Cheese is rightfully considered one of the most popular foods eaten by tons for many hundreds and thousands of years. Mankind has come up with thousands of varieties of this dairy product, but, unfortunately, due to the constant cost savings, some people may not recognize the taste of truly rare cheeses. This article provides a list of 10 types of cheeses that are not particularly rare and are surely waiting for you at the family supermarket. Let it serve as the beginning of a gastronomic journey, becoming the impetus for the knowledge of the world's cheese, however, enough talk - cheese is waiting for us!
1
Pecorino from Italy
This type of cheese has existed for more than 2 thousand years, after its invention by farmers from a village near Rome. The suburb of Rome Lazio is considered the place of his homeland, however, when the city administration outlawed local salting of cheese at the end of the 19th century, almost all production moved to the Italian island of Sardinia. Now pecorino is made exclusively from sheep’s milk from Sardinia.
Pecorino cooking technology consists of the following procedures: the milk mass is adjusted to thicken, then seasoned with salt and shaped. Further, all liquid is removed from the mass by using a press. Thus, the cheese becomes hard as a stone. Thanks to its unique taste and aroma, pecorino cheese can add zest to any dish. It can be eaten separately, as well as added to salads in the form of cubes or rubbed into a paste. In the shops you will find several varieties of the product, cooked in various regions of Italy.
2
Camembert from France
If you imagine cheeses as one big family, then Bree and Camembert are siblings, and Bree is an older brother. They are produced from cow's milk without pasteurization, bringing it to a state of serum, and then carefully poured into vessels to create a form. It is not pressed, but simply turned on its side, leaving it to harden naturally. That is why camembert and brie are so soft. The fermentation process lasts several weeks, during which two types of mold develop inside the mass. The fermentation of microorganisms contributes to the creation of a white crust on the outside, which protects against hardening of the "inside". At the same time, camembert is a bit softer than brie, this explains the highest place of camembert in our rating.
Marie Arel, a Frenchwoman from Normandy, is considered the inventor of cheese; the discovery dates back to 1791. After hearing from the local priest the excellent reviews of brie, which he tried while traveling in the regions of France, the woman decided to create her version of the famous cheese, slightly improving the technology. Initially, the Camembert crust had a blue-gray tint, but over time, the producers managed to achieve the color of the first snow. Try Camembert in combination with spicy steaks or just put it on a cracker - the taste will delight you!
3
Gruyeres from Switzerland
Gruyere cheese is named after the Swiss city of the same name. The product was invented in the XII century by a special process of kneading thin pieces of hardened milk mass. The resulting mixture was left in a cool place, which allowed to get rid of the "excess" liquid. After drying, the gruyere is laid out in forms, salted and left until fully cooked. During this period, the fermentation of bacteria begins inside the product, which contribute to the appearance of cavities with carbon dioxide. These cavities are the famous “holes” in the cheese. Gruiter's cooking technology gives it a piquant nutty flavor and the necessary hardness.
For a long time, the rivalry on the topic of who first invented this cheese variety did not stop, except for the Swiss, French cooks who have a product with the same name also claimed. The debate ended in 2001, when the dairy product was given Swiss “citizenship”. This wonderful cheese can be eaten either separately or as a seasoning for salads or pasta. It is served in slices or grated on a fine grater.
4
Mascarpone from Italy
The first mention of mascarpone dates back to the 16th century. Due to its richness and fat content (contains at least 75%), it is often called triple cream cheese. Having tasted it once, you can no longer “change” the mascarpone with other cheeses. The method of its preparation is to bring thick cream to a boil (85º) with the addition of tartaric acid to the mixture. The resulting mass is brought to a thick state by putting in a refrigerator for 12 hours. Further, it is wrung out until the liquid is completely removed. Mascarpone has a pasta structure with a beige tint and taste, vaguely reminiscent of cream with yogurt.
Thanks to the mascarpone, mankind recognized such a dessert as tiramisu, since cheese is the main ingredient in the treat. It must be eaten chilled, as an independent product, or used as an additive to desserts.
5
Red Windsor from England
Just imagine, it is really red, and this is the only reason why cheese is in the top 10! This is really amazing, well, who may come to mind to make cheese with a red tint. Windsor cheese tastes like cheddar, with a rather sophisticated cooking technology.
Curdled milk is defended until the mass solidifies slightly, after which it is crushed into cubes. They are allowed to settle and mix thoroughly, spending up to 40 minutes on the process. The mixture is dried to remove the "excess" liquid. A hard piece of cheese is cut again and left to ferment, which increases the level of acidity. At the final stage, the cheese is salted and, correctly, mixed again, pouring red wine inside (usually port or burgundy).
