Legend has it that the first cheese was made accidentally from goats milk that an Arab merchant was carrying in his saddle bag. The jolting of his camel in the hot sun separated the milk into curd and whey. The fact that the saddle bag was made with animal innards may have something to do with it. Cheese is a high protein dairy product made from the milk of animals like cows, sheep, goat, buffalo, yak etc. There are two methods of cheese production. In sour milk cheese lactic acid bacteria thickens the milk and sweet milk cheeses (most cheeses are of this kind) which are also called rennit cheeses. For this the cheese maker adds rennit an enzyme taken from the stomach of suckling calves to separate solids in the milk from the fluid. The rennit causes the milk protein to build up and the milk to curdle without the milk turning sour. In this method all other solid particles like fat, protein and vitamins get encompassed. When the process is complete the liquid whey is drained of and the solid mass of curd or coagulated milk protein is used to make cheese. Most of the rennet used today in cheese making comes from the lining of a calf's stomach. KINDS OF CHEESES There are literally hundreds of kinds of cheeses. They range in taste from mild to sharp and in texture from soft to hard- usually referred to as soft, semi soft, firm and hard. They are also divided into two groups Ripened(fermented with bacteria and molds) or unripened (fresh untreated). Cheeses ripened over a period of time are termed as aged. The longer they age, the sharper their flavour and the higher their cost. HOLDING, SERVICE AND STORAGE In Europe people normally place the cheese on a stone, cover it with a cover made of clay and store it in the coolest part of the house. All first class hotels normally have a separate refrigerator to store cheese as the temperatures normally maintained in the refrigerators are too high. Cheeses are both held and stored under refrigeration. Their most significant limitation is that they tend to dry and harden when exposed to air. This means that as soon as you cut into a block of cheese you must either use it or you must wrap it up tightly in a plastic wrap. Hard and firm cheeses if wrapped can keep from a week to several months if refrigerated. Even with the best of care , once a whole cheese has been cut it tends to dry out, get a sharper flavour, and develop inedible molds around the edges. Semi soft and soft cheeses keep for about 1 to 2 weeks, The fresh cheese should not be kept for more than 1 week. Cheeses should be served at room temperature. Slices and bite sized pieces should be cut just before service. Once dried out they are useless for service. COOKING WITH CHEESE Cheese cookery poses no problems so long as you keep the temperature low or the cooking time short or both. The high protein content of cheese means that it becomes tough and stringy with high temperatures and prolonged cooking. It's fat content may also separate out. Cheese used in starch infused sauces must not be added until the thickening process is completed. Cheese for gratinating should be added near the end of the cooking process. A glaze administered in the salamander is always a quick trip, whatever the product Let's take a look at some of the most commonly used cheeses Cheddar Often called American Cheese, BUT it is English and made in the Cheddar Gorge region in Somerset. It is a best seller among the cheese and is a firm ripened type, it comes in many varieties ranging in flavour from very mild to very sharp "rat cheese". It is used in sandwiches, and appetizers and as a dessert cheese. It is also the most used cooking cheese, the one the cook uses when the recipe says "cheese". Parmesan Another well known flavourer of salad dressings and sauces . It is a hard ripe cheese with a piquant and sharp flavour. This is the cheese you shake onto spaghetti, and it tastes delicious when you grate it fresh from a hard block Brie and Camembert Most French cheeses are soft and the luxury end of the scale are two dessert cheeses Brie and Camembert-both almost sauce soft. They taste much better than their aroma and rather unattractive appearance which would lead you to believe . But an odour of ammonia will tell you when they are past their prime. Roquefort: It looks like marble, for its noble paleness is patterned with blue veins and patches. It is made from sheep's milk that is full cream and unpasteurised. It originates from a classic sheep area in the south of France called Roquefort sur Soulzon. Reblochon Comes from the mountains . It has a yellow orange rind with a white mold. The elastic smooth creamy dough has a pleasantly mild taste somewhat reminiscent of hazelnut. Gorgonzola Originally produced near Milan in a town called gorgonzola, from full cream pasteurized cow milk. It is very creamy , soft and marbled with blue veins. To allow the blue veining to spread through it the cheese is punctured with long high grade needles from one side and then a week later from the other side. Bel Paese Another delicious cheese from Italy which is soft and yellow, sweetish and very mild. Made from pasteurized milk. Mozzarella Yet another famous one from Italy-the pizza cheese, no pizza tastes right without this one. It is a creamy cheese made from Buffalo milk Feta This is a goat cheese from Greece made from goats or sheep's milk and is an integral part of Greek cuisine. Stilton Considered the "king of Cheeses" and is the best of all English blue cheeses and can take its place confidently alongside the world famous Roquefort in France and Gorgonzola from Italy. Stilton is a white cheese with a light yellow hue and a strong blue-green mold culture. The taste is spicy and is mostly drunk with a glass of Port. Emmenthal Emmenthal cheese is equated with Swiss cheese all over the world. It is made of raw cow milk and with the addition of rennet. It is easily recognized by the large holes. The gas produced is partially entrapped in the cheese and this causes the formation of the holes. The smoother the production the more even and attractive are the holes. It is a mild cheese with a nutty aroma. Gruyere Another delicious cheese from Switzerland, which also has holes though, they are much smaller. It's mild when young and sharper when older. It's a sharp cheese with a nutty aroma. Raclette Based on a variety of regional cheeses it was a meal for alpine herdsmen and farmers. At some point of time, we don't know when the cheese got too close to the fire. Melted cheese was found to be delectable and thus the Raclette was born. Originally Raclette was limited to just jacket potatoes and pickles. These days we have a whole new range with chicken, meat, fish, game and vegetables count among the ingredients. A Raclette oven or grill is indispensable. A Raclette grill has a heating element under which you place your cheese and then serve it. Authentically the cut surface of half the cheese is pushed towards the fire, and the melting cheese is scraped onto the plate. The cheese is scraped with a knife . Actually it was the knife which gave its name. Derived from French raclette means spatula or scraper. Cheese fondue Switzerland attributes its standard of living to cheese and has a great many cheese recipes of which the cheese fondue is the most famous. Facts worth knowing about fondue A fondue pot with a handle is a must whether it is made of glazed ceramic, clay or enameled cast iron. The basic recipe contains white wine and two kinds of cheese grated or shredded, all combined and stirred while heating. Usually emmenthal and gruyere are used in combination as one alone would be too mild and the other alone would be too sharp. A little lemon juice should be added to the wine to provide greater acidity to break up the cheese. The thickened and sharp cheese dish is taken and served to the guest over an alcohol lamp at the table. Guests help themselves to bite sized pieces of bread, spear a piece of bread and dunk it into the cheese cream

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