Mascarpone

Mascarpone is an Italian cheese from the Lombardy region, made by curdling milk cream with citric acid or acetic acid. It is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cheese with a very high fat content ranging from 60% to 75%. The resulting rich butterfat content makes the cheese an essential ingredient in Italian recipes like Tiramisu and cheesecakes.

The texture of Mascarpone ranges from smooth, creamy to buttery, depending on how it is processed during cheesemaking. The concise portrayal of Mascarpone really is just thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making the cheese is so simple that many people easily make their own Mascarpone at home.

Mascarpone is used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is added to enhance the flavour of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. The cheese tastes best with anchovies, mustard and spices, or mixed with cocoa or coffee. Tiramisu, a layered dish with espresso, brandy, chocolate and Mascarpone has brought the cheese to the forefront of Italian cooking. Another possible use of Mascarpone is to thicken puddings and dessert creams. It is also popular as a standalone dessert served with fruit or syrup.

Whether you buy Mascarpone or make it at home, it needs to be consumed within a few days or it can go bad. 

About

• Made from pasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: Italy
• Region: Lombardy
• Type: fresh soft, processed
• Fat content: 60-75%
• Texture: buttery, creamy, smooth and spreadable
• Rind: rindless
• Colour: white
• Flavour: buttery, creamy, mild, milky
• Aroma: fresh
• Vegetarian: yes

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Parmesan

The Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese as it is called in English is considered to be among the top cheeses by cheese connoisseurs. Today, it is produced by various producers. However, PDO designation states that for a cheese to be called as Parmesan, it has to be produced from cows grazing on fresh grass and hay.

Cheeses mocking Parmigiano Reggiano are called as Parmesan or Italian hard cheese by producers to avoid legal issues. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is named after the provinces in which it is made, namely Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua.

True Parmesan cheese has a hard, gritty texture and is fruity and nutty in taste. Cheeses mocking Parmesan or inferior Parmesan may have a bitter taste. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is mostly grated over pastas, used in soups and risottos. It is also eaten on its own as a snack.

About

• Made from unpasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: Italy
• Region: Provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna , Mantua
• Family: Parmesan
• Type: hard, artisan
• Fat content: 25.83 g/100g
• Calcium content: 1184 mg/100g
• Texture: crystalline, dense and grainy
• Rind: natural
• Colour: straw
• Flavour: fruity, nutty, savory, sharp
• Aroma: strong
• Vegetarian: no
• Producers: Various
• Synonyms: Parmigiano Reggiano

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Babybel

Babybel, a French version of Dutch Edam cheese, is sold internationally by 'The Bel Group, France' since 1952. In 1977, the company introduced Babybel's smaller version 'Mini Babybel', a delightful snack packed with calcium that is ready-to-eat anytime and anywhere. Today nearly 75% of Mini Babybel is consumed outside of France.

Babybel, a semi-hard cheese is made from pasteurised cow milk. It comes in a net bag where each piece features a distinctive, red wax coating. As of now there are seven flavours offered in the US - Original, Sharp Original, Light, Bonbel, White Cheddar, Cheddar, and Gouda.

Babybel is marketed as a on-the-go snack and is available in various flavours. So, jazz up your snack routine and enjoy a sophisticated cheese on-the-go.

About

• Made from pasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: France
• Type: semi-hard
• Fat content: 69%
• Texture: smooth
• Rind: waxed
• Colour: white
• Flavour: salty, sweet
• Vegetarian: no
• Producers: The Laughing Cow

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Provolone

Provolone is an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk whose origins lie in Southern Italy. Today, the major production of Provolone takes place in Po valley region, particularly Lombardy and Veneto. Both Provolone Valpadana and Provolone del Monaco are granted DOP designation by the European Union to ensure that cheese is produced under strict supervision using specific methods to guarantee supreme quality.

Provolone cheese is also classified into two forms: Provolone Dolce, which is aged for 2-3 months, has a pale yellow to white colour and sweet taste. The other, Provolone Piccante is aged for more than four months and has a sharper taste. In South America, a similar cheese by the name of Provoleta is eaten with grilled meat. In America, Provolone produced is similar to the Dolce variety. The flavours of Provolone largely vary depending where it’s made. Mostly, it’s semi-hard in texture and made from cow’s milk.

Provolone contains high amounts of calcium and protein but on the other hand, it is also high in sodium. The cheese goes along with full-bodied and aged red wines. At the table, it could be served with hot chutneys, homemade breads and flat breads.