The next step is the quick pressing of the mixture, which leads to the hardening of the cheese, giving it a "marble" appearance. It is best to serve red Windsor cheese with thinly sliced slices that will surprise guests with reddish stains and a winey flavor.
6
Nettle cheese from England
Nettle cheese is perhaps one of the most unusual of the existing ones. It is divided into two species, the first of which was invented in British Cornwall and was called Yarg. The cooking technology was not unique, except for the final stage, in which the cheese mass was enveloped in nettle leaves. In this form, the cheese was kept for months, in some cases, even reaching the required temperature and humidity indicators, it was even taken to caves. During the hardening of the product, the nettle was moldy. Bacteria kept the plant fresh, preventing it from drying out, which improved the preparation of Yarga. The density of the cheese can be either pasty or unusually hard. The soft taste of Yarga leaves a mushroom aftertaste. The hard crust of mold gives the cheese an incomparable flavor.
The second species is relatively young. It was invented in the Netherlands with one distinctive feature - nettles are not wrapped in mass, but the plant is added in crushed form, giving the mixture a good infusion. The mold process provides the cheese a unique flavor similar to a soft cheddar. Nettle cheese is best served separately or with bread.
7
Stilton from England
This cheese, like many others, is named after the city in which it was first prepared. Stilton owes his appearance to the owner of the Bell inn, Cooper Thornhill, who once tasted it on a small farm in Leicestershire. He was so delighted with the taste of blue cheese that he immediately bought the exclusive rights to its manufacture and sale. Luckily, Thornhill's inn was on a busy road, and soon the whole public knew about the new cheese from London to Edinburgh. Good marketing move, don’t you?
Its production must meet the stringent requirements of the technology, including the form, place and process of preparation. Pasteurized milk is processed into yogurt with rennet enzymes, after which the mixture is left to dry. The mass with the liquid removed is filled with salt, cut into pieces and placed in cylindrical containers that rotate at a certain speed. How does blue mold appear? Very simple: during rotation, the mass is pierced with needles, which forms a mold of a bluish tint. The creamy taste of Stilton is slightly shaded by the aftertaste of mold, which does not “spoil” the product. It is served with soups, salads or with crackers.
8
Danablus from Denmark
Danish blue cheese or Danablou is a dairy product with streaks of blue mold and an unusually strong aroma. Danabl can be either solid or practically creamy. The French call it “fake,” since Marius Boel, who produced the Danabel, wanted to copy the French Roquefort.
You can understand the anger of the French, because the copy completely overshadowed the original. Such popularity is largely due to simple cooking technology. Cheese is made from cow's milk, which is stitched with mold at the initial hardening process, after which the mixture lasts about 3 months.
The result is a hard cheese with a contrasting buttery taste. To shade a harsh aroma, it is better to use it with other products that do not have harsh flavors.
9
Emmental from Switzerland
Emmental owes its strange name to the valley of the river, which lies not far from Bern, but this is not the only reason for its being in our ranking. First of all, it is the oldest cheese made by the Swiss in 1293. It is distinguished by huge openings, eyes, giving a bizarre shape to slices of Emmental. It is hard and yellow, and its taste and aroma can captivate any gourmet. So many openings come from bacteria “shooting” carbon dioxide bubbles into the milk mass. Bubbles gradually grow up, creating well-known openings.
The longer Emmental is kept at high temperatures, the greater the number of “eyes” formed on it. The best way to eat this kind of cheese is to put it on a sandwich. You have never tried this before.
10
Halumi from Cyprus
The finish line is Cypriot Halumi cheese. Perhaps it is the most unusual of all the above cheeses. Thanks to special cooking technology, halumi simply does not melt. Before drowning the cheese mixture in brine, it is heated well, which contributes to the formation of protein fibers that are not subjected to melting processes. Such cheese could appear only in the Middle East, where the air temperature was constantly high, and the nomads had no opportunity to cool the milk mixture.
Now Halumi is made from the milk of goats and sheep. You can also find cheap variants of halumi of their cow's milk, but it is better not to experiment. Cut the Cypriot cheese into thin slices and fry a little ... mmm ... what could be better than a crispy halumi. It is very salty, therefore it is better to serve such cheese with vegetables or other products.
Aftertaste ... afterword of the author
When you taste all 10 cheeses from the rating, pay attention to three varieties of French cheese, which are also worthy of being in the top ten. Roquefort salty cheese has a memorable aroma and so delicious taste that, having eaten only a slice, you will want to “finish off” the remaining stocks. Pont-l’Evec is an old Normandy cheese with a spicy flavor and soft texture reminiscent of Camembert or Brie. And, of course, Livaro is a cheese with a delicious taste that does not leave indifferent any gourmet. Just don’t try to smell him, you will be provided with unpleasant associations!