands, thus forming holes. The size of eyes can range from small as a pea in Baby Swiss to the larger holes typical of Aged Swiss. The original Switz...

Texture
A general term for the fabric or feel of cheese when touched, tasted or cut. Characteristics of cheese texture may be smooth, grainy, open or closed, creamy, flaky, dense, crumbly and so forth, depending upon the specific variety.

Thermalization
The process of heat-treating milk to less than 160

Triple Cream
The French term for cheese which contains over 72 percent butterfat in the cheese solids. See Creams and Fat Content.

Tub
A similar form to the cup, only shorter in height and typically wider in circumference.

Turophile
A lover of cheese. Taken from the Greek word turos (cheese) and the root phil (love).

Type
A term used to classify or categorize cheeses that share common characteristics, such as degree of firmness, texture, flavor and manufacturing procedure, with a widely known and established cheese variety.

Ultra Pasteurization
Also referred to as UHT. The process of super-heating milk to 275

US RDA
The abbreviation for United States Recommended Daily Allowance referring to the nutritional contributions foods, such as cheese, give to the diet.

Variety
The generic name of a cheese by which it is most commonly identified, such as Cheddar, Colby, Blue, etc.

Washed-rind
A cheese rind that has been washed periodically with brine, whey, beer, cider, wine, brandy or oil during ripening. The rind is kept moist to encourage the growth of an orange-red bacteria. The bacteria may be scraped off, dried or left to further rind development. Washed-rind and bloomy-rind cheeses compose what is termed the soft-ripening (surfa...

Waxed
Prior to airtight shrink bags, cheesemakers would wrap their cheese in cheesecloth and dip in wax for preservation. Many wax colors denote some attribute of that cheese. For example, with Cheddar: clear = mild, red = medium, and black = aged or sharp.

Waxy
A term describing the wax-like appearance of a cheese body, or its texture, when tasted or cut. See Texture.

Wedge
A cut form, usually in a cake or pie-style wedge, from a wheel of cheese. Many varieties of cheese use this style when merchandising a retail cheese case.

Weeping
A descriptive term referring to Swiss-type cheeses 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. Can also be caused by storing cheese at too warm a temperature.

Wheel/Round
A circular style or form that is usually flat on the top and bottom.

Whey
(1) The thin, watery part of milk that separates from the coagulated curds during the first step of the cheesemaking process. It still contains most of the milk sugar or lactose found in milk. (2) A classification of cheeses made predominantly from the whey obtained during the manufacture of other cheeses like Gjetost. Ricotta can be made from whe...

Whole Milk
Milk that is neither skimmed nor enriched with extra cream.

Wrapping
The exterior material used to enclose or cover cheese for protection and storage. Examples of wrapping material include leaves, plastic, cloth, paraffin and foil.

Young
See Current.

Young (Current)
Generally semi-firm, firm or hard cheese varieties that have been cured for two weeks up to 30 days. Such cheeses usually have mild flavors.

K
The German word for cheese.