Cheese!!! Cheese is a dairy product made from milk and produced in a wide range of flavors, textures and forms. Who doesn’t love cheese!!! Most people’s favourite foods like Pizza, Pasta, Burger etc. would have been incomplete without the cheese.
More than a hundred types of cheese can be found in this world but we are known with very few of them. Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss Cheese, Blue Cheese are quite popular but we are not very familiar with Low fat or reduced-fat cheese, Fresh cheese, Aged or mature cheese, Processed cheese etc. Ranging from mild to mature in flavor and low to high in composition, those are some varieties of cheese. Low fat cheese is made with 2 per cent cheese and non-fat milk is made with skim milk. Aged or matured cheese takes 6 months or longer to be ready but the flavor & quality will be more satisfying if the ageing process takes a longer time. Cheese that is not aged or matured is known as Fresh cheese. This type of cheese usually maintains a soft texture and gentler taste than matured cheese.
Apart from those popular ones, there are many kinds of cheeses that we never heard the names of. Proper knowledge of cheese will be advantageous since we are receiving a detailed idea about this topic. Furthermore, this will help us, at least a bit to choose the right one for the dish we want to prepare.
Mozzarella
A southern Italian cheese made from buffalo milk is the most popular cheese of all. This cheese has a semi soft texture and mild flavor. Aged mozzarella may have low moisture, harder and sometimes look a bit buttery in color. Usually available in round and square shapes with different textures.
Making mozzarella at home is quite difficult. Mozzarella is mostly used in Pizzas, also can be used for appetizers, salads and fresh food dishes.
Parmesan
One of the most familiar and top cheeses is Parmesan which is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. A small amount of this hard & crumby textured and fruity, nutty flavored cheese is enough for your dish. You should always use a small amount due to its bitterness. You can use it over pasta, pizza, risotto, other snacks and soup as well. Mostly it is used in a grated form.
Cheddar
England was the only country where it was produced at the beginning but now the picture is different. Cheddar cheese is manufactured and consumed all over the world. Tangy & nutty flavored Cheddar is made from pasteurized cow’s milk. It has a dry and crumby texture and ivory to deep yellow in color. The texture of Cheddar gets sharper with time. You can use it in your burgers and sandwiches.
Gouda
Gouda is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. This cheese has been named after the city of Netherlands. Gouda is a semi hard, flavorful cheese made from cow’s milk and changes its texture and flavor over time. You can simply have young goudas with beer, medium ones with fruity wines and mature ones with deeply flavored wine. Gouda also goes with apple or orange juice, flavored tea.
Emmentaler
People may think swiss cheeses and emmentaler cheeses are same as they are quite similar in look, though emmentaler has a stronger taste than swiss cheese. Emmentaler can be used in many dishes and served with wine and fruit because of its sweet and fruity flavor. You can use this cheese while making cordon bleu, fondue and casseroles.
Brie
The most famous French cheese which is known as “queen of cheeses” is Brie. Soft in texture and flavor like nutty, sometimes like a mushroom. Taste can be different depending on the ingredients while production.
Brie is especially a dessert cheese but it makes a great combo with meat as well.
Feta
Goats or sheep milk is used to produce Feta cheese. It’s a bit salty & tangy in taste and its texture may vary by age and region. But washing it with water can reduce the tangy and salty flavor. Feta tastes amazingly delicious when it’s served with olive oil, roasted pepper and nuts. Along with some drinks, you can use it in salads, pizzas, sandwiches and many other Mexican dishes.
Edam
People who have seen Edam cheese will definitely remember it because of its interesting look. It is like a pale-yellow cheese hiding in a red paraffin wax coat. This cheese perfectly goes with pasta, salad, soup, chicken or potato dish etc.
Roquefort
Roquefort is one of the world’s best-known blue cheeses made from sheep’s milk. Its sharp, sweet and salty flavor depends on its age. Roquefort has a special taste and using this cheese in dishes is handy considering its melting capacity. Mostly used as a topping, especially salad topping and in dressing as well. On the other hand, it perfectly matches most of the dishes.
Mascarpone
Pasteurized cow’s milk is used to make Mascarpone cheese which is known as buttery & creamy Italian cheese. Popular Italian dessert Tiramisu and some cheesecakes are made with Mascarpone cheese. It has a unique quality of increasing the taste of any dish without changing the flavor. Mascarpone cheese can be served with creamy dessert, pudding, pasta, lasagna.
A healthy person should consume a minimum of 1000 mg of calcium per day. A good source of calcium is cheese. Basically, cheese is healthy that provides many nutrients. We should consider the benefits of cheese as it helps to keep us healthy. Bone development, enhance dental health, reduce blood pressure, healthy blood vessels, helps to boost gut microbiota & a positive effect on cholesterol levels, healthy weight and healthy cells, these are the significant health benefits of cheese. Consuming too much cheese can be harmful as extra fat increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To avoid these things, we should choose low-sodium & low-fat cheeses.
