Cheese
Cheese
A dairy foodstuff made from milk. Milk proteins are soluble in water at a
neutral pH, but when the pH falls to a critically low level of about 46, the
proteins precipitate out to form the curd of sour milk, which is the basis of
cheese manufacture. The wide variety of cheeses is achieved by allowing
particular strains of bacteria to cause the fall in pH by fermenting lactose.
The curd is then processed into cheese by a variety of methods, some of which
require quite lengthy maturation in the presence of moulds. Others are matured
in a smoky atmosphere, and others mixed with cream to form very creamy cheeses.
Many regions of Europe have produced cheeses for which they are famous. France
alone has more than 400 varieties, including Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort.
Other well-known cheeses include Swiss Gruyere and Emmenthal;
English Cheddar, Cheshire, and Stilton; Italian Parmesan and Gorgonzola; and
Dutch Gouda and Edam. Versions of these cheeses are now made in many other
countries. >>
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