Learning about herbs and cheeses

            In day 4 of attending class at ICE we learnt all about herbs and cheese.

Cheese

 As an Asian i do not really like cheese, the taste, texture, smell, and look of it. I don't really consume or know about cheeses, a little things i know are cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and Swiss it because i have eaten them in particular foods. The more i learn the more i know about cheese, in fact we disccused and had a little taste of each different kind of cheeses like fresh, ripened, soft, hard, blue veined cheese.

Cheese defined A fresh or ripened milk products prepared frome the congulated protein of milk. Resources: 

        - Cow

        - Buffalo

        - Sheep

        - Goats 

        - Yaks usually found in Asia

        - Reindeer usually found in products of Scandinavia

Component of milk: 

- Water

- Milkfat / Butterfat

- Protein contains Casein ( 82%) and Whey ( 18%)

- Lactose

- Vitamins and Minerals

The taste of milk or cheese usually depend on how much exercise the cows had. 

Three Steps of making cheese: 

1) producing the curd

  a) pooling 

  b) fermentation 

      70-90 degree + non-pathogenic, lower ph level, raise acid 

  c) curdling, coagulation, and clumping 

      Raise the temperatures 110-190 degree depend on fat and type of cheese to make.

2) producing the curd 

  d) Draing the curd

  e) Curd mixture rests 

     - low tempeerature = soft cheese

     - moderate temperature = moderate - hard cheese

     - high temperature = hard cheese, grating cheese

   f) Cutting and forming/ sharping the curd

     - cutting/ milling 

     - cooking 

     - pressing( cheddaring) 

   g) Salting 

       There are 4 methods

     - directly by hand

     - machine of floating in a "Brine solution"

     - rubbing surface with salt

     - rubbing/ washing surface eith salt, distiled water, and second non-pathogenics like mold, fungi, 

       bacteria

3) Ripening and Aging stage

   Defined controlled form of purification based on relationship of.

        TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, TIME 

This is determined by the cheesemaker, based on history, culture, tradition, geography, and climate 

(Terroir)

                   KINDS OF CHEESES

FRESH CHEESE 

- Mozzarella cheese i.e

  

  - Fior di latte ( cow's milk ) 

  - Mozzarella di buffalo ( water buffalo milk )

    D.O.P certified Compania, Italy

- Goat cheese 

  -  Chèvre ( chév ) means goats    Contain 20% milk fat

   - Mi-Chèvre                                 Contain 50%

Major produce in Burgundy, Provence ( France ) also in California, NY

SOFT RIPENED CHEESES ( 1-4 months )

 

- France  i.e MorGière 

Region: Sovie ; produced from raw cow's milk ; contains 22.5-25 % milk fat ; aged 60 days AOC certified.

- Italy  i.e Fontina Region: Val d'nosta province of Val Fontana ; made out ofpasteurized  cow's milk ; contains 18-20% milkfat ; aged 2-3 months

SOFT PIPENED RIND WASHED CHEESES ( 1-4 months )

- France i.e. Pont Lieveque

Region: Normandy village of Lieveque ; from cow ; contain 22-25% milkfat ; AOC

- Italy i.e. Taleggio

Region: Lombardy ; from cow ; 18-22% milkfat aged 1-2months DOP certified

SEMI HARD RIPENED CHEESES

I.e.

-Manchego 

Region: Toledo, Spain province La-Mancha 

From Sheep ; Aged 8-10 months very simillar to Italian Cacciota cheese

HARD RIPENED CHEESES

I.e.

-Parmagiano di Reggio Emillia, Italy

Region: Emillia, Italy

From: Sheep or Cow ; aged 18-24 months ; DOP 

BLUE VEINED CHEESES

- France i.e. Roquentont

  region: village of Roquentont

- Italy i.e. Gorgonzola

  Region: Lombardy, Pied Mont ; from cow

  Kinds:

    = Dolce di Lotte (1-4 months)

    = Nuturale (4-6 months)