About

• Made from pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: Italy
• Region: Po valley region
• Family: Pasta filata
• Type: semi-hard, artisan
• Texture: firm, grainy and open
• Rind: waxed
• Colour: pale yellow
• Flavour: buttery, mild, sharp, spicy, sweet, tangy
• Aroma: pleasant

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Camembert

Marie Harel created the original cheese from raw milk Camembert in Normandy, France in 1791. Today, HOWEVER, a very small percentage of producteurs make cheese from raw milk with the process as Sami Marie Harel Would Have used. Those Who Produce cheese using Marie Harel's method, can call Legally Their Normandy Camembert cheese under the AOC guidelines. HOWEVER, the manufacture of Camembert cheese HAS now transcended the AOC designation.Very good varieties of Camembert cheese made from pasteurized milk can be found in Normandy today. The best of 'em is the Camembert Le Chatelain.

The fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. Young Camembert: has a milky and sweet taste. As the mature cheese it forms a smooth, runny interior bloomy rind and a white to Camenbert That Is typical cheese. It has a rich, buttery flavor. The bloomy rind is white Caused by a white fungus, called Expired penicillium rind candidum.The is Meant to Be eaten with the cheese.

This cheese is best paired with a light red wine Beaujolais Such As, Chenin Blanc, St Emilion, St Estephe gold traditionally a glass of Normandy cider.

About

• Made from unpasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: France
• Region: Normandy Camembert
• Family: Camembert
• Type: soft, artisan, soft-ripened
• Fat content: 45%
• Texture: chalky, runny, smooth, soft, soft-ripened and supple
• Rind: bloomy
• Colour: pale yellow
• Flavour: buttery, creamy, milky, sweet
• Aroma: earthy
• Vegetarian: no
• Synonyms: Le Chatelain Camembert, Camembert de Normandie PDO

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Smoked Gouda

Gouda, or "How-da" as the locals say, is a Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. If truth be told, it is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of the world's cheese consumption. Smoked Gouda is a variant of this famous cheese wherein it is smoked in ancient brick ovens over flaming hickory chip embers. Sensational with beer, this hard cheese has an edible, brown rind and a creamy, yellow interior. It can also perfectly complement tasty snacks like fruits, nuts and dark chocolate. It forms a good combination with sandwiches and burgers.

About

• Made from pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk
• Country of origin: Holland and Netherlands
• Region: South Holland, Gouda
• Family: Gouda
• Type: hard, artisan
• Fat content: 7 g/100g
• Texture: buttery and crumbly
• Rind: waxed
• Colour: pale yellow
• Flavour: smokey
• Aroma: smokey
• Vegetarian: no

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Manchego Cheese

he Manchego is produced in the La Mancha region of Spain, which is also home to Don Quixote. It is made from unpasteurised sheep's milk. It is one of the popular cheeses from Spain, made from sheep's milk. It also comes under the PDO guidelines.

The traditional use of grass moulds leaves a distinctive, characteristic zigzag pattern on the Manchego cheese. Authentic Manchego is only made from the Manchego sheep's milk. Manchego cheese is made from both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. The farmhouse version is produced from unpasteurised milk while the industrial version is produced from pasteurised milk.

The rind is inedible with a distinctive, traditional herringbone basket weave pattern, pressed on it. A typical ear wheat pattern is pressed onto the top and bottom wheels of the cheese. There are specific differences in Manchego cheeses, depending on their aging period.

Semi Curado - Young Manchego cheese is aged around 3 months are supple and moist. The flavour is fruity, grass, hay with a tangy note.

Curado - Manchego cheese aged for 6 months acquires a caramel and nutty flavour. It has distinct acidity.

Viejo - Manchego cheese aged for a year becomes crumbly in texture while the interior of the cheese acquires a butterscotch colour. It has a sweet, lingering taste.

Manchego cheeses are best paired with a sherry. Cheeses similar to Manchego are called 'Machego like cheeses', but the producers cannot legally name the cheese as Manchego.

This celebrated cheese has won gold and silver award at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.

About

• Made from unpasteurized sheep's milk
• Country of origin: Spain
• Region: La Mancha
• Type: semi-soft
• Fat content: 57%
• Texture: firm and supple
• Rind: waxed
• Colour: pale yellow
• Flavour: fruity, nutty, sweet, tangy
• Aroma: grassy, pleasant
• Vegetarian: no
• Producers: ALIMENTIAS EMC , Quesos la Vasco Navarra S.A.
• Alternative spellings: Manchego Curado, Manchego Semi Curado, Manchego Viejo

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